Heini Isoaho

Heini Isoaho is a Co-Founder of Dermeco, a company with a patented technology offering sustainable material solutions for hydrocolloid wound dressings.

Heini studied Industrial Design in a university in Finland and after graduating she started to investigate commercial opportunities in the wound dressing market together with her former classmate.

During her research, Heini discovered that hydrocolloid dressings generate an estimated 30 million kilograms of waste annually and it takes on average 400 years for the material to decompose. The breaking-down process leaves behind half-a-million kilograms of harmful microplastics per year, posing a threat to wildlife, several ecosystems, and human health.

To resolve the environmental issues of the industry, Heini co-founded her startup Dermeco and together with her team developed a new innovative material that is the only biodegradable hydrocolloid dressing in the world. Dermeco’s patented technology decomposes into water, carbon dioxide, and humus and can be used for various wound care applications, such as blister and acne patches, cold sore treatments, and advanced wound care dressings.

Dermeco is positioned among the most promising health tech startups in Europe and has been recognized as a finalist in the Nordic Startup Awards 2022 and IdeaRace Finland innovation competition. Dermeco recently won “The Best Startup 2022” award in Productive Idea competition organized by JCI Finland and Nasdaq, earning a billboard at New York’s Times Square.