{"id":35599,"date":"2025-08-27T15:22:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T13:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plnt.nl\/ervaringen\/how-pulmonavat-is-working-on-the-lung-care-of-the-future\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T15:32:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T13:32:04","slug":"how-pulmonavat-is-working-on-the-lung-care-of-the-future","status":"publish","type":"ervaringen","link":"https:\/\/plnt.nl\/en\/ervaringen\/how-pulmonavat-is-working-on-the-lung-care-of-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"How Pulmonavat is working on the lung care of the future"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Pulmonavat<\/a> is all about innovation in healthcare. Founder Alicia Valenzuela<\/a> and her team are working on a mission: to develop advanced in vitro models that mimic adult lung tissue as accurately as possible.<\/i> With this technology, they aim to accelerate and improve drug development. “Our goal is to provide a more predictive system so that new drugs can reach the market faster and safer,” says Alicia. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Alicia's underlying motivation<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The motivation behind Pulmonavat is personal. During the corona pandemic, Alicia lost her father. “I realized that we were totally unprepared for this kind of emergency. The difference between how people in Mexico and Canada went through this disease made me think. Personalized medicine can really make a difference. I hope one day we can create personalized models that allow us to find the best treatment plan for each patient.” <\/p>

Lung diseases are still one of the leading causes of death worldwide. There are many diseases for which there is no cure yet. “Many of the current animal models do not accurately represent what happens in the human body,” Alicia explains. <\/p>

Pulmonavat wants to change that. Not only for patients and doctors, but also for pharmaceutical companies that want to develop more efficient and reliable drugs. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\"I saw so much good research that never gets beyond university. I wanted to do that differently.\"<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The move from academic research to a startup was exciting. “I saw so much good research that never gets beyond the university. I wanted to do that differently. When we filed a patent application with the university and then won an internal award to explore commercialization, it suddenly felt really feasible.” During the final phase of her PHD in the Netherlands, Alicia came in contact with the Leiden Bio Science Park<\/a>. “The energy and inspiration from other companies made it clear: this can go beyond the lab.” <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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How unlock_ Pulmonavat has helped<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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unlock_ proved to be a real accelerator for Pulmonavat. “You have to continuously engage with your potential customers, even if your product is not yet finished. Only then will you build something that is really needed,” says Alicia. During the program, she learned not only about funding, but also about collaboration between universities and startups. “It was a real eye-opener. There are so many opportunities for collaborations and funding that I didn’t know about before.” <\/p><\/div><\/div>

Particularly impressive was the training on company structure. “With a scientific background you hardly think about that, but the structure of your company is essential to distribute risks properly.” The sessions with investors were also valuable: “It is nice to get feedback at an early stage. That way you can prepare and improve yourself.” <\/p><\/div><\/div>

About herself, Alicia has also learned a lot. “I always thought the business aspect might not suit me, but I actually really enjoy it. It requires vision, adaptability and resilience. Not everything goes as planned, but you have to stay flexible and keep going.” <\/p><\/div><\/div>

The biggest challenge? The sheer volume of new information and setting the right priorities. “Everything seems equally important, but over time you know better where to start. It helps to realize that you don’t have to do everything alone.” <\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Thanks to unlock_, I have established valuable collaborations.\"<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Still, some nice milestones have been achieved. “Thanks to unlock_, I have established valuable collaborations and, for example, signed a licensing agreement with the university to further develop the technology. The network and advice are directly applicable.” <\/p><\/div><\/div>

For the coming months, Alicia hopes to delve deeper into co-development with larger companies and practical issues such as regulations and transferring biological material. “There are still a lot of questions and challenges there for me,” she said. <\/p><\/div><\/div>

When asked to describe unlock_ in one word, Alicia doesn’t have to think long: “Helpful. The program<\/a> is really helpful.” Her advice to other startups? “You don’t grow on your own. You need the network and opportunities that unlock_ provides. It’s definitely recommended for anyone who wants to get ahead.”<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"You don't grow on your own. You need the network and opportunities that unlock_ provides. <\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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If it is up to Alicia, Pulmonavat will be making a difference for countless patients in five years. “My dream is that our models are not only used in the pharmaceutical industry, but that we can actually improve people’s lives. And why should we stop at the lungs? My desire is to eventually tackle other organs as well. If we can contribute just a little to solving these problems, I am happy.”. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pulmonavat is all about innovation in healthcare. Founder Alicia Valenzuela and her team are working on a mission: to develop advanced in vitro models that mimic adult lung tissue as accurately as possible. With this technology, they aim to accelerate and improve drug development. “Our goal is to provide a more predictive system so that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":30010,"template":"","type-verhaal":[260],"class_list":["post-35599","ervaringen","type-ervaringen","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","type-verhaal-startups"],"yoast_head":"\nHow Pulmonavat is working on the lung care of the future - PLNT<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"unlock_ participant Alicia is working on the lung care of the future with her startup Pulmonavat. 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