From academic research to raising €4.5M Capital for AI-powered Scent Tech

The wellness industry is growing rapidly, with unique sensory innovations now leading the way in sleep health. In this episode, Niclas Schlöpsna, Managing Partner at spectup, sits down with Dr. Emanuela Maggioni, CEO of Hynt Labs, to discuss how a sophisticated lab project secured €4.5M in total capital. Thanks for reading Deal Makers (& Fakers)! This post is public so feel free to share it.Emanuela, an expert with 20 years of experience in olfactory science and neuroscience, shares her journey from researching at Sussex and University College London (UCL) to leading a high-growth deep-tech company. We explore how Hynt Labs utilises real-time scent interventions to optimise sleep stages by integrating via APIs with established wearables like:Oura, Samsung Watch, and WHOOP. What You Will Learn?- The €4.5M Funding Strategy: How Hynt Labs combined €3.5M in equity and €1 M (£1M) in research grants. - The Pivot to Sleep Tech: Why moving from general sensory widgets to targeted sleep intervention was the key to commercial success. - Davos & Global Marketing: How demonstrating technology at the World Economic Forum acted as a massive growth multiplier. - Lab to Boardroom: Overcoming the academic mindset to embrace B2B licensing and business clarity. -Deep Tech Landscape: Navigating the differences between European and US investment risksThanks for reading Deal Makers (& Fakers)! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.About spectup:Capital advisory for comapnies raising from institutional investors (family office, VC, private equity) and for GPs raising a new fund and need intros to Limited partnersCheck out: www.spectup.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dealmakersandfakers.substack.com