EIT Health selects start-ups for Headstart 2020

89 start-ups will receive mentoring and financial support to accelerate the development of promising health solutions

Eighty-nine start-ups from across Europe have been selected to take part in the annual EIT Health Headstart programme. The selected start-ups will have access to mentoring and business support, and financial support of up to €50,000, and will make valuable contacts within the health innovation ecosystem via EIT Health’s vast network.

The EIT Health Headstart programme provides emerging companies with mentorship and funding opportunities to accelerate the development and time-to-market of innovative products and services to improve the lives of European patients and citizens. Mentored by EIT Health’s regional teams of Business Creation Managers, the programme offers support to the companies as they navigate the steps required to bring their solution to market including, crucially, verification of the clinical, patient or system need for the product or service. They are also supported with skills development and contacts so that they can go on to attract further financial support from private investors.

Addressing a number of significant health challenges facing European’s today, the start-ups will develop products and services in areas such as cancer, geriatrics, ophthalmology, wound care, women’s health, genetic and neurological conditions, cardiology and digital tools to assist healthcare services in the management of patients as well as research and development. New for this year, EIT Health expanded the scope of Headstart to assist in the immediate need for solutions to combat COVID-19, and has selected 21 start-ups that will develop products and services that will help Europe to contain, treat and manage the disease.

“We are thrilled to support the start-ups selected this year through the Headstart programme. Each one presented an incredibly strong proposition for the development of solutions to improve the lives of European patients and citizens in areas of high unmet need. I am also proud to see the speed at which our applicants were able to respond to our call for COVID-19 solutions – it is truly a demonstration of the agility and astuteness that lies within the start-up community we have here in Europe.” said Dr. Kurt Höller, Director of Business Creation at EIT Health.

A complete list of the selected start-ups is available here, published on 2 June by EIT Health.