#FoundersFridays: Meet Femke Delissen co-founder of PAVA

How did your career path lead to founding PAVA? 

The initial idea for PAVA came about during our Master's in Artificial Intelligence at the Vrije Universiteit van Amsterdam, when I collaborated with my co-founders Tom de Leeuw and Daan van der Wind during an entrepreneurship elective. We started small, working alongside our studies and part-time jobs. It wasn't until after graduation that we were able to take it seriously. 

We raised our first capital from friends, family, and early supporters. They mainly believed in our team, our drive, and the potential of our technology—we had barely anything tangible at that point. Their trust allowed us to run a pilot year. Since then, we've grown and are looking to raise additional funding through innovation loans, grants, and venture capital focused on the healthcare sector. 

Within PAVA, we have clear roles: Tom is in charge of the software deployment, Daan develops the product models, and I focus on customer and partner relations. 

What's the biggest challenge your company has overcome? 

The biggest challenge was getting our product into real-world healthcare settings. The care sector typically only adopts innovations once they're fully validated, but our system needs real-world use to become validated. It was a true chicken-and-egg situation. 

Fortunately, we found a few partners willing to take a chance on us. They let us operate in real-life settings without obligations so we could gather data and learn what it takes. That first step was crucial—it allowed us to grow and enter new collaborations. 

How important is AI to your business? 

AI is at the core of what we do. It enables safe and discreet monitoring, contributing to more comfortable and secure living environments. 

Our system uses existing Wi-Fi signals in a room. When someone moves, they disrupt those signals. AI translates those disruptions into recognizable patterns of human activity, such as standing up, walking, and in the future also falling. By accurately detecting these movements, care professionals can intervene more quickly—without residents needing to wear sensors or have a camera overhead. 

What's the most valuable advice you've ever received? 

"Keep asking questions." The three of us come from technical backgrounds and had no prior experience in healthcare. So, we had to avoid assuming we knew what the healthcare sector needed. Instead, we talked to users about what they want and need and what challenges they face. 

We also sought advice from experienced entrepreneurs outside the healthcare space. Many people are happy to share their knowledge if you ask. That helped us learn much faster than if we'd tried to figure everything out ourselves. 

How would you describe Amsterdam's impact and innovation ecosystem? 

Amsterdam has a very lively ecosystem. You could easily fill your week with three or four networking events—from female entrepreneur meetups to healthcare innovation gatherings. It's accessible, and people are generous with their time and networks. 

At the same time, the competition is fierce. For grants and pitch competitions, you're up against strong ideas. That high level of competition has made us sharper. 

We've invested much time in networking, learning, and understanding the healthcare and funding landscape. It sometimes feels like you're not "really" working—but that network has taken us a long way. 

What was your best business decision? 

Deciding to work on PAVA full-time. Initially, we only met at the kitchen table two days a week. We had to stop when housemates came home. It felt limiting—you could never really push forward. 

Once we found a temporary office, everything changed. We finally had a space where we could set our own pace. That brought focus, energy, and a lot more speed. Every conversation and every new connection could directly benefit PAVA. 

We also learned to consciously celebrate small wins: a high five after fixing a tricky bug or a cake for a milestone. In the chaos, you can forget how many steps you're taking, so celebrating is essential for motivation. 

Where do you see PAVA in the future? 

In the coming years, we want to expand PAVA's use in nursing homes to improve resident safety and ease the burden of night shifts. But that's just the beginning. With the growing staff shortage in healthcare, our technology can also support informal caregivers and district nurses. 

We see great potential for PAVA in private homes, helping people live independently with extra support. Next year, we'll launch our first home-use pilots. 

Beyond that, we plan to scale more broadly and co-develop new applications with our users, like lifestyle monitoring. We'll continue listening to where the need is—that always comes first. 

Are you curious to see how PAVA continues to develop? Follow their journey and discover more at www.pava.ai. 

If you’re an Amsterdam-based founder working on an innovative solution that solves an urban or social challenge, and you’d like to share your story with our audience, email impact@amsterdam.nl