Greta Preatoni’s MYNERVA Mission
Greta Preatoni does not sugarcoat what it takes to build. Launching a medtech start-up while completing an Executive MBA at the University of Zurich was intense, and she says so openly. “I’m honestly not sure I’d do it that way again,” she says. “I started the EMBA and the company at the same time, and it required real sacrifices.” She pauses, then adds: “It was tough, but it’s definitely paying off.”
That honesty is part of what makes her story so compelling. Born to an Icelandic-Italian family and raised in Italy alongside seven siblings, Greta learned early how to adapt quickly and keep going. That pace carried into her academic path, culminating in a PhD in neuroengineering at ETH Zurich, where her research explored multisensory integration, including work related to diabetic neuropathy.
Outside work, Greta’s reset is surprisingly hands-on. Now and then, she cross-stitches, often turning photos into stitched portraits and even pillows. “I can’t do nothing,” she says with a laugh. “So when I need to relax, I switch my brain off for 30 minutes to an hour, completely reset, and then I’m back.”
The leap from research to company was not accidental. MYNERVA began as her PhD research project and evolved into a wearable device designed to help people with diabetic neuropathy feel the ground again, with the broader goal of improving daily mobility and quality of life. The scientific idea behind it is deceptively simple. “My scientific obsession has always been the same,” Greta explains. “How can we trick the brain into perceiving something that isn’t there? In our case, it’s about artificially restoring a sense of touch.”
MYNERVA’s solution is a sensory prosthetic designed to look like everyday clothing: a smart sock. Pressure sensors capture information under the foot and send it to a control unit, which translates it into targeted, non-invasive electrical stimulation around the ankle. The effect is perceived at the sole, with controls via a smartphone app. Greta is intentional about the design philosophy. “I never wanted something that looks medical,” she says. “I want it to feel normal, not like it’s defining you by a condition.”
The EMBA helped her match scientific ambition with operational clarity. She credits the program with strengthening her business fundamentals, especially accounting and corporate finance, and with leadership tools she could apply immediately. She even brought a personality-based team exercise from the program into MYNERVA as a workshop. “What stresses me most is not making the decision,” she says, describing how the EMBA supported her ability to decide, align, and move forward.
As MYNERVA advances through final safety steps and the path toward regulatory clearance, Greta keeps returning to scale. “The market is huge. The need is huge.” Her story also carries a quieter message: breakthroughs only reach patients when adoption follows. Real demand, reimbursement pathways, and committed partners are what bring solutions to the people who need them most.
Her guiding principle remains steady: “Follow your fear,” she says. “The sweet spot is where what scares you meets what you’re passionate about.”