Salva Health has developed a groundbreaking device for the early detection of breast cancer and emerged as the winner of the Startup Battlefield competition at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 conference in San Francisco. The event, held over three days, saw 20 companies compete for the coveted Startup Battlefield Cup and a $100,000 prize. Salva Health’s innovative portable breast cancer detection device won over the judges, presenting an important and relevant tool aimed at addressing healthcare disparities.
The idea for the device was conceived by Valentina Agudelo and two of her friends while researching a university entrepreneurship competition six years ago. They identified a significant gap in breast cancer survival rates between Latin America and developed countries, partly due to limited access to diagnostic tools in rural areas of Latin America. “We realized that breast cancer is highly treatable when diagnosed early, yet women in my native Colombia and the rest of the continent were dying at higher rates due to late detection,” said Agudelo.
“Our goal was to create a portable device that could help detect breast cancer early, especially in areas with limited access to healthcare.”
The final competition saw presentations from five finalists: Gecko Materials, Luna, MabLab, Salva Health, and Stitch3D. Judges from Mayfield, SignalFire, Construct Capital, Floodgate, and Notable Capital assessed the startups’ presentations before selecting Salva Health as the winner.
salva Health triumphs at TechCrunch
Gecko Materials, which secured second place, showcased a unique dry glue capable of holding significant weight, peeling off easily, and being reused up to 120,000 times. Founder Kapela Kerst demonstrated the glue’s strength by hanging a bottle of wine on her little finger, held only by the new adhesive. The glue’s inspiration came from the natural adhesion ability of geckos.
“This adhesive can attach and detach quickly without leaving any residue, staying attached for seconds or even years,” explained Kerst. “The innovative product is the result of years of academic research that I have built upon to invent a method for mass-manufacturing the adhesive.”
TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 highlighted the innovative potential of startups and their ability to address pressing global challenges through technology and entrepreneurship. With more than 1,500 alumni having participated in the Startup Battlefield program, these companies have collectively raised over $29 billion in funding, with more than 200 successful exits.
Salva Health and the other finalists join the ranks of Startup Battlefield legends like Dropbox, Discord, Cloudflare, and Mint. The competition serves as a platform for promising startups to showcase their innovations and gain exposure to investors and the tech community.
