Swiss startup Calopad, which revolutionises the pain therapy industry with an intelligent reusable heat patch, has snapped €4.2 million in capital from late-seed investors and the technology fund of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). The latter guarantees loans to companies that make sustainable products that reduce CO2 emissions.
With the fresh capital, Calopad will accelerate its launch beyond Germany, where it is planned to arrive this autumn. It will also be available in a foreign market for the first time, and other EU countries will follow. The company will also use the funds to develop a smart cooling patch. Besides this, the company has also planned the Series A investment round.
“The support of the technology fund is an enormous vote of confidence for us and shows that our innovation is well received in the market,” said Michael Breiter, co-founder and CEO of Calopad. “We are also proud that we have already been able to help thousands of customers with our unique therapy model to relieve pain or tension and thus improve their quality of life.”
“Calopad launched a heat patch of the same name in 2021, which is not only smart, but also ecologically sustainable. In contrast to conventional disposable heat plasters, Calopad is not only free of chemicals and drugs, but can also be reused. In this way, a total of 214 grams of CO2 can be saved per application,” commented Simone Riedel Riley, Head of the Technology Fund Office.
Redefines pain therapy
Founded in 2018 by Patrick Degelo and Michael Breiter, Calopad has developed a therapeutic device for patients with chronic pain. The device uses heat therapy for the treatment of muscle regions responsible for chronic pain. The heat patch has already been patented in over 40 countries or is on the way to it. Patients could also treat inflammation-related pain in the future with this same device.
Besides this heat patch, the relies on a combination of passive and active therapy to effectively treat pain. One option in its ecosystem is an AI-based physiotherapy app offering different home-based physiotherapy exercises for back, neck, and chronic pain management. It gives customers access to individually tailored therapy plans and health knowledge. It also enables direct exchange with experienced pain experts and like-minded people.
“Chemical patches, on the other hand, reach a maximum of 38 degrees Celsius and only in phases. As a result, they do not generate any medical benefit,” added Patrick Degelo, co-founder and CTO responsible for product development.
