23-10-2025
News
What if the fight against dementia began not in a doctor’s office, but inside a headset? Virtuleap, with support from the VR Health Champions project, is proving that immersive technology can do more than entertain – it can transform cognitive healthcare. In this exclusive feature, we speak with Amir Bozorgzadeh, co-founder and CEO of Virtuleap, one of the flagship SMEs participating in the VR Health Champions project.
Amir Bozorgzadeh
Co-founder and CEO of Virtuleap
Founders’ Spark: Where Science Meets Immersion
When Amir Bozorgzadeh and Hossein Jalali first crossed paths in Dubai, their shared fascination with the intersection of neuroscience and immersive technology sparked something extraordinary. “I realised that combining my background in immersive media with Hossein’s deep-tech expertise could lead to something meaningful – if we tackled the right challenge,” recalls Bozorgzadeh, co-founder and CEO of Virtuleap.
That challenge became Enhance VR, a gamified suite of brain training exercises focused on specific cognitive abilities such as attention, memory, and processing speed. This was followed by Cogniclear VR – a 30-minute immersive assessment tool that places the user in a virtual world of clinically inspired cognitive tests, designed to detect the earliest signs of decline. Together, they form a complementary and comprehensive approach to cognitive health: one to train, the other to assess — both built on innovation, science, and the power of virtual reality. “Traditional tools miss too much. VR gives us not only cognitive insights, but also behavioural and motor data that simply aren’t visible on paper,” says Bozorgzadeh.
The Power of Partnership: Enter VR Health Champions
Joining the VR Health Champions project became a catalyst for scaling Cogniclear from an idea to a validated clinical solution. With guidance from expert partners, Virtuleap is currently preparing a clinical trial with ULS Coimbra in Portugal to test the tool with patients experiencing early-stage Alzheimer’s and CADASIL – a rare genetic condition. At the same time, regulatory support from IPN is helping the company navigate the complex pathway towards medical device certification. “The VR Health Champions project has been instrumental in transforming Cogniclear from a promising prototype into a clinically credible, market-ready solution,” says Bozorgzadeh. “It’s not just about guidance – it’s about having the right kind of multidisciplinary collaboration at the right time.”
Global Momentum: Expanding Beyond Borders
Participation in the project has also significantly boosted Virtuleap’s international visibility. Cogniclear VR is currently being presented to healthcare professionals at the Medical University of Lodz — a key step in establishing clinical credibility in Poland. To ensure broad applicability, the solution is being localised into Polish and Italian through collaboration with Fondazione Bruno Kessler and Lodz University of Technology. Simultaneously, Virtuleap is working with strategic partners like Medtronic and Syreon to tailor market entry strategies for specific healthcare systems across Europe and beyond. “This is about understanding both medical needs and cultural nuance,” says Bozorgzadeh. “We’re building a solution that’s scalable, but also local.”
From Clinics to Living Rooms: A Tool that Works
Virtuleap’s commitment to real-world impact started early. As part of Roche’s Building Tomorrow Together- Innovation in Dementia programme , 30 older adults in Portugal tested Cogniclear VR during its development phase. Their feedback led to vital improvements in usability and interface – particularly important for a senior audience that may be less digitally fluent. The tool is now being benchmarked against the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in controlled studies, with early results suggesting strong validity. And it’s not stopping there. In Brazil, Cogniclear is being tested to assess cognitive impairment in people living with HIV. “Dementia is not the only concern. Cognitive health spans across conditions – and we see Cogniclear as a platform that can help clinicians personalise care more intelligently,” explains Bozorgzadeh.
Lessons in Listening
For Virtuleap, the biggest lesson wasn’t about technology. It was about listening. “Testing with real users broke some of our assumptions. But instead of seeing that as a failure, we used it to sharpen the product,” says Bozorgzadeh. By staying flexible and user-focused, the team refined Cogniclear to be both clinically rigorous and intuitive to use, especially for older adults. This agile, feedback-driven approach now guides the team in all areas of development – from diagnostics to cognitive training.
Meet the Minds Behind Virtuleap
The success of Virtuleap is rooted in a highly diverse, expert team. Bozorgzadeh brings a background in gaming and emerging tech, while co-founder Hossein Jalali, the company’s CTO, offers deep experience in AI-driven innovation and digital ventures. Their broader team includes specialists in neuroscience, data science, XR development, game design, and clinical strategy — all united by a common mission: to use virtual reality to meaningfully improve the lives of those affected by cognitive challenges. “What drives us is curiosity and compassion,” says Bozorgzadeh. “We believe in pushing beyond the boundaries of traditional care.”
What’s Next?
Following a successful €3 million seed round, Virtuleap is now preparing for Series A fundraising, while also applying for Horizon Europe and EIC grants to fuel further growth. Their immediate focus is securing CE certification and preparing for market launch across Europe. And in parallel, the team continues to expand Enhance VR, testing it as potential digital therapeutics in different population living with cognitive impairment but also using gameplay data to uncover new digital biomarkers for improved diagnosis and monitoring. From a Dubai conversation to a European test bed, Virtuleap’s story is a powerful example of what happens when science, empathy, and immersive technology meet. Cogniclear VR isn’t just a product – it’s a step towards a future where dementia doesn’t sneak up silently, but is met head-on with innovation and care.
