Romanian MedTech Startup .lumen Won European Award
The startup secured a top prize for its AI-powered glasses designed to assist blind users with mobility.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Startups
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Romanian startup .lumen won the post-certification category of the Europe's Best MedTech competition in Munich. The company has developed wearable glasses that are CE-marked as a medical device to assist blind individuals.
Why it matters
The technology aims to provide mobility support similar to a guide dog, representing a significant advancement in assistive hardware for the visually impaired. Recognition from these competitions highlights the growing maturity of AI-based diagnostic and navigation tools in the medical sector.
The device has undergone testing with over 1,000 individuals, demonstrating that it can reproduce the core mobility functions of a guide dog. It translates physical environmental data into haptic feedback to guide users.
The players
.lumen
A Romanian startup developing wearable, CE-marked medical glasses that use artificial intelligence and haptic feedback to assist blind people.
CertHub
A regulatory advisory group providing the startup with a consulting package as part of its recent competition success.
The details
The wearable glasses interpret the physical environment through integrated artificial intelligence to create a navigation path for the wearer. This system delivers information to the user via haptic feedback — a tactile sensation used to convey physical cues. The design aims to replicate the navigation capabilities of a guide dog, providing a wearable alternative for blind people.
Timeline
September 2026: .lumen won the Europe's Best MedTech award in Munich.
September 2026: .lumen won the Glovo Tech Catalyst Romania 2026 prize.
2027: The company will exhibit at Health.tech 2027 in Basel.
The Tech Race
The win at the Europe's Best MedTech competition marks a critical milestone in the competitive commercialization of AI-assisted mobility hardware. It positions the startup ahead of other European efforts by validating their device as a CE-marked medical tool.
Users will gain access to a wearable device that serves as an alternative to traditional guide dogs, utilizing haptic signals to navigate surroundings. While the glasses are CE-marked, widespread consumer availability and pricing details have not been released.
The takeaway
This award marks a significant step for AI-driven assistive devices in navigating the transition from research to a certified medical product. Watch for the company's performance at the Health.tech 2027 exhibition in Basel to see how the technology scales for broader distribution.
What happens next
The company is scheduled to receive a regulatory consulting package from CertHub and will exhibit its technology at the Health.tech 2027 event in Basel, Switzerland.
Further reading
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Source note: This article includes information reported by Romania Insider.
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