Up To Start is a competition organized by IMT for the past 2 years. Each year, our TEAM incubator is proud to support the winners, who can win up to 20,000 euros. Last year, Alexandre Chalin (ISMIN) and his company Bluesmartrobotics were among the winners, and then went on to win the 2025 Pépite Award.
This year, Asma Benyahia won the Coup de cœur Award for women entrepreneurs with her deeptech project DEFUSE. We asked a few questions to the winner, a PhD candidate in Bioelectronics at Mines Saint-Étienne, whose research focuses on the development of organic bioelectronic sensors and devices for monitoring physiological signals.
Can you tell us about Defuse?
Defuse is a research-based startup project that aims to develop a wearable device to better detect, anticipate, and manage stress states, particularly in autistic individuals. The project relies on innovative bioelectronic sensors and a user-centered approach to provide solutions that are more suitable, discreet, and respectful of sensory needs.
➡️ A wearable is a wearable technology (also called habitronics), which is a garment or accessory incorporating advanced computing and electronic components.
What is the objective of your startup?
The objective of Defuse is to transform scientific advances in Bioelectronics into a practical solution for preventing and regulating stress in autism. The ambition is to provide a tool capable of identifying early physiological signals associated with rising stress, enabling more personalized support better suited to the needs of the individuals concerned and their caregivers (families, healthcare providers, specialized facilities).
What will the competition’s financial award enable you to do?
The financial award will enable me to structure the next stages of the project: consolidate the technological proof of concept, explore different wearable forms compatible with real-world use, and engage in work on specific uses related to autism, user needs, and the project’s development trajectory.
Can you tell us about your research work?
My research work forms the scientific and technological foundation of Defuse, particularly for designing flexible, minimally invasive sensors with low environmental impact, suitable for healthcare applications, especially in the context of autism.
This year, the Up To Start competition focused on deeptech—a deliberate effort to highlight technologies emerging from laboratories and led by PhD candidates. This new direction allowed us to discover Asma’s work, and we congratulate her on her award and her €10,000 grant. We wish Defuse great success!
