This device skilfully gathers vital data on foot-ground interactions and converts it into AI-driven electrical impulses delivered to the skin. This groundbreaking approach not only diminishes neuropathic pain but also artificially restores the sense of touch, significantly lowering the risk of falls.
31-year-old founder Greta Preatoni comes from a family of entrepreneurs. She graduated with a PhD from ETH Zurich in neuroengineering and is passionate about applying cutting-edge research to real-world problems. The stunning beauty and keynote speaker of our Ladies Drive Female Founders Forum on 22nd October 2025
at JED Schlieren founded one of the most promising startups in Switzerland. We can hardly wait to see her on our Founders stage – and her business case is so intriguing that we just need to share it with you.
Ladies Drive: How is life as a rising star entrepreneur?
Greta Preatoni: I wouldn’t call myself a “rising star” – just someone who believes deeply in the mission and is willing to do whatever it takes to make it a reality. It’s a mix of excitement, responsibility, and a lot of problem-solving. But no one does this alone. I’m lucky to be surrounded by a brilliant team that turns vision into reality and advisors who challenge and guide me through the toughest decisions.
How do you handle that pressure?
The team plays a huge role in this. I think when you have a startup, the good thing is that everybody is working on a piece of the puzzle, but everybody’s contributing to everything. So I think if you manage to have that culture set where everybody is responsible, everybody motivates themselves, then you don’t feel all the pressure on you, but you feel that you’re guiding the right team, which is an incredible feeling.
That’s easier said than done …
Oh, yes.
How do you create this culture?
Well, first of all, I think that if you are too controlling, then people will just do what they’re asked to do. When you micro-manage, they don’t dare to explore, their personality doesn’t come out. Creating this culture also comes down to trust – on both sides. You can’t truly trust someone if you don’t give them the chance to prove themselves, but at the same time, trust has to be earned and maintained. If someone abuses it, that affects the whole team. It’s a lot of like little things for example, working hours – there are some people that prefer to leave earlier in the office. There are some people that are night owls and prefer to work a little bit later. We’re not perfect yet in terms of structure and organisation, but having your team measured on results rather than working hours makes a real difference.
What is your business idea all about?
Mynerva is a spin off from ETH Zurich, and during my PhD, everything was born. What we do is combining artificial intelligence and non-invasive neurostimulation in a device that’s very easy to wear because it comes in the form of a sock. It’s much more complex than that, but it’s really easy to wear. It’s meant for patients that are living with diabetic neuropathy, where the damaged nerves lead to chronic pain in the feet and you lose the sense of touch, which creates balance problems and issues. Our neuroprosthetic sock is able to artificially restore the sense of touch and therefore makes them walk better and reduces their pain.
I know exactly what you’re talking about – my Dad has Multiple Sclerosis and suffers because he lost the sense of touch in his fingers and in his feet.
There are so many conditions that can lead to this kind of sensory loss, and it’s incredibly debilitating. Moreover, there’s a vicious cycle happening because of the comorbidity between pain and the sensory loss. Indeed, usually pain is treated with opioids or anticonvulsants. These medications, however, come with side effects like dizziness, which increases the risk of falls, further limiting mobility and independence – ultimately worsening the patient’s quality of life instead of improving it.
I understand you have a real holistic approach. So who came up with the idea or why?
When I was doing my PhD, there were a lot of fantastic researchers working together with me. We initially were working on another project that was aimed for amputees, but always using neurostimulation. But then I understood we were falling into a typical problem for startups: falling in love with the solution rather then the problem. The market for such a device among amputees did not meet the minimum criteria for viability. However, we realised that a similar approach could be applied to a much larger market – people with diabetic neuropathy – who face similar challenges. It’s generally easier to start from a market where there is a higher need and then expand to other smaller markets.
Can you please share with us why having a bigger market is so crucial for a startup?
Because growth potential is extremely important. Startups operate with limited resources, so scaling in a bigger market could justify the initial investment (which is particularly high in Medtech). When working with distributors or sales agents, commission costs tend to have a higher impact in smaller markets because reaching the same numbers requires significantly more effort. We had to think strategically about how to leverage our expertise to serve a market with a much higher demand and potential. So we changed and we developed this device that we currently have, which is called Leia. I must say that the first “aha” moment was the first moment that we saw a patient using one of our first prototypes, walking with the device. We could visually see the difference that the device would make in the walking and the gait abilities. And I just thought to myself, oh, my God, this is great. It’s fantastic. For someone who has always been driven by the intersection of science and entrepreneurship, it felt like the perfect moment where everything came together.
You just said you always wanted to be an entrepreneur. Why is that?
I think there’s some family bias in there for sure, because I come from a family of entrepreneurs. I’m actually the sixth child of eight.
Oh, wow. That’s a big family.
Actually, my mother has 21 siblings! They are from Iceland and there’s also a bit of a different culture in the family values. But yes, my father is an entrepreneur. My other seven siblings work together with him in real estate. Therefore, I was used to breakfast, lunch, dinner, hearing about business plans. I got really passionate about it because I was so used to it. Nevertheless, I spent a lot of my time doing research and academics for the simple reason that I didn’t want to have a startup idea just for the purpose of creating a startup. I really wanted to find a problem that needed a solution, but focusing first on the problem and then developing something that could actually get into the hands of the people.
That’s so great to hear. Thank you for sharing that with us. How challenging was it to find an investor?
Finding an investor, especially in the early stages, can be challenging because you have to prove that your idea is the right one without having any sales and revenues to back it up. You need to find some investors that marry your value proposition, marry where the company wants to go, marry your vision and believe in you as a founder. From the investor’s perspective, early-stage funding is largely a bet on the founders themselves – their ability to execute, adapt, and lead. But beyond trust, it takes time. You need to anticipate what investors will ask and proactively address their concerns. At the end of the day, the investor is putting money in because they want to see a return on their investment, so you need to understand: what are they most concerned about? Is it the market? Competition? Execution risk? If it’s the market, don’t just quote reports and articles – do the work. Get out in the field, talk to the doctors, talk to your stakeholders and validate what you’re actually seeing online, because nobody’s going to believe in just some article that was published somewhere fancy (and neither should you as a founder). In general, doubts and critiques from others are incredibly valuable – they help you identify your weak points. Listening to them with an open mind allows you to refine your approach and strengthen your ideas. Moreover, you need to be very conscious about what are your strengths and what are your weaknesses and be honest about it. Instead of coming up with some answer, a much better approach is to say: “We’re not strong in this area yet, but here’s exactly how we plan to get there, step by step, within this timeframe.” Show that you’re aware about your weaknesses and your blind spots. They will know, they will understand, you’re an early stage founder, nobody expects you to know everything. But they do expect you to know what you need to do to improve and grow. Finding the right investor isn’t just about money – it’s about alignment. If they see the world the way you do, they won’t just invest; they’ll challenge your thinking and amplify your vision.
What do you think is the secret sauce to establish a successful startup?
I think the team plays a crucial role in this. Just yesterday, we hit an important milestone, and on my way home, I couldn’t stop thinking about how proud I am of the team. It just fills me with joy. If you don’t have the right people around you, at some point, you’ll quit. We’re like a sports team. Everyone has a role, everyone pushes each other, and together, you fight for the win. Another thing is to have a work life harmony. And I don’t say work-life balance because let’s be honest, in a startup, balance doesn’t really exist. There are long hours, high-pressure moments, and times when work takes over. But if you’re truly engaged in what you do, your work doesn’t just drain you – it fuels you. The excitement, the sense of purpose, the small wins – they create an energy that you carry home. And the same is true the other way around. When you have a personal life that brings you joy, it strengthens your ability to lead, create, and solve problems at work. It’s not about rigidly separating the two – it’s about making sure they feed into each other in a way that keeps you going.
So what’s your vision with your company? Where do you want to have it in the next two or five or 10 years?
This is a multi-layered answer, because at the moment we’re a one product company with 10 team members. I would like to do something much bigger. The idea would be to have an integrated ecosystem for diabetes care. Today, our technology addresses diabetic neuropathy, but diabetes is a complex condition with so many interconnected challenges – insulin management, ulcer prevention, mobility issues, chronic pain. People often have to rely on multiple solutions from different companies, none of which communicate with each other. We already have a smartphone application that tracks walking patterns and falls, providing valuable insights to doctors. But I see an opportunity to go much further – connecting different devices, integrating real-time health data, and offering a holistic approach to diabetes management. This isn’t just an idea; it’s a need I hear over and over again when I speak to patients, doctors, and stakeholders. I believe the future of healthcare isn’t about isolated treatments – it’s about treating the whole person, not just their symptoms. That’s the vision: a comprehensive, connected, and patient-centred approach to diabetes care.
