The young company TT3A, with its device for the endovascular treatment of ascending aortic aneurysms, won first prize in the second edition of StartUp Breeze, an initiative promoted by Fondazione Toscana Life Sciences and aimed at start-ups and business ideas in the pharmaceutical, medical-diagnostic devices, and digital health fields.
The final of the 2025 edition of the event took place on October 15 in Florence, Italy and saw the participation of over 80 registrants, 17 investment funds, and a selected jury that awarded the Special Awards offered by the initiative's partners - including I3P - to the 10 finalist business ideas.
TT3A, active in the medical sector, has developed a technological innovation for the treatment of aneurysms and dissections of the ascending thoracic aorta using a special device. Specifically, it is an innovative endovascular prosthesis designed to treat these conditions using a minimally invasive percutaneous approach, eliminating the need for sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass. The advanced design of the device aims to reduce surgical risks, improve recovery times, and expand treatment options for high-risk patients.
The partners' awards
During the event in Florence, the 10 selected companies had the opportunity to present their business ideas to a jury of experts, who then awarded the prizes offered by the competition partners.
The Special Awards range from access to personalized mentoring programs with leading industry experts to intensive tutoring courses, from participation in networking events to free access to agreements and services, and even scholarships covering 50% of the cost of enrollment in MBA Master's programs.
The Fraido team, which offers a low-cost solution to simplify access procedures involving the use of tubes and cannulas, has won the Special Awards from EIT Health and the Incubator of Politecnico di Torino (I3P). Fraido is developing a medical device to improve intubation and vascular access procedures, capable of adjusting its diameter during insertion, simplifying and speeding up invasive access with a single instrument.
The Bioindustry Park award went to TT3A, while E.V.A. – Early Vesicles Analysis, which is developing a rapid and specific graphene-based biosensor for the early diagnosis and screening of ovarian cancer, won the Frontiers Health award. Dally Therapeutics, a digital ally for the prevention and management of chronic diseases starting with diabetes, received special recognition from G-Gravity and Indicon.
The three scholarships covering 50% of the MBA Master's program tuition fees offered by Obloo Ventures went to Dally Therapeutics, E.V.A., and GeneSys Bio, which has developed a portable solution for the rapid and accurate detection of pathogens and antibiotic resistance.
Lachesis Bio, with its platform that integrates artificial intelligence and animal models for the development of drugs for age-related diseases, won the RPLT RP legalitax Special Award. Finally, InnovUp - the association that represents and unites the Italian innovation supply chain - rewarded all finalists (among those not yet members) with free registration for one year and free membership, which guarantees free access to agreements, services, and all association activities, as well as a series of special projects planned for members.
