Our team
The people developing the barrier and working with cities to put it into use.
Environmental engineer, Ph.D.
Specialist in vector-borne diseases and urban health. Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen, specializing in public health, disaster research, and environmental hygiene. With 25+ years of experience, he focuses on water sanitation, hygiene, and disease transmission. Former Director of Copenhagen Center for Disaster Research and a recipient of the Danish Design Award.
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M.Sc. in Business Administration
As COO, Henrik Breinholt runs ZikaSeal's operations: the processes, planning and project delivery that take the barrier from production into municipal catch basins, and the day-to-day collaboration with the cities that use it. He brings over 20 years of experience in leadership, project management and organisational development across international and cross-sector organisations in transport, pharma and finance, as a consultant, executive and entrepreneur. That background in running complex programmes is what he applies to rolling out mosquito control for municipalities.
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M.Sc. in Global Health
Lisa Gawes is a global health specialist and project manager who holds a master's degree in Global Health from the University of Copenhagen. She coordinates between scientific development, business activities, and external stakeholders, with a particular focus on municipalities and partners in the DACH region. With a strong understanding of public health systems and cross-cultural collaboration, Lisa plays a central role in translating ZikaSeal's technical solutions into clear, actionable value for local authorities.
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Cliver Klitholm leads mechanical development, assembly and field testing at ZikaSeal, and is part of the prototype development team. A trained metalworker and senior engineer with more than 40 years in technical design, manufacturing development, and product testing, he is responsible for validating that each barrier design performs under real drainage conditions before deployment in a city. He runs the fitting work and the field trials in our pilot cities.
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Kristian Juul Rasmussen is a quantitative modeller with a bachelor's degree in quantitative biology and disease modelling from the Technical University of Denmark. He leads the development of ZikaSeal's hotspot modelling framework, translating environmental, satellite-based, and entomological data into actionable risk maps for urban mosquito control. With a strong foundation in mathematical modelling and data-driven analysis, Kristian plays a key role in ensuring that ZikaSeal's decision-support tools are scientifically robust and operationally relevant for municipalities.
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Samuel Kjær Mackie is a product developer studying Applied Mathematics at the Technical University of Denmark. He works at the intersection of physical product development and digital tools, supporting ZikaSeal's modelling and visualization pipeline. Samuel is responsible for 3D scanning and prototyping of system components and contributes to the development of the ZikaSeal app, ensuring that complex technical outputs are translated into intuitive, user-friendly interfaces.
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B.Sc. student in Engineering (Cyber Technology), DTU
Stefan Artur Stefirta is a fullstack developer responsible for ZikaSeal's digital platform. He built this website and maintains it, together with the city login portal and the inspection and reporting tool used by municipalities, covering both the user-facing interfaces and the backend services and databases behind them. Stefan focuses on making complex operational data simple to work with for the people maintaining ZikaSeal installations in the field.
LinkedInFrom university research to European cities.
At ZikaSeal, we envision a world where multiple disciplines come together to create healthier, mosquito-free urban environments. As climate change and urbanisation accelerate the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, the need for sustainable, long-term solutions has never been more urgent. ZikaSeal is founded on the principle that public health protection should rely on robust design and scientific insight rather than repeated treatments.
ZikaSeal originated from interdisciplinary research and innovation at the University of Copenhagen, where public health researchers, engineers, and designers worked together to prevent disease transmission through intelligent design.
Its foundations stem from an award-winning humanitarian innovation: a hygienic, child-friendly toilet developed to eliminate flies as vectors of disease transmission. This project received the Danish Design Award for its impact, usability, and engineering excellence.
Building on the same core principles of durability, simplicity and prevention through mechanical design, the team translated this approach to a new and growing challenge: the spread of the invasive Asian tiger mosquito in urban environments.
Through collaboration with Kapacitet and extensive field testing with entomological experts at EID Méditerranée in Montpellier, ZikaSeal evolved into a scalable, pesticide-free solution designed to protect cities, communities, and ecosystems.
We envision a world where cities are free from the threat of mosquito-borne diseases. By leveraging innovative science and sustainable engineering, we aim to create healthier urban environments that protect communities and ecosystems alike. Our vision is a future where the elimination of mosquito-borne diseases is not just a possibility, but a reality.
Our mission is to provide innovative, pesticide-free and sustainable solutions to combat mosquito breeding in urban areas. By developing science-backed technologies, we safeguard public health while preserving the environment. Through collaboration with research institutions, municipalities, and industry leaders, we strive to implement effective mosquito control measures that contribute to a healthier and more sustainable future for all.
Talk to the team about your drains, your maintenance routines and the area you want to protect.
