Approximately 10% of the adult population worldwide, according to the CDC and WHO, suffers from diabetes. Of these individuals, half will develop diabetic neuropathy, leading to pain and loss of sensation in their feet — conditions that significantly diminish their quality of life. This often results in falls, ulcers, and, ultimately, amputations, which occur globally at a rate of one every 30 seconds.
Conventional pain treatments, such as medications, are effective in only 30% of cases. While current implantable stimulators show promise, they often fall short in addressing pain across all affected areas, including the phalanges, hindfoot, and midfoot. Most critically, they do not restore lost sensations, leaving patients vulnerable to falls, ulcers, and amputations.
Sensars, a pioneering medtech company, has stepped up to fill in this gap with its groundbreaking approach to neuromodulation. Unlike existing solutions, Sensars’ implantable stimulator uniquely addresses this challenge by injecting multiple micron-sized electrodes directly within the nerve, achieving comprehensive falls, ulcers, amputation prevention, and pain relief by restoring natural sensations to the feet.
Sensars founders are driven by a mission to eradicate complications of diabetic neuropathy. As CEO Francesco Petrini explains, “My personal experiences with neurological disorders have deeply influenced this mission. I was exposed to neurological disorders throughout my life and lived with a person with chronic pain from the foot. Sensars’ team members have direct experience with diabetes in their lives. Our mission is to relieve pain, restore mobility, and prevent amputation for individuals with diabetic neuropathy, which affects countless lives.”
The team at Sensars also envisions expanding its intraneural stimulation beyond diabetic neuropathy to address hand and foot pain of other indications and improve therapies such as vagus nerve stimulation, offering a safer and more effective alternative to current methods. Petrini notes, “Right now, Vagus Nerve Stimulation causes sore throat, nausea, and a change of the heartbeat. We believe that by entering inside the nerve, we can provide a therapy that is side effect free, which doesn’t happen today.”
Founded as a spin-off from the prestigious EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), Sensars emerged from avant-garde research in neuromodulation. The company was initially established by Petrini and his co-founders, who also served as advisors from EPFL and ETH Zurich. With early funding from the European Commission in 2019, Sensars began to build its team and develop its technology.
Sensars’ leadership team brings a wealth of expertise and a shared vision for innovation. Its CEO, Francesco Maria Petrini, is an accomplished researcher with a notable track record, having authored over 25 peer-reviewed papers and accumulated around 4,000 citations. His expertise has earned him significant recognition, including the prestigious title of MIT Innovator Under 35. Petrini’s extensive background includes academic positions at some of Europe’s leading institutions, such as EPFL, ETH Zurich, and Imperial College London. Under his leadership, Sensars has successfully raised $3.5 million in grants and convertible notes and established itself at the cutting edge of neuromodulation technology.
In his role as COO, Guy Siman, MBA, brings 20 years of experience driving the development and approval of innovative medical devices. Known for his strategic leadership, Siman has expertly guided teams through the entire product lifecycle, securing critical regulatory approvals, including CE marks and IDE submissions, that position products for market readiness. He has played a pivotal role in raising over $30 million in funding, propelling technologies from concept to commercialization readiness.
With a background as a medic in the army and multiple patents to his name, Guy combines technical expertise with business acumen, leading teams to push the boundaries of medtech innovation and ensuring products meet the highest standards.
Dan Merrill, serving as the Chief Science Officer, is a leader in neural engineering with a B.S. and M.Eng. in Electrical Engineering from Cornell and a PhD from Case Western Reserve, where he studied neural stimulation and charge injection at the electrode/tissue interface. With over a decade in the industry, Dan held pivotal roles as Chief Scientist at the Alfred Mann Foundation and Chief Clinical Scientist at Ripple before joining Sensars in 2019. A Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, he brings deep expertise and vision to Sensars’ mission.
Rounding out the team is Magdalena Czarnievicz, the Quality Regulatory Manager at Sensars. She is a seasoned Quality and Regulatory professional with over a decade of experience guiding startups through regulatory approvals and Quality Management System implementations for class II and III medical devices. Originally from Uruguay, she has worked with companies across the USA and Europe. She holds a degree in Chemical Engineering and is a certified Lead ISO 13485 Auditor.
Due to the high treatment costs, the potential for significant reimbursement is undeniable. With few hospital partnerships and a modest patient base, this can quickly scale into a major business, generating multimillion-dollar revenues and driving rapid growth.
Continuous innovation and clinical validation will remain central to Sensars’ strategy as the company strives to improve patient outcomes and redefine the standards of care in neuromodulation. “Looking ahead, we plan to expand our applications beyond diabetic neuropathy,” asserts Petrini. “Our vision is to redefine nerve stimulation through Intraneural Technology and AI, to deliver personalized, life-changing outcomes that restore people’s dignity and independence.”
Sensars is making great progress in neuromodulation, driven by a team of experts whose personal experiences and professional accomplishments have shaped their groundbreaking approach to treating neurological impairments.
