OUR STORY
How LIMAA was formed
01
THE BEGINNING
Seeing tissue in three dimensions
René, with over a decade of experience in three-dimensional tissue analysis, initially focused on embryonic vascular development when faced with limitations in standard two-dimensional histology methods. He played a pivotal role in testing light-sheet microscopes from German startups and companies, pioneering spatial visualization of the vascular system.
02
2014–2017
A meeting in Lindau
During the 2014 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, René met Dr. Fabian Mohr, who had transitioned from oncology research to strategy consulting and venture capital. Their collaboration began in 2017, aiming to apply light-sheet microscopy to clinical diagnostics. They garnered interest from private health insurers, particularly for diagnosing lymphedema and lipedema, where clear tests were lacking.
03
2019
From imaging to an automated platform
After earning degrees in chemistry, human medicine, and a PhD in biology and imaging as well as an MD in 3D histology, René left the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster for a residency at St. George’s University of London and the Charité – University Hospital in Berlin. There, he established his research group and continued developing light-sheet imaging-based diagnostics. In 2019, he entered the Berlin Institute of Health Digital Health Accelerator with Fabian. They evolved their concept into an automated platform for histopathology on entire tissue biopsies, departing from glass slide-based analyses.
04
2020–2022
LIMAA Technologies is born
In 2020, René and Fabian collaborated with Prof. Bruno Märkl from the University Hospital in Augsburg for a clinical feasibility study, yielding promising pilot data. In 2021, they secured EXIST funding to transform their scientific and clinical findings into products, marking the beginning of LIMAA Technologies. Subsequent support came from Prof. David Horst at Charité’s Institute of Pathology, European Research Council grants, and the establishment of LIMAA Technologies GmbH in 2022.
VOICES FROM PATHOLOGY
“As a pathologist, I have always struggled with the limitations of traditional histopathology methods … LIMAA’s innovative technology is not just a step forward; it’s a leap into the future of histopathology.”
Prof. Dr. Bruno Märkl
Director of the Institute of Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics, University Hospital Augsburg
