Agense Stracquadanio
8 min read
09 November 2025
Eva Rennen enjoys stepping out of her comfort zone: she’s not afraid of complex challenges or failure, and she believes that if she’s going to spend so many hours of her life on something, it should be meaningful. “Something I can look back on with pride – and leave a positive impact.” Previously founder of a 3D-printing food production company and with a background in product design and sociology, Eva Rennen met what would later become the founding team of Nostics when she shifted her focus to nanotechnology and biosensors. Nanomaterials, integrated with a spectroscopy device, enable diagnosis without the need for a lab or highly trained personnel.
What inspired you to found the company?
Technology is exciting, but in the end its value lies in how it can be applied. Bacterial infections had received little attention, despite the worldwide, massive problem worth solving: antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We saw the challenges but also the potential of saving lives by using nanotechnology to create a miniaturized diagnostic solution that does not require a laboratory.
What is your mission?
We believe the future of healthcare – particularly diagnostics – is personalized. Our mission is to make sure that people receive the right treatment at the right time. While this may sound logical, it is far from the current reality.
“I always say ‘kill your darlings’ – there are so many cool things you want to work on and that distract you from the key problem, so leave some of those opportunities where they are.”
What stage is the company currently at?
As a pre-revenue company, our product is not yet on the market. For now, we’re focused on ensuring the technology is robust, portable and usable across diverse settings, while also working to minimize costs as much as possible. The product can be applied to diagnose various diseases, but our first application will target urinary tract infections – one of the most common infections globally and a significant burden, particularly for women. In three years, we expect to have helped the first patients. We’ll then expand sales channels across key regions while also considering partnerships with NGOs to reach harder-to-access areas.
What were your early founding steps and biggest challenges
We started during the lockdown, which made tasks like opening a bank account or finding a lab even more challenging. Despite that, we scaled quickly and partnered with universities and medical centers. We overcame many scientific setbacks, as the technology is so novel that little useful literature exists. One of the biggest challenges was also engaging stakeholders and securing multiple funding rounds.
What made progress possible?
First and foremost, dedicated people who believe in the mission. Also, supportive investors, academics and clinicians – innovation front-runners in a very traditional industry, who are open to change. And ultimately, we need adoption, because innovation means nothing without it.
“The advice I would give any young person, but specifically young entrepreneurs, is to pick a problem that is really worth solving.”
What has been the most rewarding part of the journey so far?
The enthusiasm from patients and clinicians when we explain what we are building. Knowing we are working on something highly needed is truly rewarding.
What lessons have you learned so far?
Perseverance.
Why did you choose to establish your business in Amsterdam?
We started in Delft, but the need for a more diverse workforce, an international outlook and stronger institutional partnerships led us to Amsterdam. A few years ago, Amsterdam was more software-focused with limited support for deeptech and medical innovation. Today, we are based in one of the life sciences districts, surrounded by biotech hubs, as the city shifts increasingly toward deeptech.
"You need to have a healthy social life that keeps you going. If you are single, you still need a support system: single founders need good friends.”
What do you think of the startup landscape in Europe?
The ecosystem is diverse with a growing focus on deeptech. However, the downside is a limited appetite for bold, high-risk financing.
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?
Put your time and energy into something that will make a positive impact. I see too many founders focusing on problems that are either not worth solving or not a priority. I like to see talents going to the right causes and not to be wasted.