Investors
Dr. Ingeborg Hochmair
Ingeborg Hochmair is CEO and CTO of our investment partner and collaborator: Medical Electronics GmbH (MED-EL), of which she is also co-founder. Dr. Hochmair gained her PhD in electrical engineering from the Technical University of Vienna, Austria. Together with Prof. Erwin Hochmair, she developed the first microelectronic multichannel cochlear implant (CI). After research positions at Stanford University, USA and the University of Innsbruck, Austria, she earned the Venia Legendi for medical technology at the Technical University in Vienna. In 2013, Dr. Hochmair was honoured for her pioneering work on CIs by receiving the Lasker-Debakey Clinical Medical Research Award. Dr. Hochmair also holds a number of prizes for her scientific work along with being author of over 100 papers and inventor or co-inventor on over 40 patents. With her preeminent knowledge in the field of hearing loss, both in the scientific and business fields, Dr. Hochmair’s contribution is central to AudioCure’s success.
Dr. Christian Kannemeier
Christian Kannemeier joined HTGF’s Life Science team as a Senior Investment Manager in August 2023. Christian studied biology in Giessen and received his PhD in cell biology/biochemistry in collaboration with a pharmaceutical company in Marburg. Subsequently, he did postdoctoral research at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego in the field of tumor transformation.
During his 11-year tenure with two start-up companies in California and Wisconsin, Christian led projects on the generation, differentiation, and application of human stem cells in various disease models in the drug discovery process. He has led projects on high throughput human stem cell manufacturing and the introduction of new cell-based products.
In 2018, he moved to Evotec in Hamburg, Germany, where he was able to further advance the application of stem cells in drug discovery and learn about the drug discovery processes in detail.
Dr. Jürgen Schumacher
As business angel, shareholder and board member, Dr. Schumacher has been involved with AudioCure since its foundation. As a serial entrepreneur, Dr. Schumacher has co-founded a number of highly successful biotech companies. These include QIAGEN, NewLab, BioQuality AG, Evotec Biosystems and BiBiTec. He currently serves as the CEO of Algiax Pharmaceuticals GmbH. He is also shareholder and a member of the advisory board of a number of biotech companies as well as a member of academic societies. With over 30 years experience in the biotech industry, Dr. Schumacher continues to be instrumental to AudioCure´s success.
Dr. Michael Wallmeyer
As Dr. Michael Wallmeyer is CFO of nanoPET Pharma GmbH, his touch points with AudioCure are manifold. AudioCure formed the NeuroPro Alliance in cooperation with NanoPET and the Technical University of Applied Sciences, Wildau. Michael Wallmeyer studied chemistry at the Technical University, Berlin and general management and business administration in Switzerland. Between 1985 and 2008 he founded several highly renowned companies in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemical and food processing industries and was a member of the BMD of bmp AG Life Science.
KMUinnovative Grant
The KMUinnovative grant funds the joint venture project of the NeuroPro Alliance: the preclinical development of agents for the treatment of hearing loss. AudioCure Pharma is the project coordinator. Other consortium partners include NanoPET Pharma (drug formulation) and TH Wildau (molecular biology).This project is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF.