Greta Preatoni: Healing with a Smart Sock – A Founder’s Journey
Greta Preatoni: Healing with a Smart Sock – A Founder’s Journey
Greta Preatoni’s journey began far from the labs of ETH Zurich, rooted instead in childhood curiosity in Italy. Growing up, she devoured books on neuroscience and was particularly fascinated by the phenomenon of phantom limbs – the mysterious sensation when an amputee feels a missing limb. “Since I was a kid, I was always very fascinated by phantom limbs,” she says, recalling evenings spent reading neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran’s work alongside her brother. This early spark of scientific wonder ignited two lifelong passions in her: understanding the human nervous system, and a drive to build something tangible from that knowledge. Entrepreneurship ran in the family – Greta hails from a business-oriented household – and by her teens she was determined to merge science and entrepreneurship in a meaningful way.
After high school, Greta pursued biomedical engineering, earning a Master’s at San Raffaele University in Milan. But she hungered for deeper expertise in the brain-machine connection. That ambition led her north to Switzerland, where she entered the prestigious ETH Zurich for a PhD in neuroengineerings. Immersed in one of Europe’s top research environments, Greta honed cutting-edge skills in neural prosthetics and artificial intelligence. Even as she delved into academic journals and lab experiments, the entrepreneurial spark never left her. She dreamed of one day translating lab discoveries into real-world solutions for patients. Little did she know how personal and urgent that dream would become during her doctoral research.
The Spark – From PhD to Purpose
Greta’s “aha” moment arrived in the neural engineering labs of ETH, where she worked under professors pushing the frontiers of brain-computer interfaces and sensory prosthetics. As part of a multi-year research project, Greta explored ways to restore sensation to those who had lost it – including amputees and people with diabetic neuropathy. Initially, much of the focus was on amputees: a project called “MYLEG” investigated non-invasive methods to feed sensory feedback from a prosthetic leg into an amputee’s . The idea was revolutionary – rather than invasive surgery to implant electrodes, use wearable tech to stimulate nerves from outside. Greta’s early experiments showed promise but also highlighted limits. Still, this work planted a seed: if you could simulate touch for someone missing a limb, could you do the same for someone whose nerves were damaged by disease?
That question became the heart of her PhD. Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) – one of the most common complications of diabetes – causes patients to gradually lose feeling in their feet as nerves deteriorate. Ironically, it also can cause chronic stabbing pain. Losing sensation throws off balance and gait, making walking difficult and dangerous. “It’s a vicious cycle,” Greta explains. “Lack of tactile feedback creates balance difficulties and raises the risk of falls… meanwhile the damaged nerves cause chronic pain”. Standard medicine had little to offer beyond painkillers like opioids, which carry addiction risks and even increase fall risk by dulling the senses further. Greta saw an urgent unmet need: what if technology could restore lost sensation and relieve pain simultaneously?
In the final year of her PhD, Greta and her colleagues developed a rough prototype: a sock-like wearable with pressure sensors under the foot and electrode pads that could stimulate nerves at the ankle. They trained AI algorithms to convert the pressure signals into precisely timed electrical pulses that the brain might interpret as “feeling” the ground again. After countless bench tests, computer simulations, and tweaks, the day came to try it on a real patient – the scene described in the prologue. As Greta watched that first patient regain his balance and even chuckle in surprise at the sensation of carpet under his feet, she felt a profound validation. “I said, okay, we have this golden ticket, let’s take it forward,” she remembers. In that instant, MYNERVA was born – not just as a project, but as a mission. Greta’s path as a founder crystallized: this device had to reach everyone who needed it.
Building MYNERVA
Spinning out a company from a PhD project is no small feat – especially in the medical device arena. In 2023, fresh with her doctorate in hand Greta Preatoni officially co-founded MYNERVA with the goal of transforming her research into a product that could help millions. The name “MYNERVA” nods to Minerva (the Roman goddess of wisdom) and nerves, reflecting the fusion of knowledge and neural technology. With her boundless energy (“energy is something I’m not missing,” she laughs), Greta began assembling a team as multidimensional as the challenge at hand. She brought on engineers, neuroscientists, clinicians, and designers – some former lab mates from ETH Zurich, others savvy partners from industry – to form a core team. This included a technical lead, Luigi Carotenuto, and a wearable design expert, Nadine Brandenburg, among others.“Of course, this is my first time building a company and I can’t do everything – knowing your limits and getting good advisors through the journey for sure helps,”Greta admits. From day one, she sought mentors and advisors, refusing to let ego impede MYNERVA’s growth.
Early on, Greta made a strategic decision: incubate MYNERVA within supportive ecosystems. The project was accepted into Wyss Zurich, a renowned accelerator for ETH and University of Zurich spin-offs, providing funding and lab resources. MYNERVA also secured grants from Innosuisse (the Swiss Innovation Agency) and the prestigious BRIDGE proof-of-concept program, easing the leap from academia to startup. This support gave Greta the runway to refine the prototype sock – now dubbed “Leia” – and navigate the complex medical regulatory path. Unlike the freewheeling trial-and-error of research, product development required discipline: “Towards commercialization we had a more structured approach – feasibility, design inputs, design outputs, design freeze – and all of it was fed by market validation,” Greta says. She organized focus groups with patients, iterating the sock’s material, fit, even color, based on feedback. In one session, users quipped that the sock felt too long and too conspicuous. The team responded by redesigning it to be “a cozy sock” that looks and feels like a normal compression sock, only smarter. Greta understood that for elderly diabetic patients to accept a high-tech device, it must be comfortable and un-intimidating.
Building MYNERVA also meant laying business foundations. Greta, ever the student, briefly stepped back into academia – but this time for an executive MBA focused on entrepreneurial management. In fact, she wrote her MBA thesis on MYNERVA’s evolving business model, testing frameworks and strategies she would later apply directly. By mid-2025, two years into the journey, MYNERVA AG was formally incorporated as a company in Zurich. That summer, Greta and her small team found themselves standing on stage at ETH Zurich’s main hall, accepting the >>venture>> 2025 Grand Prize – Switzerland’s top startup award, with CHF 150,000 in seed funding. It was a validating moment: the scientific community, business experts, and investors alike were recognizing that MYNERVA wasn’t just a great thesis – it was a viable company with the potential to transform healthcare.
Technology & Innovation: Inside the Smart Sock “Leia”
What exactly is MYNERVA’s device, and how does it work? In essence, Leia is an AI-powered neuroprosthesis in the familiar form of a sock. It’s a wearable that ingeniously merges sensing and stimulation to restore what diabetic neuropathy has stolen.
Inside Leia’s fabric are discreet pressure sensors along the sole. With each step a patient takes, these sensors measure the force and timing of foot-ground contact. Normally, nerves in our feet would relay this information to the brain, but in neuropathy those signals are lost or weakened. Leia steps in as a translator: the sensor data is sent to a small processing unit (worn as an ankle bracelet or clipped to the sock), where AI algorithms convert it into electrical stimulation patterns Those patterns are then delivered via flexible electrodes placed around the ankle, targeting healthy nerve fibers above the damaged region.
The experience for the patient is subtle yet profound. The electrical impulses are set at a “pleasant” level – just enough to evoke a sensation of pressure or tingling that corresponds to foot movement, but not painful or jarring. Essentially, Leia is hacking the nervous system: when the patient’s heel strikes the ground, the brain receives a gentle nudge that something touched the foot, even if the foot itself felt nothing. Over time, this artificial feedback helps re-normalize walking. Balance improves because the brain relearns to trust signals from the feet. Perhaps most remarkably, patients report that their chronic neuropathic pain diminishes – an effect attributed to the nervous system not overreacting in the void of sensation, thanks to Leia’s inputs. It’s as if by closing the sensory loop, the device quiets the hyperactive pain signals.
MYNERVA’s innovation lies not only in this dual action of preventing falls and relieving pain, but also in how user-friendly it aims to be. Patients wear the smart sock just 20-30 minutes a day to achieve therapeutic benefit. All the while, the system collects data on gait, pressure distribution, and patient activity via the insole and a companion wearable. This data uploads to a platform where clinicians can monitor progress remotely and the AI can further personalize stimulation parameters. In an age of digital health, MYNERVA is marrying hardware and software into a solution that fits seamlessly into daily life. The team often poses a simple but powerful question: “What if relieving pain and reducing falls could be as simple as wearing a sock?”. Leia is their answer. After years of R&D, the device is now on the cusp of regulatory approval, with formal clinical trials underway to earn a CE mark (and later FDA clearance) for market launch. If successful, it would be the first-ever non-invasive neuroprosthetic for diabetic neuropathy – a category-creating innovation.
Startup Journey in the Swiss Ecosystem
As a founder, Greta Preatoni has deftly navigated the Swiss startup ecosystem to propel MYNERVA forward. Switzerland might be known for its banks and chocolates, but it also happens to be a hotbed of medtech innovation – a fact Greta leveraged at every step. Being based in Zurich gave her access to world-class research facilities and hospitals (ETH and the University of Zurich’s Balgrist University Hospital were key partners), but turning science into a product required more. Greta tapped into programs like Venture Kick and Venture Leaders, which offered not only funding but also coaching and international exposure. In 2024, MYNERVA was selected among the Venture Leaders Medtech cohort, sending Greta’s team on a roadshow to Boston to meet investors and industry leaders“We saw how other players were manufacturing and distributing their devices, what clinical data they had, how much money they raised – all super important to shape our strategy,”Greta says of those competitive analyses. It helped MYNERVA benchmark itself against both giants and fellow startups worldwide.
Back home, Greta’s venture quickly became a rising star. In late 2023, MYNERVA won the Falling Walls Lab Switzerland competition, pitching its vision of “breaking the wall” of diabetic neuropathy and earning a spot at the global Falling Walls showcase in Berlin. Around the same time, Diabetes Center Berne awarded MYNERVA first place in its Diabetes Innovation Challenge, validating the device’s impact for diabetic care. Early 2024 saw more accolades: MYNERVA made the Top 15 of the prestigious W. A. De Vigier Awards and was shortlisted as a finalist for the Swiss Technology Award. Each award not only added to the startup’s credibility but often came with grant money or services that kept the bootstrap operation running.
Importantly, Greta herself began attracting attention as a prominent young innovator. In 2023, at just 29, she earned a spot on Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe in Science and Healthcare for her work with “myLeg” – the very research that evolved into MYNERVA. The recognition served as a megaphone for her mission. “I’ve always had this dream about putting together science and entrepreneurship, and now that I am on this path, I couldn’t be happier,” she told an interviewer. Yet, she’s candid that the journey has not been without hurdles: skepticism from some peers, the daunting learning curve of regulatory law and fundraising, and the pressure of being a first-time CEO. In those challenging moments, the Swiss startup community proved instrumental. Innosuisse’s startup training and a network of seasoned entrepreneurs in programs like ETH’s spin-off alumni events gave Greta a support system to troubleshoot problems in real-time. She credits early grant support – non-dilutive funding – as crucial in allowing MYNERVA to focus on R&D before seeking venture capital. By mid-2025, with the >>venture>> Grand Prize and other awards in hand, MYNERVA signaled that it was investment-ready; a seed funding round is reportedly on the horizon to gear up for manufacturing and distribution.
Business Model Evolution
One thing Greta Preatoni will tell you about medtech: the business plan is never static. “We shaped our business model, I think, 3000 times,” she says with a laugh. That’s only a slight exaggeration – in the span of two years, MYNERVA’s go-to-market strategy has iterated constantly in response to new information. Part of this fluidity comes from operating in a regulated industry. For example, early feedback from patient focus groups suggested that some users wanted to wear the sock longer each day for more benefit. But Greta’s team realized if they officially recommended usage beyond 30 minutes, the device might be classified in a higher regulatory category, complicating approval. Thus, clinical data, user desirability, and regulatory constraints had to all be balanced in the product design and usage guidelines – a business consideration as much as an engineering one.
Greta approached business model generation with the same scientific rigor she applied to technology. She utilized tools like the Business Model Canvas to map out value propositions, customer segments, and revenue streams. But she didn’t stop at theory. Every hypothesis was tested in the field: She spoke to podiatrists, endocrinologists, clinic administrators – anyone who might be a customer or stakeholder – gathering intel on how they would adopt a device like Leia. She also studied competitors. There were a few companies developing neurostimulators for neuropathic pain, but many required invasive implants or only addressed pain without improving sensation. That insight helped MYNERVA position Leia as unique: a holistic solution for both symptom relief and functional gain. It also guided decisions like pricing and sales channels.
Early on, Greta considered a straight device sale model – hospitals or individuals buying Leia socks outright – but concerns arose about accessibility and recurring revenue for the company. Eventually, MYNERVA settled on a hybrid model: a one-time starter kit (with the sock, sensors, and controller) followed by a subscription for disposables and digital services. “In our case, we have both a starter package that we sell and then consumables and subscriptions,” Greta explains. The consumables include things like replacement electrode pads and perhaps insoles, ensuring a continuous engagement with customers. The subscription could cover the AI monitoring platform and regular software updates or telemedicine support. This model not only provides steady income to sustain the business, but also “locks in” the client, fostering long-term therapy adherence. Of course, nothing is set in stone – Greta is quick to note they have run small pilots to see what pricing and delivery model works best for clinics and patients. The company’s very DNA is about iteration and responding to feedback, whether it’s in code or in business strategy. As Greta puts it, “there’s not one specific framework that will solve all your problems… use a thousand ones. The framework is just a tool for you to understand how to go to market”. It’s a humble, learning-oriented approach that has served MYNERVA well so far.
Leadership Philosophy
Greta Preatoni’s leadership style is a study in contrasts: youthful exuberance tempered by wisdom beyond her years. She is both the energetic scientist excitedly detailing neural pathways and the reflective CEO mindful of her own limits. This self-awareness was evident from the outset of her founder journey. “I can’t have the arrogance of saying I can do everything,” she says, “knowing your limits and trying to get good advisors… for sure helps”. Indeed, assembling a circle of trusted mentors was one of her first moves after founding MYNERVA. She sought out experienced medtech entrepreneurs and even sat on the board of her family’s business to absorb lessons in management and governance. This attitude – confident yet coachable – has endeared her to investors and partners who often cite her maturity as a key asset.
What truly defines Greta’s philosophy is captured in her personal motto: “Go where it scares you the most.” She often shares this advice with young scientists contemplating entrepreneurship. “I would really suggest: go where it scares you the most, because you’re going to be put in a position where you don’t feel comfortable and you feel like you need to prove, not only to others but also to yourself, that that’s the right path,” Greta says. For her, that meant leaping from the safe harbor of academia into the unknown waters of startup life. It meant moving from Italy to a new country, pitching in a non-native language, and diving into a highly regulated industry. Rather than shy away from these challenges, Greta ran toward them – and she encourages her team to do the same.
She cultivates a culture at MYNERVA that embraces experimentation and resilience. When a prototype failed or a funding application was rejected, Greta would shrug it off as part of the process. “I’m having a lot of fun. I’m loving it,” she says of the entrepreneurial rollercoaster. That sense of joy in pursuit is infectious. Colleagues describe her as a leader who celebrates even small wins – the first time a patient completed a walk without pain, or the day they finally got a messy tangle of sensor wires to work reliably. She leads by example, often the first to arrive at the lab and last to leave, her enthusiasm elevating the whole team’s morale. And yet, Greta isn’t all hustle; she places high value on purpose and passion. “Assuming, of course, that what drives you is the passion for what you’re doing,” she reminds anyone seeking advice. In other words, courage is important, but it must be anchored in a genuine mission. For her, the vision of helping patients reclaim their lives is the north star that guides every hard decision.
Future Vision
Standing at the cusp of regulatory approval and commercialization, Greta Preatoni’s vision for MYNERVA stretches far beyond diabetic neuropathy. She often refers to Leia as “just the beginning”. The core technology – AI-driven neurostimulation to restore lost function – has potential applications in a host of other conditions. Think of an amputee feeling their prosthetic limb as naturally as a real one, or a stroke patient regaining balance through sensory cues, or even those with chemotherapy-induced neuropathy finding relief. In fact, MYNERVA’s technology “holds immense promise for other conditions like amputations, stroke, and spinal cord injuries,” notes an overview by Wyss Zurich. Greta envisions a suite of smart wearables tailored to different needs: perhaps a glove for neuropathy in the hands, or an insole that pairs with VR for stroke rehab.
In the nearer term, her focus is on making Leia the standard of care for diabetic neuropathy globally. That means not only proving its clinical efficacy and safety but also convincing doctors, insurers, and healthcare systems of its value. To that end, MYNERVA is engaging in health economics studies to demonstrate reduced fall injuries and lower pain medication usage when patients use Leia. Greta knows that in healthcare, reimbursement is king – a lesson she learned early. “Especially in the medical field, the first thing you need to think of is reimbursement, then regulatory, and then product development,” she advises new founders. True to that, MYNERVA has been working with insurance experts and government programs to pave a smooth path for coverage once the device is approved.
On the business front, Greta foresees MYNERVA growing from a handful of engineers to a full-fledged commercial organization in the coming years. The company will need to establish manufacturing for the smart socks and electrode units – likely partnering with a medical-grade electronics manufacturer. Distribution channels must be set up, starting in Switzerland and expanding to the EU and eventually the US and Asia. Greta’s strategy is to collaborate with diabetes clinics and podiatry centers for early adoption, then scale up. The recent partnerships and funding wins give her confidence. “Based on our product features we understand where we can differentiate and leverage opportunities,” she says. One such opportunity is digital health integration: the data Leia collects could feed into hospital systems or patient apps, making MYNERVA not just a device maker but a data solutions provider for chronic conditions. In the long run, Greta imagines MYNERVA contributing to a world where neuropathy is no longer a “silent killer” of mobility – where a diagnosis of DPN doesn’t come with the fear of inevitable decline, but rather with a prescription for a smart sock that keeps people on their feet..
Sources:
- Preatoni, Greta. Founder Interview Transcript.Founders-Hive, 2025.
- Wyss Zurich. Project MYNERVA.Wyss Zurich Official Website, 2025. Available at: https://wysszurich.ch/projects/mynerva
- Startup Profile: MYNERVA.Venturelab, 2025. Available at: https://www.venturelab.swiss/MYNERVA
- Episode 431: Greta Preatoni.Swisspreneur Podcast, 2024. Available at: https://www.swisspreneur.org/episodes/greta-preatoni
- Female Founders News.Ladies Drive, March 2023. Available at: https://ladiesdrive.world