Bewe Lab lands Lichtsteiner Foundation backing as craving app nears trials
What's the deal? Bewe LabDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a University of Fribourg and Stanford spinoff based at BiopôleDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → Epalinges, has secured early-stage support from the Lichtsteiner FoundationDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The foundation, which backs startups in medtech, life science, and mental health through equity-based impact investing, did not disclose the amount or terms.
What's the endgame? Bewe has built a gamified mobile app that estimates cravings — linked to obesity or addiction — by analysing users' reaction times during a few minutes of daily play. The method draws on 15 years of research, four randomised controlled trials, and more than 4,000 participants, and the app is now used by about 16,000 people.
Why now? The backing follows a US$229.2K Biopôle convertible loan announced in August, which is helping fund clinical validation of the craving-focused therapy, including studies alongside anti-obesity medication. Bewe is also working with the Swiss Data Science CenterDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → to sharpen its prediction models and make them more clinically relevant.
What could go wrong? With terms undisclosed, the deal should not be read as a quantified funding round. Its significance will hinge on whether planned trials in Switzerland and the US demonstrate clinical benefit — not simply on adding another source of support.
The signal: The Lichtsteiner Foundation adds another early-stage Swiss health investor to Bewe's roster as it moves from lab research toward clinical trials. It reflects a broader shift toward integrated, data-driven care that pulls together hospitals, health insurers, and medtech firms.
Read more: bioalps.org
Image credit: Artem Beliaikin
