Progress in life science rarely comes in one single form. For some companies, it’s about protecting breakthrough innovation. For others, it’s about building the regulatory and quality foundation required to bring that innovation safely to market.
At Sahlgrenska Science Park, we work closely with both and we see them as equally critical, because reaching patients doesn’t happen through technology alone.
It requires both innovation and execution.
From early support to global positioning: Ventrilabs as alumni
Ventrilabs, a CO‑AX alumni company, has now been granted a patent (SE 548 327 C2) by the Swedish Patent and Registration Office (PRV) after nearly 20 months of review. This milestone reflects more than a single approval, it highlights a deliberate approach to building and protecting innovation over time.
From an early stage, Ventrilabs prioritized intellectual property as a core capability, putting in place structured processes to manage and develop its IP portfolio. Today, just over 2.5 years into its journey, the company holds six patents (granted and pending).
As Robin Öz, CEO of Ventrilabs, explains:
“From the start, the goal was to build something genuinely new, a gentle, non-destructive pump with a fundamentally different operating principle, that is really making a difference for our customers. This patent is proof that the innovation behind the DuaFLO™ BioPump is solid.”
Now advancing toward market entry, Ventrilabs demonstrates how early focus on IP can create a strong foundation for scaling, partnerships, and long-term competitiveness.
Building for the market: Detectivio’s regulatory milestone
While Ventrilabs represents strength in innovation and IP, Detectivio, a current portfolio company reflects progress on another critical dimension: regulatory readiness.
Detectivio has achieved ISO 13485 certification, the internationally recognized standard for quality management systems in medical technology. This is a key step toward CE marking under MDR (Class IIb) and a future global launch.
The company is addressing a fundamental challenge in digital healthcare: the inability to measure vital signs during remote consultations. Their patented software transforms a standard camera into a clinical tool capable of measuring heart rate, oxygen saturation (SpO₂), respiratory rate, and blood pressure, directly during a digital care meeting.
With its quality management system now in place, Detectivio is advancing clinical validation in collaboration with Sahlgrenska Academy and Region Västra Götaland. The ongoing independent study includes nearly 1,600 measurements to ensure accuracy and reliability.
What these milestones actually represent
At first glance, a patent grant and an ISO certification may seem like very different achievements. But in practice, they represent two sides of the same equation:
Intellectual property protects innovation and creates long-term competitive advantage
Quality and regulatory systems ensure that innovation can safely and successfully reach the market
Both are forms of external validation and both are essential for scaling life science companies. More importantly, they reflect capabilities that are built intentionally over time.