SENSIMED

Sensimed SA is a Swiss medical technology firm that originated as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) in 2003. The company was established by Sacha Cerboni and Matteo Leonardi. Jean-Marc Wismer, with a background in medical devices at companies like Medtronic, was the founding CEO and played a crucial role in the company's early development, raising significant equity. His experience was instrumental in transforming the company's core technology into a viable product. In 2014, David Bailey, an executive with extensive experience in the ophthalmic sector at companies such as Bausch and Lomb and Staar Surgical, took over as CEO.

The company's core offering is the SENSIMED Triggerfish®, a non-invasive, soft contact lens-based system designed for continuous 24-hour monitoring of ocular dimensional changes, which are related to intraocular pressure (IOP). This product aims to transform glaucoma management by providing ophthalmologists with a comprehensive profile of a patient's IOP patterns, moving beyond the single-point-in-time measurements taken during office visits. The system consists of a single-use silicone lens with an embedded sensor, an adhesive antenna worn around the eye, and a portable recorder that collects the data. This data is then transmitted via Bluetooth to a clinician's computer for analysis, helping to identify the most critical times of day to measure a patient's IOP and potentially predict the speed of glaucoma progression. The business model centers on the sale of this device to ophthalmologists and eye care specialists.

Sensimed has achieved significant regulatory milestones, obtaining the CE mark in Europe in 2010, followed by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2016 and registration with Japan's Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) in 2018. The company's journey includes substantial venture capital funding, raising over $41.8 million across several rounds from investors like Wellington Partners Venture Capital and Vertex Ventures. In late 2019, SEED CO., LTD., a Japanese company that had been a commercial partner since 2013, acquired a majority stake of over 90% in Sensimed, solidifying a long-standing collaboration and securing the future development and distribution of the Triggerfish technology, particularly in Asian markets.

Keywords: glaucoma management, intraocular pressure monitoring, smart contact lens, ocular dimensional change, SENSIMED Triggerfish, ophthalmic devices, 24-hour IOP monitoring, medical technology, non-invasive diagnostics, eye care, EPFL spin-off, personalized medicine, digital health, ophthalmic diagnostics, continuous monitoring, telehealth, vision care, medical sensor, SEED CO., Ltd., David Bailey, Jean-Marc Wismer, Sacha Cerboni, Matteo Leonardi, ocular health