SQIN founder Maria-Liisa Bruckert on e-health, the future of skin health and how she found her way into tech

"Sometimes even a very small piece of advice helps."

You can listen to the full podcast interview here. (German)

After studying electrical engineering and spending several years at Siemens, Maria-Liisa Bruckert founded the e-health start-up SQIN just under a year ago.?

"I was already at Siemens and super close to the topics of tomorrow and the day after tomorrow,"

explains the young entrepreneur. And yet, in a large corporation, things often go more slowly than one would like.?The desire to start up her own company arose from her fascination with the topics of digital transformation, artificial intelligence and e-health.?

SQIN is an artificial intelligence app that aims to provide people with a lifelong guide to their skin. Using uploaded images, the AI analyzes the skin's appearance and finds out what the customer needs within seconds. Depending on the need, the app then helps refer them to a dermatologist or recommends specific products or lifestyle changes.?

"80% of people have a problem with their skin at some point. In many countries, accessibility to dermatologists is a problem. Also, many people don't dare to go to the doctor. We want to create a place where we can bring people into contact with the topic for the first time without shame and without great cost," says Maria-Liisa Bruckert, summarizing the company's mission.?

But the app not only helps with medical problems, it also provides tips tailored to the individual customer. As the daughter of a beautician, the founder knows that sometimes even a little advice is worth its weight in gold. In addition, the app is intended to assist users in the long term:?

"We are centrally about the consumer. Over the course of your life, your skin changes. Your needs are constantly changing. We want to be your partner through the decades."

Because skin health in particular is massively influenced by factors such as lifestyle, climate zone and also mental health. Accordingly, with SQIN, customers not only have a place where they can find solutions to acute problems, but also receive tips for preventive measures.?

It is important to Maria-Liisa Bruckert to point out that not only lifestyle, but also mental health plays an important role here:?

"The skin is the mirror of your inner self. That's why skin health must also cover the mental issue,"

the entrepreneur clarifies.?

Although the company has only been around for a short time, a lot has happened since then: among other things, the now twelve-member team has also won the audience award at EXPO 2022 and the GooglePlay award for the best app in the "Personal Growth" category.?

"I would advise [people with startup ideas] to definitely look at the market. Put yourself in your user's perspective,"

the founder says:

"Where is the need? What problem exists, and in what direction should I think about my idea?" Because answering these questions lays the foundation for everything else."?

Apart from that, a good network is the be-all and end-all:?

"Just launching is not that difficult, but if you want to build the business, you need people, contacts and an ecosystem."?

For this reason, SQIN has tried to build a resilient network. Especially when it comes to expanding to other countries and implementing regulations, expert advice has proven valuable. In this regard, the young startup has also benefited from participating in various accelerator programs and events.??

The fact that, despite her tech background, she is sometimes not taken entirely seriously at first as a woman is not a problem for the electrical engineering graduate:?

"I'm incredibly self-confident about it and try to undermine the argument right from the start by talking about my enthusiasm for the topic of technology right at the beginning of the presentation. Of course, that only works if it's authentic, though."

Of course, it also doesn't hurt that the app already exists and the team has since attracted attention with a variety of awards.?

If you want to learn how AI can help us achieve healthier skin and why climate zones need to be included when expanding to other countries, listen in to the podcast!

The #FemaleFebruary is only possible thanks to the support of Canva, your design tool for everything related to content and presentations. Canva is offering an extended trial for their pro version (the core features are free anyway), for everyone who reads or listens to the Female February. Click here to test the new way of creating content in teams for 45 days.