The young, driven entrepreneurs of the 4TU Impact Challenge
Young entrepreneurs took to the stage to pitch their ideas during the 4TU Impact Challenge.
Published on September 2, 2025
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With a healthy dose of ambition, young entrepreneurs took to the stage last Thursday to pitch their ideas during the final of the 4TU Impact Challenge. Of all the participating startups, all helping to advance society with their innovations, two teams won prizes. Vindi Biosystems won the Jury Award. This startup is developing a portable device for real-time monitoring of biomarkers associated with various diseases. The Audience Award went to SimplyPill with their innovative pill dispenser.
The final took place last Thursday evening during Slush'D in Enschede, a major Dutch startup event. Teams from the four technical universities in the Netherlands – TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, University of Twente, and Wageningen University & Research – participated in the competition. Each university sent two teams. The teams were selected from previous challenges, such as the TU Delft Impact Contest, the UT Challenge, and the TU/e Contest.
Jury member Anja Sinke, a startup business mentor, is pleased with this year's winners. “It was a very difficult choice, and there were several candidates for the Jury Award. It's nice to have such a luxury problem as a jury (laughs). Of course, it's a disappointment for the teams that didn't make it.”
According to Sinke, this year's teams focused on diverse target groups and were at different stages of development. Some teams are already at a stage where investors can consider them, while others still mainly have a good idea that needs more time. “But the pitches were all strong, and in fact, every team had an original and interesting concept. As 4TU, we can be proud!”
What jury members look for
As a jury member, Sinke pays attention to a number of different things. First and foremost, she believes it is important for startups to consider future users. “You can have a good idea, but you have to put yourself in the user's shoes: what do they need? Almost all of the startups I come into contact with could pay a little more attention to this.” She also looks at the business case. “Do you want to do this as a hobby or do you want to pay your mortgage with it? Both are valid, but you have to be on the same page as a team. A clear plan, so that it's clear where you're going.” She also considers the composition of the team to be crucial. Research shows that diverse teams perform better. “Sometimes you see only technical people starting a startup. But at some point, you have to think about how you can diversify in order to achieve the best results.”
Real-time biomarker measurement
Vindi Biosystems, affiliated with Delft University of Technology, is developing a portable device that can continuously measure up to 24 important biomarkers from home. This gives doctors and patients real-time insight into the health of various organs. Physical problems can thus be detected at an early stage, providing greater insight into chronic diseases.
Isabella Walbeck, co-founder of the startup, talks about the device's first application. “Worldwide, 64 million people suffer from heart failure. It is important to detect heart failure in time. With our portable technology, we can continuously monitor heart health, much more cheaply than existing solutions. We are starting with heart failure, but our system will also be able to detect other diseases in the future.”
A smart pill dispenser
SimplyPill at the University of Twente is developing a smart pill dispenser that is linked to an app. This provides real-time insight into medication use, enabling patients, healthcare providers, and pharmaceutical partners to better manage medication routines.
The young entrepreneurs have a clear picture of what the future holds. Co-founder Luuk Spelbos: “We will soon start our first pilot. What we are going to do is distribute several devices to a diverse group of users. The main goal is to see whether the product works as we intended, whether the link to the app works well, and so on. We will then use the feedback to develop an improved version.”
This will be followed by a test phase with ADHD patients. And there is more to come. The startup will collaborate with a pharmaceutical company. Their pill dispenser will be used in a patient support program. This is a program in which patients receive medication and extra guidance to ensure that the medication is actually taken. They will organize this more efficiently with their pill dispenser.
International startup missions
The two winning teams will be invited to participate in various international startup missions organized by the 4TU Federation. This will give them international exposure and enable them to make contact with various investors and partners. They will also receive the title of ‘Best Student Startup Team of the 4TU’ of the year.
Overview of the other participating teams
HeatLift Dynamics
HeatLift Dynamics is developing an innovative expansion valve for electric heat pumps. This design allows for smart pressure control in the system, saving up to 30% energy.
"Approximately 20% of global CO₂ emissions are caused by industry, so sustainability is urgently needed. Current electric systems are often more expensive than gas boilers and are not competitive. We develop components that make these systems more efficient,“ says Ryan Dillmann, co-founder of HeatLift Dynamics.
Co-founder Sake Smits adds: "I assembled our first prototype in my room. With a few propane gas cylinders, we were able to set the pressure and test the device. This allowed us to demonstrate that pressure exchange works well." The startup is less than a year old, but the entrepreneurs are already well on their way. They have already raised funding and want to focus on a pilot project with an industrial heat producer next year.
Bloombuoy
Bloombuoy is an aesthetic, ecological solution that promotes biodiversity in declining waterways. It supports pollinators in the air, insects on the water surface, and aquatic life below.
MOTEX
MOTEX is developing a predictive safety system for motorcyclists that anticipates traffic risks and provides real-time warnings to help prevent accidents.
TutorMe
TutorMe is a peer-to-peer platform for student tutoring and will become a one-stop shop for all academic support services for students.
Sea to Skin (S2S)
Sea to Skin (S2S) converts brown seaweed into fucoxanthin and alginate. It offers a sustainable, reef-safe alternative for skin care and cosmetics and tackles waste streams in conventional seaweed processing.
FABBS
FABBS takes batteries to the next level with intelligent energy management, ensuring that every cell performs optimally.
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