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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MEMBOOST (Memory Enhancing and Learning System)

Teaser

Summary

\"InvestigaciÃ³n y Lectura de SeÃ±ales BiomÃ©dicas, ILSB (www.signals.com), is a neurotechnology company, startup of the Polytechnical University of Madrid (UPM), founded in October 2016. Its main activity is the research, development and commercialization of its own technology for registration, processing and analysis of biomedical signals.

The project MemBoost, Memory Enhancing and Learning System, was awarded in 2015 by the business plan competition program, actÃºaupm, as one of the best business ideas proposed by researchers of the UPM. Since then, we have presented our project, as a technological company, in different forums in order to have economical resources for developing the project. In November 2018, we presented the project to the SME Phase I instrument, promoted by European Union, and a grant of 50,000 euros was proposed for exploring and assessing the technical feasibility and commercial potential of our breakthrough innovation.

MemBoost was born as a disruptive proposal for the enhancement of memory based on recent advances in neuroscience that place the relationship between sleep and memory at the center of academic debate. The general objective of MemBoost is to develop a wearable device for sleep modulation that significantly improves memory and learning.

MemBoost is a technology that improves the results of the study process, allowing the user to remember 22% more information with its use during sleep. Our implementation is based on a harmless electronic device (wearable consisting of hardware for recording the electrical signals of the brain and software for processing) for the enhancement of memory, which using sleep modulation techniques can improve the learning process. The operating principles and differential value of this technology has already been demonstrated by several research groups, pioneers in the field of neuroscience, published in internationally renowned scientific journals. [\"\"Boosting slow oscillations during sleep potentiates memory\"\", Marshall et al, Nature (2006), p 210; \"\"Phase-locked loop for precisely timed acoustic stimulation during sleep\"\", Santostasi et al, Journal of neuroscience methods (2016), p 101-114].

The continued use of MemBoost may favor the maintenance of memories in very early stages of cognitive impairment helping in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer.

The SME Instrument Phase I has as an overall objective of carry on studies or scientific or technological viability plan to determine if the available pre-existing results of Memboost allow to make the system a reality in a commercial way, determining the actions to be carried out to reach the market, economic feasibility studies that contribute to the realization of the business plan and the determination of the needs financial resources for its development, the elaboration of a commercialization plan that allows to identify the market niche and the needs of the system or clients and the regulatory and legal studies.\"

Work performed

During the six months of the grant, from March to August 2019, the members of the promoter team has organized and develop a feasibility study, that includes a business plan, to determine if the available pre-existing results of Memboost allow to make the system a reality in a commercial way, determining the actions to be carried out to reach the market, economic feasibility studies that contribute to the realization of the business plan and the determination of the needs financial resources for the development of the project, the elaboration of a commercialization plan that allows to identify the market niche and the needs of the system or clients and the regulatory and legal studies.

In addition to the work done during the grant period, the promoted members of the team have received coaching sessions given by an expert in the healthcare industry.

Thru this formation program and supported by the results of the feasibility study and the bussines plan, we realized that the core of our technology can be extended to other healthcare fields such as neurorehabilitation or interfaces with other electronic systems. Part of this technology is commercialized in www.signalino.com. Following this idea, we have consolidated our business model, and nowadays we are focus in three different and very well define markets:

- Cognitive Enhancement (MemBoost): The market includes the providers of technological solutions for the enhancement and training of the brain and memory that can be applied to the learning processes.

- Brain Computer Interface for Neurorehabilitation Robots (Scignabot): Technological market of robotic neurorehabilitation to treat patients with brain damage.

- Specialized Consulting in Neuroscience Applied in Consumer Research: Use of the experience of the promoter partners and the company\'s own technology in neuromarketing studies. Growing market with a size in Spain of 506MM euros.

Following the results of the feasability study and recomendations of the coach, we have closed a Cooperation Agreement between the FundaciÃ³n Instituto San JosÃ©, Universidad Miguel HernÃ¡ndez de Elche and the companies ILSB and Innovative Devices for Rehabilitation and Assistance S.L. for the creation of a New Technologies Laboratory for Neurorehabilitation. One of the main purposes of this agreement is the development of new technology for the treatment of patients that has suffered an stroke (sudden interruption of the blood supply to the brain).

Related to the viability of our technology, we have consolidated our development platform for register bioelectrical signals, and nowadays we are presented in Europe, North and South America and, in the last months, we have reported several sells in Asia.

Final results

Electroencephalography acquisition systems are complex, not very portable and require a computer to process and display electrical signals. The principal technological challenge in the development of MemBoost have been the integration of a harmless, portable and autonomous device capable of recording and processing the electrical signal of the brain. In addition, this system must be capable for delivering non-invasive stimulus for the modulation of slow sleep as a memory enhancer; and for the prevention and possible therapy of neurodegenerative diseases in conjunction with other magnetic stimulation techniques. MemBoost could be a powerful tool for the treatment of people with age-related cognitive impairment, or patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

Following this strategy, we are diversifying the objective markets with new applications of extended products:

- MemBoost\'s potential market estimate is very high, based on the estimated market of brain power expenditure through electronic devices, confirmed by the interest that large companies such as Philips have begun to demonstrate, and other substitute products such as food supplements, apps, etc.

- Scignaboot, a Brain Computer Interface for Neurorehabilitation Robots. The use of this technology effectively increases cortical plasticity and can improve recovery from brain injury. Furthermore, this technology can be use in home environments. Scignabot represents an important enhancement in the strokeÂ´s treatment.

The scientific concepts and the proposed ideas behind MemBoost and Scignaboot have been demonstrated in scientific and research environments and published in several important journal of international relevance.