Opportunity Health, a rising star within Navarra’s health ecosystem, continues to make headlines thanks to its groundbreaking anti-choking device. The startup, based in Sangüesa, was recognised last April as Best Company in the Wellness and Health category at the Somos Fanes Awards. It also achieved third place at RESI Barcelona (Redefining Early Stage Investments) — an international congress that brings together companies and investors from around the world — and won the Start-up Pitch Contest at the 2025 edition of BioSpain.
In addition, the company — a member of Navarra Health Cluster — has secured financial backing from Easo Ventures, a vehicle of Stellum Capital, and from Sodena, the public company of the Government of Navarra, totalling €100,000 to advance the development of its device. The company is currently running a crowdfunding campaign on StartupXplore, which will help accelerate clinical evidence, certification and the path towards CE marking.
Germán Sánchez, founder and CEO of Opportunity Health, introduces the company’s unique and disruptive approach — a technology designed to prevent deaths caused by choking.
Can you tell us how the Opportunity Health project began?
Opportunity Health was born from a personal experience. My older brother choked during a family meal and, although my father managed to help him, those few seconds of helplessness made me realise how vulnerable we are in such situations. To put it into context, in Spain, in 2022, more than 3,500 people died from choking. The incidence is three times higher than traffic accidents, which receive a lot of media coverage — yet choking barely gets any attention, and that struck me.
At the time, I was running a company, Urajet Innovations, focused on innovative product engineering, and I started to research the market. I realised there was no device that was automatic and self-applicable, so I began developing prototypes on my own until I joined the CEIN accelerator. When it comes to product innovation, you eventually reach a point where you no longer know which way to go. The medical device sector is very complex; a long time can pass between having the idea and actually bringing it to market.
We founded Opportunity Health in 2024, and today there are four of us working on the project, including an expert in regulatory affairs and another in design and manufacturing. We also collaborate with companies such as Tecnomed, a regulatory consultancy, and Darwin Biomed — another Navarra Health Cluster member — which is supporting us in the prototyping phase.
Why does your technology stand out within the medical device sector?
We are developing an automatic, self-applicable anti-choking device — a robust, high-quality product. While most existing devices are made from disposable plastic materials, our approach focuses on greater durability and strength, ensuring a reliable, long-lasting solution designed for real-life emergencies.
How does it work?
The person who is choking simply needs to place the device in their mouth and press a trigger. It operates using a pressurised CO₂ cartridge. When the trigger is activated, it releases the gas, which passes through a multi-stage vacuum ejector. By means of the Venturi effect, this creates negative pressure and sufficient airflow to clear the airway — without causing damage.
With our product YARNASA, we are providing safety and autonomy, offering a reliable solution with precision and controlled pressure thanks to the medical technology we have developed — which requires almost no prior experience to use. Beyond these values, which are very important to us, we will strictly comply with CE marking regulations as a Class IIa medical device. Likewise, we will work in accordance with the requirements of the Medical Device Regulation (EU 2017/745), which will add a distinctive value to our product compared with lower-class devices that have not even been assessed by a regulatory body.
What are your development prospects for the coming months?
Our main business plan focuses on the B2B market. Considering the two age groups with the highest incidence of choking-related deaths — adults over 65 and children aged 1 to 4 — our target clients are care homes, nursing facilities, schools and nurseries.
We also see potential in places where these groups converge, such as restaurants, hospitals, trains and airplanes. Although individual consumers are not our primary audience, we have already been approached by private buyers, local councils and even a school interested in purchasing our product — a clear validation of our technology.
We currently have an open investment round, and our main goal is to achieve CE marking by late 2026 or early 2027 in order to bring the product to market.
To reach this milestone, we need to complete the regulatory phase and obtain approval from the notified body. This also involves building visibility for our product by participating in trade fairs and developing a strong network of contacts to secure pre-sales.
Our aim is for any space to be able to offer safety, peace of mind and confidence in the event of a choking emergency. With StartupXplore and the current funding round, we are accelerating clinical evidence, certification and the path towards CE marking.
In parallel, we have strengthened our structure with the appointment of Nicolás López de Aguileta Castaño as our new CTO, and the addition of Dr Daciano Álvaro Gaona, an anaesthesiologist, to our Advisory Board. In the area of design, Íñigo Almazán Tife leads operations, working in collaboration with Darwin Biomed on prototyping and industrialisation.
We maintain active collaborations with the University of Navarra (LABIM) and IDIS – Santiago, and are working with TecnoMed on the regulatory pathway, with the goal of obtaining CE MDR Class IIa certification in 2027 and implementing the ISO 13485 standard. In Navarra, we are also promoting pilot projects and clinical evidence with institutional support, as well as developing a maintenance and certification programme similar to those used for fire extinguishers or defibrillators (AEDs).
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Crowdfunding campaign on StartupXplore
The funding round benefits from tax incentives for investment in start-ups: a 50% personal income tax deduction (up to a €100,000 base) for individuals residing in Spain who meet the legal requirements — e.g. holding the investment for 3–12 years and maintaining a joint shareholding of no more than 40%.
Advantages for investors
- 50% personal income tax deduction (up to a €100,000 base) for individuals who meet the legal requirements.
- Potential effective cost reduced by around 50%, if the investor can fully apply the deduction according to their tax profile.
- Possibility to increase the investment ticket under the syndicate conditions alongside Easo Ventures and Sodena.
- (Optional) Capital gains exemption if, in the future, you sell and reinvest in start-ups in accordance with the law.
Opportunity Health provides a tax certificate and a step-by-step guide to assist with the tax declaration.
General tax information subject to current regulations and the investor’s individual profile; consulting a tax advisor is recommended.
