The Slush Chronicles: Founders Unplugged: Timo Poijärvi

This piece is part of the Slush Chronicles series, “Founders Unplugged,” where we interview founders and key personnel of innovative companies, to hear their thoughts on the event we’re attending or dive into other spontaneously chosen topics.

Slush 2024 founder: Timo Poijärvi SaluStim Group

Got a message from Timo saying he is onto something amazing, and wanted to share their ongoing (Open until January 5th, 2025) IndieGoGo project and talk about the future.

Timo is an old friend, and one of the usual suspects to meet at Slush, annually, but in 2022 Timo was not there. Why? Well, read along: Timo’s story is pretty wild-he had a freak accident during a kids’ disco party while DJ’ing. A misfired fireworks bomb destroyed his left ear, completely wrecking the inner ear and leaving him in constant, unbearable pain. Nothing seemed to work, and things were looking pretty bleak.

Then he crossed paths with Professor Dr. Jukka Ylikoski, who introduced him to an early prototype of the Salustim G1 vagus nerve stimulator. After just a few weeks of daily use, Timo started to feel real relief-it was life-changing. Not long after, Jukka saw Timo’s passion and drive, and he invited him to join forces to launch a new startup. Before he knew it, Timo was the CEO of EVANES, turning his personal pain into a mission to help others.

So, as human life and all its functions are bioelectric phenomena, and all signals in and out of our brains to all organs are inherently electrical, Timo explained this with a pretty old image ot Electrotherapy. Bioelectricity is an essential basis for our ability to think, speak and walk, and as all the electrical activity of the human body is controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS), the EVANES electric showers are making miracles.

EVANES what and where

TLDR version:  EVANES develops non-invasive, drug-free Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) devices to relieve stress and treat conditions like depression, sleep disorders, and Long Covid. The wearable device uses bioelectric impulses to balance the autonomic nervous system, supported by strong scientific evidence.

In more details:

• Mission and Technology: EVANES aims to provide non-invasive, wireless Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) devices for stress relief and to address disorders caused by autonomic nervous system imbalances. These devices use bioelectric impulses to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and improving overall health.
• Device Features: The EVANES device features replaceable, flexible electrodes that stimulate the vagus nerve through the ear canal. It includes advanced technology like algorithm-driven stimulation signals, automatic skin contact tests, and adaptive power control. The charging box uses a USB-C cable for easy recharging.
• Applications: Vagus nerve stimulation has shown efficacy in treating a wide range of conditions, including:
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Depression
  • Sleep disorders
  • Long Covid
  • Restless legs syndrome
  • Digestive issues
  • Addictions
• Scientific Evidence: Numerous studies support the effectiveness of vagus nerve stimulation for improving heart rate variability, mood, stress levels, and chronic conditions. The technology offers a modern alternative to invasive treatments.
• Business Model: The EVANES project is divided into three phases:
  • Phase 1 (2024): Consumer-targeted stress relief device launched through crowdfunding and online sales.
  • Phase 2 (2026–2027): Expansion to medically approved treatments for selected illnesses (e.g., epilepsy, depression).
  • Phase 3 (2027 onward): Platform for addressing multiple illnesses with potential spin-offs.
• Future Development: The company plans to integrate taVNS into hearing aids, headphones, and military-grade stimulators, targeting broader applications and markets.
• Investment Opportunity: The SaluStim Group, creators of EVANES, seeks 1–2 million EUR in funding, offering up to 20% equity. Funds will be used for team expansion, manufacturing, design, and marketing.

Want to know more, do a deep-dive into their tech and reserch papers at https://evanes.fi/research/

Timo’s 2024 Slush Experience

As Timo has missed only one Slush, due to the ear problems (and even the next year he had to have the earmuffs on), it was a real memory lane to remember the events from the very first ones to the Cable Factory ones, and all the way to the Slushy weathers of almost all the Slush times.

And what great news, this year he was able to fully participate into the event, with EVANES in his ear.

The feeling was amazing awesome etc etc as expected. Timo had several great meetings, about the ongoing IndieGoGo crowdfunding as well as the coming 1-2M€ round. And of course seeing loads of old friends in the Slush context was again a blast. Happy to see you well again Timo!

NOTE: As a new content service from Nordic Startup News, we are trialing with some of our interviews (and other stories, too) to be spoken out as Podcasts. Here is our NotebookLM generated spoken audio about this interview. Pretty amazing discussion based on the interview notes. Enjoy!