Entrepreneurship requires courage: The success story of Praxa Sense

During the fourth session of the Health Tech Accelerator, we spoke with Leonard Moonen, co-founder of Praxa Sense, at the inspiring location of Sanquin Blood Supply in Amsterdam, home to the Health Tech Innovation District Amsterdam. Leonard shared insights into his innovation, the challenging journey he has navigated—including the hurdles he had to overcome, together with his co-founder Liselotte Stolk — to build a team of 14. Six months ago, Leonard and his team made a strategic pivot, a decision that is also an essential part of entrepreneurship. Participation in the Health Tech Accelerator came at just the right time for the company.

The innovation

The idea for Afi originated during my Master’s studies at TU Delft, in collaboration with the Philips Heart Foundation, where I conducted research on heart rhythm disorders and diagnostics. With my background in Industrial Design, and together with fellow student Liselotte Stolk, we decided to establish a spin-off company from TU Delft: Praxa Sense, focusing on a Remote Patient Monitoring System for heart rhythm disorders. Our strength? The combination of technological expertise and customer-oriented thinking, thanks to our background in Industrial Design.

zorgtechnologie

The name Praxa Sense originates from a Greek god, Praxa Choras, who was the first to perform wrist measurements. Our name is a modern adaptation of this reference.

The pivot

During our first clinical trials, we discovered that the off-the-shelf sensors we were using were not reliable enough. A professor from TU Delft introduced us to speckle sensor technology, which turned out to be the perfect solution to this universal problem. We joined forces and continued developing this unique technology, which proved to be highly needed within the industry.

Six months ago, we made a bold decision to completely change our focus and dedicate ourselves to supplying our speckle sensor to companies that manufacture remote patient monitoring devices and smartwatches. “What used to be our competitors are now our customers.”

Such a decision, however, doesn’t happen overnight. We spent years developing our own medical device, a process that requires patience and perseverance. Certification in the medical industry also takes a significant amount of time and effort. Additionally, it was challenging to operate in a market where we were not the only ones working on a similar solution.

All these factors combined led Liselotte and I to the decision to focus entirely on our speckle sensor rather than our own medical device. It wasn’t an easy choice—we had worked hard on Afi, so we’re grateful that our team has embraced this transition with flexibility. This shift affects everyone—almost every role within our company has changed. That’s why the Health Tech Accelerator came at exactly the right time for us.

“Changing course—That, too, is part of entrepreneurship.”

Leonard Moonen, Praxa Sense

The Role of InnovationQuarter

The first few months of the Health Tech Accelerator confirmed that we are on the right path and have identified a problem of a customer that we can solve. Now that we have determined who our customers are—suppliers of Remote Patient Monitoring Systems, but also Smartwatches, such as Garmin of Withings—it is time to introduce and scale our innovation.

But how do you do that without doing all at the same time? That is exactly what you learn in the Health Tech Accelerator. The program provides concrete tools, guidance, and focus, allowing you to accelerate your market entry by prioritizing the right actions in the right way.

Health Tech Accelerator

Finding your first (potential) customer is the core focus of InnovationQuarter’s Market Readiness Program. Want to learn more? Visit our website and discover how we can support you in this process.

“Entrepreneurs are passionate and want to tackle everything at once. But in the scaling phase, focusing on the right priorities is essential—only then can you accelerate towards the market.” – Anne-Claire van Altvorst, InnovationQuarter

Throughout the program, we also receive individual coaching from Anne-Claire van Altvorst, which is incredibly valuable. We have weekly check-ins to ensure we are still on the right track. “Entrepreneurs tend to take on everything at once, but it’s crucial to stay focused. That’s the key to accelerating towards the market. I am grateful to support Health Tech Accelerator participants in this journey.”

The Future

Leonard is optimistic about the future: “I’m incredibly happy that we made the decision six months ago to change course. Thanks to our participation in the Health Tech Accelerator and our own development efforts, we can now take real steps towards market entry. Our ultimate goal? Supplying our chip to the Apple Watch. Or am I dreaming too big?”

Curious about the progress of Health Tech Accelerator participants? We’ll continue to follow their journeys in the coming months—stay tuned via our channels!

Want to learn more about the Health Tech Accelerator or have any questions? Feel free to contact Marieke Kodde, Program Manager Health Tech Accelerator.

The Health Tech Accelerator is an initiative by InnovationQuarter, Oost NL, BOM (Brabant Development Agency), ROM Utrecht Region, NVNOM, Impuls Zeeland, ROM InWest, LIOF, Horizon Flevoland, Invest-NL, the Province of South Holland, and the National eHealth Living Lab (NeLL) to foster innovation in healthcare.