Interview: Prakseda Mineikiene & Innosensus

Meet Prakseda Mineikiene, CEO & co-founder of health-tech startup INNOSENSUS , from Lithuania.

Innosensus is a personal biosensor for gluten detection.

You can listen to the interview on Spotify:

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Pitching INNOSENSUS

Did you know that one in seven Europeans are gluten intolerant? So that means that somebody in your family or a circle of near friends is gluten intolerant. The only treatment for celiac disease or gluten intolerance is a strict gluten-free diet.

However in the cross-sectional studies, when people were trying to follow a gluten-free diet, up to 50 percent of patients were consuming gluten unintentionally. How? In another study, gluten was detected in 32% of gluten-free labeled products. So today there is no rapid and effective way to detect the presence of gluten in the food.

Our startup Innocensus is creating a personal biosensor that quickly detects the presence of gluten in the food and helps to prevent unpleasant symptoms. The gluten sensor will consist of a device and disposable capsules in which you can put the food. And we are creating the most rapid goods indicator globally.

Back to the roots

There are two parts to the story. The first one started in 2021 when our co-founder Žydrūnas found out he had celiac disease. While on a trip to Greece and having lunch in a restaurant with his family, he experienced an unpleasant situation while eating food containing gluten. The waiter clarified the meal does not contain gluten, so Žydrūnas ate it.

Unfortunately, Žydrūnas felt sick with unpleasant symptoms such as frequent bloating and joint pain, and the two-week vacation was ruined. So, afterward, Žydrūnas was looking for a solution for gluten indicators in the market, which can help him to ensure that the food at the restaurant, and cafe bars on the business trip will be out of gluten. 

After deep research and trying to use one indicator from the USA, he realized that there is no quick and effective way in the market to detect the presence of gluten in the food. He came up with the idea to create a gluten indicator.

At the same time, there is another story. I had 10+ years of experience in business management and the marketing field. Also, I was a lecturer course for students, innovation, and new product development. And then I became a mother and my motherhood changed my world, of course, in a good way, but I also had to multitask a lot. I wanted somehow to change the direction of my work.

The same year, 2021, I decided to specifically move towards deep tech technologies. I had the newborn and I successfully at the same time, completed the woman’s Go Tech program in Lithuania. After that, I was also a lecturer at the Innovation and New Product Development. And I got an email from my student saying that his father has celiac disease. His father is looking for someone who can help him to create a gluten indicator. That’s how we became partners with my student’s father.

I did not have any experience in biotechnology or beyond sensors. I had experience in creating products and innovations, for furniture and also a little bit in the technology field, but not in what I’m doing right now. This is challenging.

Gluten problem

First of all, people can’t be sure if there is gluten in the food or not. One study says that people, one way are trying to follow a gluten-free diet, up to 50 percent of patients were consuming gluten unintentionally.

What it shows us is that, probably it’s impossible to avoid gluten even when you are buying gluten-free labeled products. Then you meet with unpleasant symptoms such as fatigue, frequent vomiting, and skin rash, and it damages your body and it can damage your nervous system. Also, I found out this just last year – it was announced that celiac disease increased the risk by three or four times to sick cancer.

Celiac disease or gluten intolerance is just the beginning and then it’s like damaging and putting your head on the ground. So it’s very important to avoid gluten.

Secret sauce of Innosensus

We are creating the first gluten detection with the essential act of electrochemical technology. This is giving us significant advantages while others are using liquid chromatography. 

The main point is that we are using different technologies. It will be the fastest gluten biosensor globally. We have the prototype. We are working on more experiments. And if I went back three years ago, I didn’t know that we would create a technology product.

We will need to know everything about device certification, IP pitching, and raising. There are so many different fields that we don’t know. And of course, it’s challenging. 

Right now, we have our research. We are hiring our electronic, and mechanical engineers, who have experience in bringing devices to the market. Also, we are cooperating with the largest scientific research institution in Lithuania. It’s called PSTI, Physical Science and Technology Institution. We have a partnership with them. Also, we are developing a second product, but I will not spill the beans here, because it’s kind of a secret right now. 

Innosensus Team

Our team has different competence to develop the product as well as marketing. For example, I have worked more than 10 years in the marketing field and business development. Also, the production of our two co-founders Žydrūnas and Tadas have their own furniture companies. It’s not related to biotechnology, but still, we are using their expertise because it’s very useful.

Also, we have electronic engineers and biochemists. Of course, I need to mention that Žydrūnas suffers from celiac disease. So we are well aware of the complexity of the problem. The mechanical and engineering team has expertise in building and bringing devices to the market. This is very important. Also, we are very proud that in our team we have Professor Rasa Pauliukaitė from the largest scientific research institution in Lithuania. She’s been working with biosensor technology for more than 20 years.

I think that we have a very good team. Of course, we are always looking to expand it. We had a back-end programmer and then we saw that we needed more effort from the front end. Last month we hired a front-end programmer. I believe that we have a very strong team and this is probably the most important thing when you are developing the startup. And of course the communication between all of us.

Power of mentorship

We have some mentors. One is from another research institution in Lithuania. He is from the Life Science Institution. He helped us with the decision-making because sometimes we mess up with a lot of information and we do not know what to do.

We have another mentor. Last year we won a mentor for one year for free. We have a discussion with her one or two times per month. She is from a Global Innovation Agency, which helps companies to create innovation strategies. She is more about strategic things.

Sometimes mentors can be other startups co-founders because they are sharing their ideas and new challenges.

The biggest challenges for Innosensus

The biggest challenge was developing the technology of the product in the biotech field from securing financing and finding the right team. Every step has presented its own set of new challenges.

In the beginning, when I was starting this startup, this is how this whole thing worked: when you get up like 10 times per night to breastfeed your baby and try to combine motherhood with work, it was difficult for me. Later on to collect the team. 

Right now developing the product is the biggest challenge because it’s combining not only the architect field but also electronic parts. You always have to think about where you can get money. For example, EmpoWomen gives funds of 45,000 euros. Now, that we know that, we need to find a new way and direction where we will get the money because it takes at least six months. The focus right now is to develop the prototype version and then raise the money. It’s our goal for next year.

Being inside of EmpoWomen

I found EmpoWomen Programme through the research institution, the Center of Physical Science and Technology. One of the researchers said: “Prakseda, this is exactly what you need right now.” After looking at this program, I got interested in the accelerator coordinated by Startup Wise Guys as I had been following them for two years.

Also, I noticed that EmpoWomen suggested cooperation with Business Angels Europe, which could help to attract great contacts for future investment. And of course, the opportunity to receive a grant of 45, 000 equity pre-funding.

Our goal with EmpoWomen is to find our business plan as well as prepare an investment attraction strategy and find new useful context for product development.

I met EmpoWomen programme’s participants at Podim conference in Slovenia just two or three weeks ago. We have already felt the benefits and discovered unexpected things that have already given us useful knowledge and the ladies were very friendly, very helpful.

I love peer-to-peer sessions. In one of those sessions, I was crying because that session was like a mentorship for each other. We are very open in those sessions because it’s a small group of three startup co-founders, just ladies and we are sharing our experience and our challenges. This is very very important to me. I think it’s one of the best things that has happened this year for our startup. 

I love the accelerator’s team, and how they are organizing everything. Everything is on time and when you will have those sessions, you will have meetings and very good mentors. Mentors like to explain things practically, not theoretically

I love discussions. I pitched last week and they openly said what they don’t like and suggested how we can improve. Because I don’t need dishonesty, just say everything straight forward. And the mentors are perfect. I participated in different accelerators. I’ve nominated this one as one of the best right now.

Business environment in Lithuania

In Lithuania, I don’t see a big difference. For example, I am a woman in the business field. 

But I see the difference that there are not so many women in the deep tech field or the tech field. For example, the Rally Lithuania, one program that I mentioned before, Women Tech, encouraged women to participate more in the tech environment. I remember when I was in one of those events, that event was dedicated to the deep tech field startups. And I have counted. There were 50 men, and I was alone. I was thinking to myself: “Oh my God, what I’m doing here”. But from the other side, everybody was looking at me, and it was not a problem to contact others because everybody wanted to connect with me and ask me: “Oh what are you doing here? What’s your startup?

I see no big challenges for women in the business, but I see challenges in the deep tech field. I see how EmpoWomen can help us to connect from other deep tech fields. 

Actually, before that, I knew just one woman from a deep tech startup before EmpoWoman. She’s from Lithuania, but she’s based in the UK. We met just one time at that summit conference in Lisbon. It’s a great opportunity to meet others and share your knowledge and experience and how you can deal with fundraising when there are men. Because they’re talking about investors, a lot of investors are men.

Sometimes I feel that I need to prove myself more than others. And also one time I got a suggestion from one investor. It was a very freaky situation. I’m not sure if he was challenging me but he said: “Why are you doing it?”. And I said: “Because my, it’s my passion”. And he said: “Oh, you need to get more children and stay at home” and something like that.

I was very confused. I’m not sure if men can ever get some kind of comments that you need to stay at home. For me, it was disgusting, but on the other hand, I left the room after the meeting, and I became stronger. 

Next milestone for Innosensus

We want to create a product and then during the EmpoWomen program, we want to get prepared for fundraising. In the future, we are planning to create not only gluten biosensors, but also for other allergies, such as lactose, nuts, or seafood. Our vision is to become a leader in biosensors of different allergens.