Gabriela Avila, Medical Engineering Student at TU Darmstadt and Goethe University Frankfurt, Participant in the Female Founder Program 2025.
An Aspiring Founder Develops Digital Solutions for People with Celiac Disease.
Sometimes a startup idea begins where life suddenly becomes more complicated. This was the case for Gabriela Avila, a student in the RMU cooperative Medical Engineering program at TU Darmstadt and Goethe University Frankfurt.
Living with celiac disease herself, she knows how difficult it can be to find reliable information, safe products, and meaningful support. Through the EXIST Women program, she is now developing an app that offers exactly that to those affected: verified information, curated product recommendations, and a supportive community.
Gabriela is one of 24 participants in the new “Female Founder” program, jointly launched for the first time in 2025 by TU Darmstadt, Goethe University Frankfurt, and Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. Through workshops, mentoring, and cross-university exchange under the guidance of startup advisor Simone Lühl, the women were supported in exploring and shaping their roles as founders.
Gabriela’s motivation is clear: she aims to transform a personal challenge into a solution and advance the healthcare sector through digital innovation.
Her advice: start small. Test your idea. Seek feedback. Build your network early. This creates clarity and confidence. What did EXIST Women give her? “Security, space to experiment, and an inspiring network.”
Female Founder 2025 demonstrates that when personal experience meets professional expertise, ideas with real impact can emerge.
The EXIST Women program will be announced again in 2026. Stay tuned!