Koring rewarded at venture kick

300’000 patients annually require a colostomy. A third of these patients suffer from subsequent expansion of their abdominal wall with a loss of stability and bulging of the abdomen (Hernia). This leads to pain, cosmetic issues and often re-intervention. To prevent such complications, Philipp Kirchhoff, a surgeon at the University of Basel, has developed a ring implant that prevents Hernias. This ring, called Koring, will be available in all major hospitals throughout Switzerland after the end of the pilot study currently taking place at the Basel University Hospital.
 
Koring now receives CHF130.000. The start-up has passed Phase III of the venture kick competition. Philipp Kirchhoff comments: “It’s not only about financial support; it’s also about the sharing of expertise and motivation that occurs during the “kickers camps” after you showcase your project. This allows a sophisticated idea to become a reality.”
 
Since the launch of venture kick on September 26, 2007, 255 project teams have benefited from CHF 9.67 million. It contributed to the creation of more than 2000 newly created jobs and a financing volume about CHF 365 million. The private initiative venture kick is financed by the Gebert Rüf Stiftung, ERNST GÖHNER STIFTUNG, OPO-Stiftung, AVINA STIFTUNG, Fondation Lombard Odier und DEBIOPHARM GROUP. The project is managed by the IFJ Institut für Jungunternehmen in St. Gall.