From Lecture Hall to DMEA Stage – Pauline Nöldemann’s Breakthrough with viatolea
From winning the sparks Award to launching a certified medical device: Pauline Nöldemann’s journey with viatolea shows how an award-winning idea can become a market-ready digital health product.
Distinguished as a master's graduate and immediately back on the DMEA stage as a founder, Pauline Nöldemann has brought her app viatolea to market maturity. Photo: Stadtgören
What happens when a master’s dissertation turns into a certified medical device? Pauline Nöldemann knows the answer. In just one year, she transformed her app viatolea from concept to reality – with DMEA playing a key role along the way.
In 2024, Pauline’s master’s dissertation on “Detecting Food Intolerances with Artificial Intelligence” earned her second place in the DMEA sparks Award – back when it was still called the DMEA Young Talent Award. The prize-winning algorithm she developed for detecting intolerances, now further refined, has become the beating heart of the app. “This award was a wonderful recognition of our work. It showed clearly that the topic is relevant – and that our approach works.”
DMEA as a Catalyst
Just one year later, she was back on the DMEA stage – this time as a finalist for the 2025 DMEA nova Award. “This year, I’ve been riding the start-up rollercoaster. Our prototype has become a certified medical device that’s now helping real patients,” Pauline says. Today, viatolea tackles concrete gaps in care – quickly, effectively, and with high quality.
One key to this success was the platform DMEA provided: “DMEA was an important catalyst and a huge source of inspiration. It was the first place where I could present our vision to a truly relevant audience. That made all the difference in finding the right partners and moving forward much faster.” The visibility viatolea gained at DMEA also caught the attention of health insurers and other key stakeholders – opening doors to new contacts and partnerships.
From Young Researcher to Entrepreneur
The personal transformation has been just as striking: from promising young researcher to entrepreneur – a shift Pauline embraces with pride. “Suddenly, you’re not just representing an idea, but a product and a team. That’s a huge recognition.”
Pauline also benefits from the innovation ecosystem at ZOLLHOF in Nuremberg, which together with Medical Valley forms de:hub Digital Health – an initiative funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs. “The exchange with other founders and the honest sparring are invaluable to me,” she says. Most recently, ZOLLHOF was named one of ten EXIST Start-up Factories, meaning even more support will be available in the future.
“The hardest part is often prioritising and staying focused – especially with everything from scientific research and app development to regulatory requirements,” Pauline explains. “But you should never lose sight of the ultimate goal: improving healthcare.”
Tips for Moving from Studies to Start-up
For young talents, Pauline has clear advice: “Be brave! There are fantastic funding opportunities like the EXIST scholarship, which supports start-ups emerging from research. And talk to other founders from the very beginning – it helps enormously.” Anyone applying for the DMEA sparks or nova Award should “authentically show what drives you – and the real difference your solution makes.”
The next application rounds for DMEA sparks and DMEA nova Award open this autumn – details can be found on the DMEA website.
Looking Ahead: Closing Gaps in Care
The next steps for viatolea are already mapped out: reaching more patients and working with healthcare stakeholders to bridge gaps in care. As for Pauline, she’s committed to staying part of the DMEA community: “DMEA is an amazing platform for exchange and inspiration. I’m already excited to see how it will continue to shape the industry in the years ahead.”
Anyone who suspects they may have a food intolerance can find more information on the viatolea website.