In the world of startups, a large focus is always on major funding rounds. While these are surely important, they are just a new chapter in the founder’s journey! Regardless of funding events, here are our monthly picks of the most innovative high-tech startups with big ambitions and the potential to disrupt entire industries that in our view deserve the spotlight:
a4cell – speeding up the development of new drugs
a4cell is a biotech startup founded in 2018 that specializes in advanced tools for studying cells. Their main product is a tiny silicon-based sensor that allows scientists to monitor what happens inside living cells in real time, helping them to understand diseases better and to development new drugs quicker and at lower costs.
Why we are excited about them: a4cell has raised 3,000,000 euros seed-financing in October 2023 in a round led by Dreavent with the participation of BeAble Capital and CDTI. After opening an office in Boston in May 2024 and scaling revenues from research applications, CEO Elena Rivas currently focuses on validating the technology for broader use cases in the US.
Captoplastic – protecting our water from microplastics
Captoplastic is a tech company founded in 2020 as a spin-off of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Their patented technology quantifies and cost-effectively removes microplastics from wastewater streams as showcased in their recent collaboration with Canal de Isabel II, which whom they are constructing an experimental plant with a capacity of 100,000 liters per hour.
Why we are excited about them: In December 2024, Captoplastic raised 3,000,000 euros seed-financing in a round supported by new and existing investors like BeAble Capital. In 2025, CEO Ismael Olmedo plans roll out products for the detection of microplastics in drinking water as well as a pilot plant capable of cleaning over 1,250,000 liters of wastewater per hour.
Corify Care – improving the efficiency of heart surgeries
Founded in 2019, Corify Care has developed non-invasive cardiac mapping systems that transforms the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. Using 128 sensors and advanced 3D reconstruction of the torso, the technology is proven to make heart surgeries faster, more efficient and safer for the patients.
Why we are excited about them: Corify Care has raised 6,000,000 euros in December 2024 in a round with Clave-Mondragón and CDTI. After surpassing 1,500 treated patients in 2024, CEO and founder Andreu Climent plans to use these funds to roll out their systems in Germany and to prepare for entering the US market, with FDA clearance expected in the coming months.
Innitius – making pregnancies safer
Founded in 2017 as a spin-off of the University of Granada and the Andalusian health service SAS, innitius has developed a novel AI-based technology for the diagnosis of threatened preterm labor. Globally, the threat of preterm labor causes the hospitalization of around 38 million women per year, 85% of which are treated unnecessarily due to false alarms.
Why we are excited about them: Innitius has raised 2,800,000 euros in February 2023 in a round led by Clave Capital and Nara Capital. After successfully completing phase 1 of its clinical trials CEO Rubén Molina plans further clinical trials across Europe as well as the development of a database for predicting spontaneous preterm labor involving more than 7,000 patients.
LeapWave – providing devices with unlimited bandwidth
LeapWave Technologies is a spin-off from the University Carlos III of Madrid founded in 2022. Combining expertise in electronics, photonics and radiofrequency, they are developing the world’s first general-purpose connectors which can operate over multiple high frequency bands at the same time, providing electronic devices with unlimited bandwidth and speed.
Why we are excited about them: In April 2023, LeapWave raised 2,000,000 euros seed-financing from Bullnet Capital. As future 6G mobile communication standards will require bandwidths which cannot be achieved with current solutions, CEO and co-founder Álvaro Jiménez and his team are pushing forward the development of this enabling technology.
These startups have one thing in common: their innovative approaches position them as key players to watch in their respective industries. Join us in rooting for their success and be prepared for them to make headlines soon.
