TarsosLabs

TarsosLabs is a Maltese med-tech company that develops wearable technology for diabetic foot care. M7Alpha created the TarsosLabs brand identity and logo. The company was founded in 2018 by podiatrist Dr Stephen Mizzi and biomedical engineer Prof Owen Falzon, and grew out of research at the University of Malta.

What does TarsosLabs do?

TarsosLabs develops wearable technology that helps monitor and protect the feet of people with diabetes.

Its products include Senstep, an ultra-thin smart insole for temperature monitoring. The company brings together clinical knowledge from podiatry and technical expertise from biomedical engineering, which is reflected in its two founders.

What did the TarsosLabs brand need to do?

The brand needed to make a young technology company look as credible as the research behind it.

Medical technology is judged on trust. Clinicians need confidence in the science, partners and investors need confidence in the company, and patients need to feel the product is safe and designed with them in mind. A brand that looks like a consumer gadget would undersell the research; one that looks purely academic would feel distant to patients. The identity had to sit between the two.

Who does a med-tech brand have to speak to?

A med-tech brand has to work for several audiences at once, each with different concerns.

• Clinicians and podiatrists: who look for evidence, precision and professionalism.
• Research and industry partners: who want a serious, well-run organisation to work with.
• Investors: who judge whether the company can grow beyond the lab.
• Patients and carers: who need reassurance and clarity rather than technical language.

A clean, consistent identity helps all of them recognise the company and take it seriously, whether they meet it in a presentation, on a website or at a conference.

Why does branding matter for a research-led start-up?

Because good research does not explain itself, and a professional brand helps the work get the attention it deserves.

University spin-outs often start with strong science and very little visual identity. As they move towards products, partnerships and funding, they meet audiences who will judge them in seconds. A clear name and mark, used consistently, give the company a recognisable face and make it easier to present the work with confidence. Our article on branding vs logo explains why the identity is more than the logo alone.

What can other technology and health start-ups learn?

Build the brand around trust, not trends. In health technology, a calm, precise and consistent identity does more than a fashionable one, because the people who matter most are deciding whether to rely on you.

How M7Alpha helps technology and healthcare brands

M7Alpha has created brands for businesses in Malta since 2004, with all design work done in-house. If you are turning research or an idea into a company, see our brand building and consultancy service or tell us about your project.

Frequently asked questions

Who created the TarsosLabs brand?

M7Alpha Creative Studios, a web design, development and branding agency in Żurrieq, Malta, created the brand identity and logo for TarsosLabs, a Maltese med-tech company.

What is TarsosLabs?

TarsosLabs is a Maltese med-tech company founded in 2018 by podiatrist Dr Stephen Mizzi and biomedical engineer Prof Owen Falzon. It grew out of University of Malta research and develops wearable technology for diabetic foot care, including the Senstep smart insole.

What is Senstep?

Senstep is an ultra-thin smart insole developed by TarsosLabs for temperature monitoring, as part of its wearable technology for diabetic foot care.

When should a research spin-out invest in branding?

Ideally as it starts presenting to partners, investors or customers. That is when people begin judging the company quickly, and a professional, consistent identity helps the research be taken seriously.