Breast cancer remains the second leading cause of death among women worldwide. Julian Rios Cantu, an 18-year-old Mexican innovator, turned personal tragedy into a groundbreaking solution.
Inspired by his mother's fight against two breast cancers that led to a double mastectomy, Cantu developed "Eva," a smart bra from his company Higia Technologies. "Initially, the tumor was the size of a grain of rice. In less than six months, it had grown to the size of a golf ball. The disease was diagnosed too late, costing my mother both breasts and nearly her life," he shared with Higia Tech.
While preventive mastectomies are increasingly chosen—spurred by the Angelina Jolie effect—late diagnoses still claim too many lives. This reality drove Cantu and his three Higia Technologies colleagues to create Eva.
Resembling a comfortable sports bra, Eva features 200 sensors that monitor breast skin temperature, texture, weight, and color. Users wear it for just 1 to 1.5 hours weekly, making early detection accessible and non-intrusive.
Data transmits via Bluetooth to an app, delivering results to the user and their doctor for timely action. Importantly, Eva complements—not replaces—professional exams like palpations and mammograms. In France alone, breast cancer causes nearly 12,000 deaths annually.
Cantu's innovation earned first prize at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, including a $20,000 reward. He now aims to patent and commercialize Eva, advancing the fight against breast cancer.
