Created from the scientific and technological work developed through the NanoPower exploratory research project, NeuroMech Systems represents a concrete example of how UT Austin Portugal-supported research can evolve into entrepreneurial initiatives with real-world relevance.
A significant outcome of the UT Austin Portugal Program-supported NanoPower Exploratory Research Project is the creation of NeuroMech Systems, a new venture working at the intersection of advanced sensing, digital medicine, and person-centered healthcare.
Led by Cláudia Lopes, Assistant Researcher at TEMA – Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation, University of Aveiro, NanoPower focused on mapping neuromuscular activity with high precision. More specifically, the project sought to understand the individual contribution of each motor unit during the assessment of a muscular group and to characterize the spatiotemporal profiles of the Vastus Lateralis and Vastus Medialis muscles.
At the core of the project was a demanding scientific and technological challenge: capturing the real dimension of muscle electrical activity across both time and frequency domains.
To address this, NanoPower explored the development of a high-density surface electromyography sensor array, known as HD-sEMG, built on flexible and biocompatible nano-electrodes powered by triboelectric nanogenerators. These nanogenerators were designed to convert the user’s own biomechanical energy into electricity, enabling real-time and continuous muscle activity assessment without external power sources.
The work laid the foundations for a broader ambition: developing reliable, portable, and non-invasive systems capable of supporting clinical evaluation, rehabilitation, sports performance, and wellness.
Seeing potential beyond the project
For Cláudia Lopes and her partner, Professor Nelson Azevedo, the potential of the solutions being developed was clear from the beginning.
The vision behind NanoPower pointed to integrated systems capable of delivering continuous, real-time monitoring in ways that could support more informed decisions around treatment and rehabilitation. This placed the project at the intersection of cutting-edge research and the emerging field of digital medicine.
That early recognition helped turn NanoPower into more than a research project. It became the starting point for an entrepreneurial journey focused on transforming scientific knowledge into tools that can respond to real clinical and human needs.
Bridging the gap between monitoring and treatment
The creation of NeuroMech Systems was driven by a gap the team identified in the medical devices landscape.
Today, many wearable technologies are already used to monitor physiological parameters across sports, wellbeing, and clinical diagnosis. However, there remains a need for solutions that can dynamically adjust treatment or rehabilitation according to a patient’s real and continuously monitored condition.
NeuroMech Systems was created to respond to that opportunity.
The company is developing biofeedback solutions that do not simply monitor, but actively inform and adapt treatment based on live data. Its mission is to offer reliable, person-centered tools that help close the loop between monitoring and treatment, making healthcare more responsive, more personalized, and more effective.
This mission reflects the complementary backgrounds of its founders. Cláudia Lopes brings a strong research perspective, while Nelson Azevedo contributes direct experience from clinical environments. Together, they are working to develop solutions that are scientifically rigorous, clinically relevant, and grounded in real problems.
The role of the UT Austin Portugal Program
For Cláudia Lopes, the UT Austin Portugal Program helped create the conditions for this outcome by supporting exploratory research on the HD-sEMG sensor array and enabling collaboration with The University of Texas at Austin.
The Program’s support helped advance a technology capable of capturing an often-overlooked spatial dimension of neuromuscular activity. Beyond the project itself, the international partnership with UT Austin accelerated the research and contributed to building the scientific and technological foundations that would later support the team’s entrepreneurial ambitions.
That collaboration opened doors intellectually, strategically, and in terms of future market positioning.
In this sense, NeuroMech Systems stands as a strong example of how Program-supported exploratory research can create the conditions for entrepreneurial pathways, especially when scientific ambition is combined with international collaboration and a clear understanding of real-world needs.
From research to venture creation
Moving from exploratory research to an entrepreneurial initiative required a significant shift in mindset.
For Cláudia Lopes, the transition meant moving from the perspective of researcher and clinician to that of entrepreneur. It required learning a new language: business models, regulatory and bureaucratic requirements, market readiness, timelines, milestones, and communication with stakeholders beyond the academic environment.
The scientific rigor was already part of the work. The challenge was to translate that knowledge into a venture with commercial viability and practical relevance.
This transition also brought unexpected complexity. Academic research and venture creation operate according to different rhythms. In academia, progress is often measured by knowledge generated. In a venture, progress is measured through milestones, market readiness, and real-world outcomes.
Learning to operate across both worlds has been one of the most demanding and important parts of the journey.
Toward adaptive neuromuscular healthcare
For Cláudia Lopes, the creation of NeuroMech Systems represents proof that research can change lives.
It is the moment when scientific ideas begin to move toward tangible impact, with the potential to improve people’s quality of life through solutions born from research.
Looking ahead, NeuroMech Systems is currently developing two prototypes for the treatment of neuromuscular pathologies. One is based on ILIB – Intravascular Laser Irradiation of Blood therapy, while the other focuses on vagal nerve stimulation.
Both prototypes are in the testing phase and are expected to move soon into clinical validation. The team’s goal is to have these devices ready for market entry by the end of next year.
More broadly, NeuroMech Systems aims to help redefine what personalized care can look like in neuromuscular healthcare, moving from reactive treatment toward continuous, data-driven, and adaptive therapy.
By tracing the path from NanoPower to NeuroMech Systems, the UT Austin Portugal Program highlights how exploratory research can create the foundations for innovation with real-world relevance.
It is a story about scientific ambition, international collaboration, and the ability of research to open new possibilities for patients, clinicians, and future healthcare technologies.