The Italian startup Thimus lands in Valencia with an innovative technology that analyzes the emotions produced by food
The Italian startup Thimus, a pioneer in the use of cultural neuroscience applied to food, has settled in La Harinera, the innovation center of the City of Valencia, with the support and advice of Invest in Valencia, the investment office of the City Council and the Chamber of Commerce of Valencia.
The founder and CEO of Thimus, Mario Ubiali, presented his project and gave a live demonstration of his technology, which allows obtaining and analyzing brain data in real time to transform it into knowledge about the behavior and preferences of consumers. The company defines itself as a unique tool that helps the world to better understand the human experience with food through neuroscience.
This innovative technology makes it possible to scientifically understand how humans perceive the texture, fragrance and taste of food, and to use this data to better understand the complex relationship between the brain, culture and behavior in the gastronomic field.
The presentation ceremony was attended by the Councilor for Tourism, Innovation and Investment Attraction of the City of Valencia, Paula Llobet, who explained that “this is the type of company we want to attract to Valencia, with talent and innovative technology that will help us solve the challenges we have as a city. The data obtained with this technology will allow companies in the agri-food sector, a very important sector for our territory, to make more efficient and effective decisions and improve the consumer’s gastronomic experience”.
For his part, the CEO of Thimus, Mario Ubiali, said that “the opening of our House Of Humans in Valencia is incredibly exciting and represents the culmination of a long journey. For the past 5 years Thimus has explored the powerful ecosystem of Valencia and learned how the special energy around food innovation seems to be concentrated in this magical city. Having a point of presence here is just the beginning of successful growth in Spain and we look forward to continuing to join forces with like-minded innovators.”
Innovation and Technology in Valencia
At Thimus’ House of Humans in Valencia, food companies will be able to access advanced technology that provides a scientific understanding of how humans perceive the texture, fragrance and taste of food, as well as the impact of cultural influences on the sensory experience. This combination of neuroscience and data analysis provides a comprehensive framework for improving product creation, consumer research and food product reformulation.
The House of Humans in Valencia will be part of a wider network, which includes presence in Milan, Wageningen (The Netherlands), and Budapest (Hungary).
Thimus has been a prominent participant in ftalks, the international meeting on the future of food created by KM ZERO, since its first edition in Valencia. Invest in Valencia met Thimus in one of its investment attraction actions – during a side event organized in the framework of ftalks 2023. This relationship has been key in attracting Thimus to our city and establishing a solid foundation for its expansion. The startup continues to actively collaborate with KM ZERO and explore further synergies to continue to jointly bring value to the food industry.
“The arrival of Thimus in Valencia reinforces our position as a hub for technological innovation. This collaboration is a clear example of how Valencia is becoming a magnet for disruptive companies,” say Invest in Valencia officials.
At the beginning of 2024, Thimus closed a deal with Línea Verde, an Italian food company based in Valencia, reinforcing its decision to create a hub in the city. The startup has ambitious plans to actively integrate itself into Valencia’s innovative ecosystem. It has already prepared new actions with AINIA to explore new opportunities for collaboration and expansion. And it has received support from the Valencia Innovation Capital team to promote its development at La Harinera.
About Thimus
Thimus defines itself as a unique global player that helps the world better understand the human experience with food through neuroscience. With a qualitative and quantitative approach, the company offers support to other companies in the creation, research, quality review and reformulation of food products, using technology that acquires replicable and statistical data to support strategic decisions.
About Invest in Valencia
Invest in Valencia is the investment attraction office of the city of Valencia, the result of a collaboration agreement between the Valencia Chamber of Commerce and the Valencia City Council.
