Many good startup ideas arise during a study project. Saga Medi's kidney basin tray is a great example: a reusable, sustainable and cheaper alternative to the traditional kidney basin tray. With this innovation, Saga Medi aims to contribute to a more sustainable healthcare sector, in the Netherlands and abroad. Mees Jansen and Richard Pureveen talk about the birth of the idea, learning entrepreneurship and the role played by the partners of Startups For Society.
Mees: “During a study project, we were tasked with coming up with a product that is sustainable, innovative and solves a social problem. After researching and weighing up many ideas, we ended up with the kidney pelvis tray. The existing receptacle actually has two major drawbacks: it is not always user-friendly or sturdy, and a huge number of them are thrown away. That makes it anything but sustainable.”
Together with healthcare organisations and professionals, we explored how the product could be improved. Richard: “We are not from the healthcare sector ourselves, so feedback from users was essential. Thanks to the collaboration, we were able to collect a lot of feedback on what the product should look like and what it should meet. For a period of time, we collected feedback and improved it. The version that has now gone into production is, I think, prototype 22.”
When it comes to entrepreneurship, the men are developing rapidly. Mees: “Entrepreneurship in healthcare is challenging and requires specific knowledge, but that is precisely what makes it interesting. Within a year, we have made huge steps that we are proud of. We actively seek out the right people: from business coaches to healthcare professionals. Thanks to these connections, we can continue to increase our impact.”
Saga Medi won the Tilburg University Challenge last year in the Business Ready category. This put them in touch with Karen and Geert from IQONIC, one of Startups for Society's partners. Richard: “Karen also nominated us for the Connection. It is of course very nice to receive such recognition. But most importantly, many relevant conversations have come out of this. As young entrepreneurs, we are developing rapidly and at this stage, any kind of knowledge and advice is very important.”
Richard: “The various forms of support from IQONIC and the other partners of Startups for Society really help us along. For example, we are in contact with someone from the insurance world. How does he look at certain aspects? How does he communicate with his customers and stakeholders? What opportunities and challenges does he see for us? For us, these are valuable insights.”
Saga Medi is in regular contact with a business coach who thinks with them. “But we also spar with lawyers and sit around the table with tax experts who think along with us financially. We also have contact with someone from the healthcare sector itself, who has a lot of experience in doing business in the healthcare sector. This is how we gain knowledge we don't yet have ourselves. That is hugely valuable.”
Over the past year, Saga Medi has grown rapidly. From an idea to an actual product that has impact in a short time with no concrete experience in the industry. This is a handsome achievement and a great foundation for the future. Richard: “The ideal situation is that we can make a valuable contribution to a circular healthcare sector, where waste is minimal. And that we can work on that full-time, with a larger team.
Find out how we can support you on your path to success!
