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Making waves in Asia – now turning to Germany

  • More news on Norway Health Tech

Tidewave’s turning mattress has successfully gained ground in Singapore. This spring, the company will expand its horizon by joining the Market Access Germany Program.

The cross-pollination of disciplines is fundamental to truly revolutionary advances in our culture, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once said. That might be something health tech scaleup Tidewave Medical can relate to.

In 1990, after a request from Haukeland University Hospitals to find a solution to prevent pressure ulcers, Audun Haug – an engineer and inventor from Bergen, got the idea to solve the problem by using one of his existing patents: a soft grip tool for the petroleum sector. However, due to his sudden passing in 2008 the process was put on hold.

Read more about Market Access Germany here, and apply here

In 2017 his granddaughter, Elen Haugs Langvik, dusted off the concept together with her two fellow students Bjørn Lorentzen and Nina Fagerheim Åmodt. So, a new company was formed – Tidewave Medical.

 

From grabbing to hugging

– While the initial soft gripping tool was made to grab and move fragile objects, the Tidewave mattress is hugging the patient and then slowly moving from side to side, says Daniela Centonze, CCO of Tidewave Medical.

Tidewave is addressing a common problem in health care institutions. According to Tidewave, pressure ulcers affect about 1 in 5 patients in Europe and can severely impair the quality of life of those who are affected.

– The mattress’ slow and continuous turning movement is so gentle you don’t even notice it, Centonze says.

 

Success in Singapore 

Tidewave is a member of Norway Health Tech and has been part of many of the events and programs initiated and coordinated by the cluster.

Last year, Tidewave joined the Nordic Health 4.0 – the amplified nurse program organized by Innovation Norway Singapore.

– That was a breakthrough for us. The work culture in Singapore is very different from Norway – very fast and straightforward. And for us that was exactly what we experienced. We met with 120 people from hospitals in the market with 15 minutes pitches each. Now we are running several trials and are building a commercial pathway thanks to great partners that have deep understanding and good connections in the market, says Centonze.

 

It’s complicated…

Having positive experiences with the Nordic Health 4.0 program in Singapore, Tidewave are now fixed on the German market, attending Norway Health Techs Market Access Program Germany which kicks off the 13th of February.

 

Through 2023, the attending companies will visit digitalhealth.PRO in Hannover, DMEA in Berlin, and the region North Rhine-Westphalia.

 

– Germany is a very big and complex market, and there is no shortcut but to actually start digging in. I hope the program will help us understand the procurement processes, and expand the network even more, says Centonze, knowing that Germany is a strategically important market for any medtech company being the world’s fourth biggest market for medtech.

 

…but it can open new doors

– What is even more interesting with Germany is, that it can open doors in to other german-speaking markets like Switzerland and Austria, Centonze says.

 

Apply to be part of the Market Access Program Germany here!

 

Interested in knowing more about the Market Access Program Germany? Contact our advisors Trine Radmann or Irene Chelliah

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