In 2007 QTIS/e was founded as a spin-off company from the department Soft Tissue Biomechanics and Engineering of the Eindhoven University of Technology. QTIS/e focuses on development and commercialization of tissue engineered heart valves and blood vessels. To this end, QTIS/e has adopted a technology-driven approach to bridge the gap between fundamental research and clinical practice. While QTIS/e focuses on bioreactor protocols and quality control, intensive collaboration is established with strong clinical partners for delivering clinical proof-of-concept.

Annually, 6000 children are born in Europe with congenital heart valve diseases, needing a heart valve replacement. Currently used treatments for end-stage valvular disease include the replacement of the native heart valve by mechanical or biological valves. The main drawback of these valves is that they do not consist of living material and consequently are not able to grow, repair, and remodel which is especially important for pediatric patients. This lack of self-regeneration results in several costly re-operations to replace the valve with a larger prosthesis, thus increasing mortality risks. Tissue engineering represents a promising alternative to create self-growing organ or tissue replacements.