The Neurons Crowned Winners of Smart Biomaterials Hackathon 2025

The Smart Biomaterials Hackathon 2025 has crowned The Neurons as this year’s winners for their groundbreaking solution to knee ligament injuries. The competition’s final was a thrilling showdown, with Eyedrocure and SuperGelOs finishing as strong runners-up.

Restore the Sense

The Neurons, a multidisciplinary team consisting of Ricky Thijssen (Fontys Hogescholen), Miguel Grande (Imperial College London), Tom van den Boogart (Veritas Services), Álex Pascual (University of Oxford), and Lucía Mas (Maastricht University), impressed the jury with their innovative approach to treating anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.

Their solution, "Restore the Sense," introduces a smart, biodegradable graft that not only restores knee stability but also promotes nerve regeneration. Key features of the technology include:

• Strong yet flexible structure: Supports the knee while the body gradually replaces the graft.
• Targeted medicine carriers: Deliver nutrients that aid nerve recovery and sensory feedback.
• Smart pulses: Provide gentle electrical stimulation to accelerate healing.

This innovation aims to reduce the risk of re-injury, shorten recovery time, and lower healthcare costs—especially benefiting young athletes.

Proof of concept

"The Neurons stood out among the finalists," says jury chair Carmen van Vlisteren (Topsector Life Sciences). "The jury was impressed by this innovative combination, where the team not only developed the technology but also presented a clear action plan along with the necessary financing. Our advice is to use the voucher funding for a proof of concept of a partial solution, thereby reducing risk and advancing the innovation step by step."

Alongside Van Vlisteren, the jury included Mercedes Tuin (Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij), Jan Rietsema (Smart BioMaterials Consortium), Aldo Boon (Practivision), and Rob Janssen (Orthopedic Knee Surgeon).

As winners, The Neurons received a €10,000 grant to further develop and validate their concept in SBMC’s development lab.

Runners-Up: Innovative solutions for tissue and bone healing

In addition to The Neurons' success, the jury recognized two impressive runner-up projects:

Eyedrocure presented a Smart Fibrotic Detection and Antifibrotic Hydrogel solution to tackle fibrosis-related complications in glaucoma patients. Their innovation features a smart shunt with a hydrogel end-plate that gradually releases antifibrotic medication. This approach improves patient outcomes, reduces follow-up time, and lowers healthcare costs.

SuperGelOs introduced a smart gelatin-based glue for hard-to-heal bone fractures, like scaphoid wrist breaks. This fast-setting, biodegradable glue strengthens bone repair while optionally delivering antibiotics to prevent infection.