From breakthrough science to real-world impact: meet Tim and Brigit

At Faculty of Impact, we believe that groundbreaking science deserves a real place in society. Our fellows don’t just publish papers, they build ventures that solve urgent global challenges. In Cohort 3, two inspiring entrepreneurs are doing exactly that: Tim Hogervorst and Brigit van Brenk. Their innovations couldn’t be more different, one operates at ultra-low temperatures to preserve life, the other cleans our water systems with living microorganisms. Yet, both share the same ambition: turning science into scalable impact.

Tim Hogervorst – Saving lives with better cryopreservation
What if we could store donor organs indefinitely, or when life-saving cell therapies didn’t lose effectiveness during freezing and transport?

Tim and his team at TU Eindhoven have developed a breakthrough material that allows precise control over when and where ice forms during freezing. That may sound simple, but it addresses one of the biggest challenges in cryopreservation: the very first formation of ice determines whether cells, tissues, or even organs survive the freezing process. Until now, no material could both direct ice formation and remain compatible with living systems. Tim’s technology can change that.

In the lab, the results are already impressive: significantly improved cell survival after freezing. The next step is scaling up and bringing the first product to market within two years.

The societal implications are enormous. Today, most donor organs are discarded because they cannot be preserved long enough. Cryopreservation could enable organ biobanking, improve donor–recipient matching, reduce the number of discarded organs, and expand access to advanced cell therapies. Leading to lower costs, less waste and more lives saved.

For Tim, Faculty of Impact is the right program to move from academic breakthrough to real-world application. He describes the program as intense, hands-on, and demanding, exactly what building a company requires. Beyond technology, he is focused on developing the entrepreneurial skills and team needed to make this venture succeed. Because transforming healthcare doesn’t happen in the lab alone, it happens when science meets entrepreneurship.

Brigit van Brenk – Cleaning water with the power of fungi
While Tim works at ultra-low temperatures, Brigit is tackling a challenge flowing through our rivers and ecosystems every day: micropollutants in wastewater. Pesticides, pharmaceuticals, PFAS; these persistent contaminants are difficult and costly to remove with conventional treatment technologies and pose serious risks to ecosystems and human health.

Brigit and her team at Utrecht University have designed the FungiFilter: a biological filtration system built on a consortium of micro-organisms capable of removing a wide range of micropollutants from wastewater. A nature-based solution to a man-made problem.

Proof of concept has already been demonstrated in the lab. The next phase is optimizing stability, testing under real wastewater conditions, and scaling up toward pilot validation with industry partners. Within two years, Brigit aims to have established a startup structure and be preparing for market entry.

The impact of her technology will be cleaner surface waters, reduced environmental toxicity and lower risks to human health: an overall more sustainable and circular water system. And a potentially cost-effective alternative to energy-intensive treatment methods.

For Brigit, Faculty of Impact comes at exactly the right moment, when she was thinking about the transition from academic research to implementation. She brings deep expertise in microbiology and environmental biotechnology, but is now sharpening her entrepreneurial leadership, strategic thinking, and business model validation skills.

She finds the program inspiring and energizing: a place where researchers with different technologies share one common drive: creating real societal impact.

Science is only the beginning
Tim and Brigit embody what Faculty of Impact stands for: scientists who are ready to step beyond the lab, embrace entrepreneurship, and build ventures that address systemic challenges in healthcare and sustainability. Their journeys are just beginning, but the potential impact is transformative. Because when scientific excellence meets entrepreneurial focus, the result is not just innovation, it’s impact.