Winners of the Handels Impact Innovation Challenge 2025
The Handels Impact Innovation Challenge (HIIC) is an annual competition for students and recent alumni who want to realize their ideas and contribute to a more sustainable society. Congratulations to Senra Health, with participants Vanessa Graniffo, Tarik Hamza Velijevic, Hampus Salomonsson, and Yosef Butrus. Their creativity and impact-driven approach with their business idea D-Foot made them this year’s winners.
Vanessa Graniffo, alumna from the Bachelor’s Programme in Business and Economics, is one of the winners.
Tell us about your business idea!
Diabetic foot ulcers and amputations cause great suffering for patients and cost Swedish society over SEK 3 billion each year, even though they are largely preventable. The fundamental problem is that today’s foot examinations are often manual, subjective, and performed differently in various parts of the healthcare system, which means national guidelines are not followed.
D-Foot is a digital tool that guides healthcare professionals through a structured foot examination and collects relevant metrics along the way. Based on this data, the tool generates an objective risk classification aligned with national guidelines and provides recommendations for the next steps in the care process as well as preventive measures. The method and algorithm were developed by Ulla Hellstrand Tang, senior orthopaedic engineer and researcher and are based on more than 13 years of clinical and scientific work.
Since self-care is a central part of preventing ulcers, we also offer MyFoot – a digital self-assessment that helps patients understand their risks, receive targeted self-care advice, and seek care in time.
Our tools are modularly built and designed to integrate seamlessly into existing journal systems and workflows, making them scalable nationally. Our goal is to drastically reduce the number of foot ulcers and amputations in Sweden, and eventually internationally.
How does it feel to win?
It feels fantastic, and at the same time very meaningful. We have worked intensely, and receiving this recognition from both the jury and the audience gives us enormous energy. It shows that the problem we are addressing is high-priority and that our solution is perceived as relevant, feasible, and important.
For us as a team – combining Ulla’s decades of clinical and research-based expertise with our own backgrounds in technology, business development, and strategy – the win is also proof that we have the right combination of experience to truly create system-level change.
Ultimately, our work is about preventing amputations and improving the quality of life for thousands of patients. Winning HIIC accelerates our ability to do just that, and we are incredibly grateful.
How will you use the prize money?
The prize money goes directly to the most important step in our journey right now: CE certification.
As a medical device, D-Foot must undergo an extensive regulatory process before we can launch widely. The funds will be used for external regulatory consulting and the product adjustments required to meet all safety and quality standards.
This contribution enables us to accelerate the CE certification process by several months and therefore reach healthcare providers and patients sooner. The earlier we enter the market, the more foot ulcers and amputations we can prevent.
What was the best part of participating in HIIC?
The best part has been the combination of concrete feedback, inspiration, and new contacts that HIIC offers. Pitching in front of a jury and audience has helped us sharpen our message and clarify our value even further.
We are also taking with us invaluable contacts that form a network of people who understand the challenges of building a company within healthcare and life science. These relationships will be very valuable as we continue our journey.
About Handels Impact Innovation Challenge
The competition is organized in collaboration between the School of Business, Economics and Law, the student union HHGS, the career fair GADDEN, and Venture Cup Sweden, with Ernströmgruppen as the main sponsor.