Sensius is a Dutch scale-up focused on establishing thermotherapy as a core component of cancer treatment. The company’s mission is to enhance outcomes for patients with head and neck cancers while balancing treatment efficacy with quality of life. 

This pioneer in precision thermotherapy for oncology is also a member of the EIC Scaling Club New Biotech Platforms group. To learn more about Sensius, its mission, and the people behind it, we spoke with the scale-up’s co-founder and CEO, Paul van den Biggelaar.

Ancient wisdom powering today’s innovations

The concept of using heat to heal is not a new idea in medicine. It was already known in Hippocratic times, and today this ancient wisdom is finding new life in the field of oncology, where thermotherapy — a targeted heating of tumors — is being explored. 

This exploration is exactly what Sensius is all about. “The idea is that if you heat a tumor, it responds better to radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and potentially even immunotherapy. By gently heating a tumor, we can mimic a fever. This process activates the immune system, making the body more effective at fighting cancer cells,” explains Paul. 

Despite promising results in numerous clinical trials, the widespread adoption of thermotherapy has been hindered by one major obstacle: the technology has long been too complex to use. Sensius has reinvented heating technology, developing a way to precisely focus heat on the tumor while protecting nearby healthy tissue. The scale-up’s method mirrors how oncologists currently use radiotherapy, making the transition to thermotherapy a more natural and understandable process for clinicians. Thermotherapy can also be applied to a wide variety of tumors, making it an economically attractive option for clinics.

What sets Sensius apart from other medtech companies is its harmonized approach to innovations. “We’re the best-equipped company to make sure that we balance technological advancements with the needs of clinicians and the comfort of patients,” says Paul, and adds that by adopting the proven principles of radiotherapy developed over the last 45 years, Sensius aims to make thermotherapy a standard and widely used treatment within the next three years. 

This focus on usability, clinical alignment, and economic viability is what the company believes will make thermotherapy the fourth pillar of cancer treatment, standing alongside radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy.

The story behind Sensius

Asked to share the origin story of Sensius, Paul tells us that back in 2000, Professor Gerard van Rhoon was given the challenge of developing a solution for treating head and neck cancers. Together with Maarten Paulides – a Professor today but a young student back then – they found a way to use thermotherapy for treating cancer that is applicable in daily practice.

At that time, Paul was working at Nucletron, a radiotherapy company, where he was part of the executive team: “I was exploring possible additions to our portfolio, and that's why I got acquainted with the concept of thermotherapy.” Paul eventually left the company, but his interest in the method remained. After a while, Paul met Gerard and was invited to start building a company together with Gerard and Martin. Joined by Peter van Paassen, a serial entrepreneur, Sensius was founded back in 2015.

Today, a decade later, the Sensius project is being further developed by a team of approximately 30 talented professionals – combining both full-time employees and an extensive network of outsourced talent. 

Sensius' headquarters are in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where it operates out of the Erasmus Medical Center's incubator space. The team, however, is distributed, with staff also working from Berlin, Germany, Groningen, and the U.S., and plans are in place for future expansion into the UK. This distributed presence is further supported by a network of technology partners that handle development in Germany, the northern Netherlands, and Belgium.

Challenges turned into opportunities

Asked to share the scale-up’s biggest challenges, Paul mentions two – funding and clinical data. As to the latter, Paul explains that Sensius’ clinical studies faced a period of stagnation around 2018-2019 due to leadership changes at Erasmus Medical Center. Fortunately, the new Head of Department helped Sensius revive the process, bringing it to a new level altogether. 

Currently, Sensius is working on a new study in collaboration with the Dutch Cancer Foundation, which began in June this year. Sensius now has approximately 20 clinics interested in participating in a future international, multi-center Phase II/III study. Paul adds that this subsequent research will not only assess the treatment’s effectiveness but also evaluate its reimbursement capabilities.

Paul emphasizes that the journey to market hinges on clinical data – it’s crucial both for securing funding and obtaining reimbursement for clients. Thanks to the help of several industry experts, Sensius has been able to face this challenge head-on. While the scale-up still needs to secure the necessary systems and funding for future clinical studies, Paul is confident in Sensius’ mission, as many clinics are eager to participate.

Looking back on Sensius’ journey, Paul mentions several milestones – the very start of the company and license agreement in 2015, securing seed funding in 2017, participation in the EIC Accelerator in 2022, and the publication of the most recent clinical results. The scale-up also closed a €15 million Series A round in the summer of 2025. Paul adds: 

“The role of the European Union in our journey cannot be overemphasized. I think the EIC Accelerator and the people working there have been an immense support in seeking the opportunities to assist us in any way, shape, or form that is possible within the program, and I think they've done an excellent job on that.”

Thriving with EIC Scaling Club support

Sensius continues to benefit from EIC support through the Scaling Club. Paul mentions that the opportunity to participate in the Club offers a dual advantage for the scale-up – it's a chance to gain valuable insights from fellow companies and coaches, while also enhancing the company's visibility.

“One of the key deliverables so far is that we've made significant progress with our coaches on a new OPEX-based business model. This strategy directly addresses a major obstacle for clinics – the high capital cost of our devices. By shifting to an operational expense model, we can dramatically lower the entry threshold and expand our market,” Paul shares Sensius’ experience in working with the EIC Scaling Club’s mentors. 

As we conclude our interview, Paul highlights the pride he takes in Sensius’ current team:

“Our COO, Rik Kielman, has not only leveraged his network to generate 25 active sales discussions but has also been invaluable in tackling crucial market access challenges, from influencing guidelines to building stakeholder groups and securing reimbursement. Meanwhile, our CFO, Stan van Oppen, provides more than just financial management. He's been instrumental in our strategy, using his expertise to perform the critical quantitative analysis that informs our most important decisions.” 

The company also recently welcomed Dan Fristedt as the new Head of Product, bringing vast experience in product development, as well as radiotherapy. Additionally, Sensius’ technical team – Michael Zeinoun and Eva Oberacker – have played and continue to play a crucial role in the technological advancements of the scale-up. 

“We have a small but highly qualified technical team that gives guidance to our contractors and our technology partners. I am pleased with their ability to adopt the mindset required for this, as envisioned by the founders. And it makes me very proud,” Paul concludes.

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