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Germany Svenja Zihsler, a medical school student and accomplished CEO, is expanding her impact by translating scientific insights into practical health technology solutions, most notably through her role as founder of Mentalee.
Svenja Zihsler is the CEO & Co-founder of Mentalee, an innovative app combining physical and mental training to strengthen cognitive fitness and prevent dementia. She oversees strategic operations, including product development, partnerships, and funding.
Svenja Zihsler participated as a speaker in the panel discussion "Industry & me – From Lab to Launch" at The Life Science Factory, discussing how MD/PhD students and postdocs can engage with the startup world.
Mentalee is supported by Uni Göttingen through professional support from the Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University Medical Center Göttingen for their medical research. Svenja Zihsler also pursued her M.Sc. in Molecular Medicine and Medical School at Uni Göttingen.
In 2019, Svenja Zihsler's project 'Hirnaktiv' was recognized as a winner at the Sporthilfe Start-up Academy, securing a cash prize for its innovative business idea.
The Mentalee project receives funding from the EXIST program, an initiative by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the European Social Fund, supporting innovative startups.
Mentalee benefits from the INVEST program, an initiative by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) that offers tax benefits and grants to private investors in innovative start-ups.
NBANK is listed as a partner and supporter of Mentalee.
SNIC is listed as a partner and supporter of Mentalee.
Mentalee, co-founded by Svenja Zihsler, was selected as a Demo Day Winner and earned the opportunity to present at the Guild Academy in the USA, leading to valuable experiences and new contacts.
Svenja Zihsler is a founder, currently serving as the CEO and Co-founder of Mentalee, a company focused on digital health technologies. Her academic background includes studies in Human Medicine and a Master of Science in Molecular Medicine at the University of Göttingen, demonstrating her commitment to understanding and advancing health-related fields. This educational foundation has provided her with a comprehensive understanding of both clinical and molecular aspects of health.
In 2020, Svenja Zihsler co-founded Mentalee, where she oversees strategic operations, including product development, partnerships, and securing funding. Her work involves close collaboration with clinical researchers to develop an innovative app that combines physical and mental training. This app aims to enhance cognitive fitness and offer preventive measures against dementia through varied exercises for sports activity, coordination, reaction, and visual/auditory stimuli. A significant milestone in Mentalee’s journey was the patent application (GB2413046.0) in the UK in September 2024, following successful prototype demonstrations and field trials. This patent reflects the company’s commitment to developing innovative solutions for diagnosing and treating neurodegenerative diseases. Svenja also leads research inquiries for Mentalee, further integrating scientific expertise into the company’s core mission.
Svenja’s contributions extend to public speaking and academic engagement, as evidenced by her participation in panel discussions such as “Industry & me – From Lab to Launch” in May 2025 at the Life Science Factory in Göttingen. This event highlighted her value in bridging scientific research with the startup world. Earlier in her career, in 2019, Svenja Zihsler’s ‘Hirnaktiv’ project was recognized as a winner at the Start-up Academy, securing a cash prize for its innovative business idea. Mentalee’s ongoing initiatives include developing personalized, data-driven healthcare services, supporting early disease diagnosis, and tailoring treatments to individual patient needs, with a vision to transform healthcare globally through AI and data-driven decision-making.
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