These 3 healthcare companies are making medicine smarter

With the support of Ilaria Farrugia Pace, also a Pulse Z ambassador, we explored these ideas, which demonstrate how innovation can also arise in the classroom.

Cindy Up: A pocket test to detect fortified drinks

One of the startups that struck us most was Cindy Up, a project created by a group of Portuguese girls, who tackled a problem that is unfortunately still very current: the phenomenon of drinks being poured, often to the detriment of girls, in contexts such as discos, clubs or parties.

“We’ve created a product that can detect whether a drink has been tampered with simply: just dip the strip in the drink, and if it lights up, it means it’s been tampered with. If it stays normal, it’s safe.”

The girls explained to us that the drugs their device can detect are the most common, according to forensic scientists: GHB, ketamine, ecstasy, and DMA. The reaction time is very fast—a few seconds—and the fluorescence makes the presence of the substance immediately visible.
The product, they are keen to point out, is still in the prototype stage and Gen-E represents an important opportunity for them to raise funds to develop a functional version.

“We’re working with our chemistry professor, who’s done a lot of research. We can’t provide an exact percentage yet, but the test is very sensitive: even a single particle of the substance is enough to trigger a reaction on the strip. It won’t be 100% accurate, but it’s an effective way to determine if a beverage has been tampered with.”

The practical aspect of the product was also particularly interesting: the girls designed a discreet, compact and portable container.

“We thought about what we all carry with us all the time: keys, a phone, or maybe a lipstick. So we created a keychain-like accessory that’s easy to slip into a pocket, even for those who don’t carry bags.”

How AI can help avoid taking harmful drugs during pregnancy

The second part of this article focuses on a complex but fundamental issue: drug use during pregnancy. Every year, approximately 270,000 newborns die worldwide from congenital malformations, often preventable. Despite medical advances, the issue of teratogenicity—the risk that external substances such as drugs, infections, or chemicals can harm the developing fetus—remains a key public health concern. It’s a little-known fact, but over 90% of pregnant women take at least one drug during pregnancy, and 80% do so in the first trimester, precisely when the fetus is most vulnerable.

To address this need, an innovative technological project based on artificial intelligence (AI) was born, designed to assist healthcare professionals in assessing the risks associated with drug use during pregnancy. The idea is as simple as it is ambitious: an application capable of providing rapid, reliable, and up-to-date decision-making support to avoid potentially fatal errors. The system processes data on available medications and, using artificial intelligence algorithms, analyzes the level of teratogenic risk associated with their use during the various stages of pregnancy. Based on the results, the app can report the degree of risk and suggest safer alternatives. The project is aimed primarily at doctors, pharmacists, midwives, and anyone who must make rapid, informed decisions in maternal and child healthcare. This type of tool can make a huge difference, especially in high-pressure settings or with limited access to specialized resources. The interface is intuitive: enter the name of the medication and, in just a few seconds, obtain a detailed assessment of its risk profile. The reliability of the system is based on accredited scientific sources and the continuous updating of the underlying database.

This startup represents a concrete example of how artificial intelligence can be used ethically and responsibly to solve real problems. It’s not just about technology, but about prevention, awareness, and protection of life from its earliest stages. It’s an idea that has all the makings of a daily ally in clinical practice and a model for anyone looking to innovate in the healthcare sector.