In the third episode of “Startup Stereo,” our German Accelerator podcast, we invited two alumni of our Life Sciences program to talk about how they are involved in tackling the corona crisis. Daniel Mark is the Co-Founder and CEO of Spindiag, a diagnostics company involved in rapid testing for coronavirus infections. Oliver Uecke is the Head of Business Operations at Lipotype, a company providing lipid analysis services. They are certified to analyze samples infected with SARS-CoV-2 and are looking into the role lipidomics can play in coronavirus research. For the non-scientists among us, lipids are a diverse group of small molecules such as fatty acids or cholesterol amongst others!
In our conversation we dived deeper into how exactly their companies are involved in finding solutions for COVID-19, the impact of the whole situation on their companies such as for Spindiag it meant completely shifting their product from rapid testing for multi-resistant bacteria to testing for coronaviruses, and how they both perceive the “gold rush” in their field at the current moment.
What We Talk About
- How Spindiag has recently received 6 million € to develop a rapid test for the coronavirus
- The research needs to shine more light on the development of the lipid metabolism of the coronavirus
- The role of start-ups in tackling COVID-19 & the cooperation amongst them in this situation
- How the corona situation really was a game-changer for Spindiag making them change their product from a rapid testing for resistant bacteria to one for coronaviruses
- How at Lipotype the corona situation is a catalyst of an ongoing process towards digital collaboration, digital marketing activities and new business opportunities
- The impact of the COVID-19 situation on the operations of both companies
- The increased importance of diagnostics in the medical pathways of patients
- How new customer groups such as nursing homes or labs came up for the companies
- The support of investors during these times
- International expansion in times of corona
- Which collaboration activities such as regular check-ins & informal virtual birthday meetings work well whilst working from home
- The preparation to the “back to normal” from the “goldrush” moment currently
- Where they see their companies in 12-18 months
About German Accelerator’s Startup Stereo:
German Accelerator’s “Startup Stereo” is a podcast with and for founders, innovators, and change-makers. Plug into the stories, experiences, and best practices around startups, expansion, leadership, new work, company culture, and more. Stay tuned for more episodes in the near future!
