Name:
Julie Rosser
Project:
PreGenerate GmbH
Founding date - How long have you been working on your idea?
November 2019
Founding trigger: How did you get the idea?
During my clinical work with horses, I noticed that the technologyfrom my PhD research gave some indications which horse might respond to which arthritis injection, and the idea behind PreGenerate was born.
Founding moment: How did you know that you wanted to realize your idea?
We actually didn't know until we were already doing it. While looking for funding, the idea of starting up began to take hold, and it was a leap of faith at first. We were lucky, and a little surprised, at how much we loved startup life within the first few months!
Elevator pitch of your project:
PreGenerate tests your cells on our simple, scalable device to analyse which arthritis genes are turned up or down by different treatments in order to guide your doctor in personalising your treatment plan.
Elevator pitch about yourself:
I am a surgeon for horses by training, and I moved here from the USA to work as a senior surgeon at Vetmeduni Vienna alongside my PhD studies in arthritis. I love adventure, music, travel, hikes with my dog Canyon, and great stories.
How many of you are in the founding team and how did you come together?
Originally we were two, although we didn't know at the time that we would become co-founders! We had worked together on projects at TU Vienna, and since then we've grown to five team members largely by leveraging our local networks through the universities.
University:
Vetmeduni Vienna and TU Vienna
How did your university support you when it came to founding and entrepreneurship?
Our universities remain integral parts of our support network, from helping us apply for a patent to writing funding applications and raising awareness of our company. We have been fortunate to work with and learn from our university colleagues.
Do's: What would you recommend to any founder, or what would you do again?
Ask questions! When you genuinely ask for help or advice, you meet the MOST amazing people and it can change your whole perspective. Suddenly, things that seemed like fantasy become really possible, and you learn new ways to innovate throughout the journey.
Don`ts: What would you do differently? What was your biggest learning?
Let distractions derail your vision. Shiny things come along all the time, and we have to sit back and really think, does this serve our vision and mission? Does this bring our product closer to users? Does this really improve our product?
How to start? - What would you recommend to anyone interested in starting a business?
Just start. When you're building something totally new, you can only learn what works by jumping in and getting started.
