EIT Health-backed innovation for children with type 1 diabetes triumphs in prestigious European awards

Marc Julien of Diabeloop wins EIT Award recognising the most promising entrepreneurs and innovators in Europe

Innovation in children’s healthcare is having a moment in the spotlight, following an award win for a pioneering technology based on artificial intelligence that will improve the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and their families.

There are physical, emotional and economic burdens associated with stroke which all require significant care, consideration and rehabilitation. Receiving rehabilitation has been shown to improve functional outcomes, decrease mortality and reduce the length of hospital stays. However, stroke survivors often require long-term rehabilitation, which isn’t always easily accessible.

Marc Julien of Diabeloop, makers of the EIT Health-supported innovation D4Kids, won the EIT Innovators Award, which recognises teams from EIT Innovation Communities that develop high-impact products and services for a sustainable future. EIT Health-supported innovations were finalists in four of the five EIT Award categories announced at EIT’s 15 October 2019 INNOVEIT event.

Diabeloop is a medtech company whose mission is to make technological innovations available to all families living with type 1 diabetes.

Diabeloop’s is a solution that integrates a glucose sensor, a terminal with our artificial intelligence and an insulin pump. The glucose sensor sends the glucose level to the terminal. The integrated algorithm then calculates the insulin amount needed by the patient and sends the order to the pump that automatically delivers the insulin to the patient.

The aim is to help children with diabetes live life to the fullest while making it easier for their families and carers to manage the condition.

Judged by a panel of 12 independent experts who have decades of experience in business, innovation and education, the awards are a major platform for the EIT Health’s nominees and award winners to showcase and celebrate the work they are doing and the impact it will have on the health of European citizens.

Marc Julien co-CEO of Diabeloop SA comments, “The EIT Community and especially EIT Health has helped Diabeloop since an early stage to foster important relationships across European borders and facilitated with the innovation and development in a major way.  Being recognised with the EIT Innovators Award is a huge milestone for us and will hopefully help us improve type 1 diabetes management for many more children and their family.”

This is the third year in a row that the EIT Innovators Awards is won by an EIT Health supported innovation.

EIT Health CEO Jan-Philipp Beck said: “Seeing one of our most promising innovators, Marc Julien of Diabeloop, receiving this award is a fantastic achievement and one that EIT Health is incredibly proud of. Our mission is to create healthier lives in Europe by developing new solutions to pressing health challenges and we work with the brightest minds from across Europe and believe passionately in their work. Having that validated by the recognised European EIT Awards and an accomplished judging panel helps to remind us that the people working with us in the EIT Health community such as Marc Julien, are making a significant impact.”

Marc Julien (EIT Health France) will receive €50 000 EUR as a prize.

Vigo supplies the user with important information about life after stroke, recognises emotional impact, providing advice and support and equips them with the skills they may need to tackle the many challenges they face in the wake of a stroke. The software offers the most effective psychotherapy tools generally unavailable long term to the majority of stroke survivors, including those based on counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy.

Other EIT Award Finalists from EIT Health:

Kristaps Krafte, CEO and Founder of Vigo (EIT Health Scandinavia) is awarded second place in the EIT Change Award, winning €10 000. The EIT Change Award recognises graduates of EIT education programmes who spur innovation and entrepreneurship, inspiring change for a sustainable future.

Kristaps Krafte created Vigo after completing an EIT Health ‘Innovation in Healthcare’ Masters programme.

Max Sieghold, Co-founder of Sleepiz (EIT Health Germany), is awarded second place in the EIT Venture Award, winning €20 000. The EIT Venture Award recognises successful start-ups and scale-ups that have been supported by the EIT’s Innovation Communities through dedicated business creation and acceleration programmes.

Sleepiz is a device that measures vital signs without touching the patient – enabling non-contact, wireless home diagnosis of sleeping disorders.

Diagnosis of sleep disorders currently involves a patient sleeping overnight in a hospital, attached to over 30 cables and being monitored all night by a technician. As well as being costly and time-consuming for medical professionals, it requires patients to sleep in an unfamiliar place, rather than their own bed, where their sleep is more natural.

Sleepiz is a solution that improves both patient comfort and efficiency measuring sleep with clinical grade accuracy and ensuring valuable information for physicians.

Maria Sievert, CEO and Co-Founder of inveox (EIT Health Germany) is awarded third place in the EIT Woman Award, winning €5 000. The EIT Woman Award recognises the outstanding achievements of women entrepreneurs and leaders from EIT Innovation Communities.

By using big data and artificial intelligence, inveox’s vision is to improve cancer diagnosis, by helping to make it faster and more reliable.

It hopes to solve the single biggest problem and safety risk in histopathology by introducing an automation system for sample entry. The solution seeks to help prevent irregularities that can currently happen in diagnoses due to mix-ups, contaminations or loss of samples.

To date, inveox has developed systems including an intelligent sample container for biopsies, a machine for automated sample entry and a platform for communication between the clinician and the pathology lab.