Akina receives 2.8 million Swiss francs for digital physiotherapy

(CONNECT) Akina can continue to drive forward business development for its digital physiotherapy with fresh capital of 2.8 million Swiss francs. According to start-up promoter Venturelab, the main investor is Frank Thelen's Bonn-based venture capital firm Freigeist Capital. The Technopark Zurich-based start-up, a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and the ETH AI Center, intends to increase its market penetration in Switzerland and intensify its preparations for expansion in Europe.

Akina offers artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted training for home use, for example for back and joint pain or after a new hip joint has been implanted. Certified in 2024, the medical device supports a hybrid treatment approach that combines in-person physiotherapy sessions with digital home therapy.

A company video explains how home training can be better tracked with Akina's internet-based training support: The exercises are explained and demonstrated online. The patient positions himself or herself in front of the PC within a frame specified on the computer screen. The AI recognizes whether the exercises are being performed with the correct posture and at the intended speed and provides corrective feedback if necessary. Training progress is also documented.

"At Akina, we work closely with therapists and doctors to make high-quality movement therapy accessible to everyone," said the start-up, which was founded in 2021, in a statement. "We thank our new investors who share our belief that the future of AI-powered healthcare has already begun." ce/mm