EIT Health Catapult celebrates a decade of supporting European healthcare start-ups as seven finalists prepare to take the stage at the EIT Health Summit in Madrid.

10 editions of accelerating health innovation. Meet the next generation.

For the last ten years, the EIT Health Catapult has been helping promising European Life Sciences and Healthtech start-ups turn innovative ideas into opportunities for growth, investment, and collaboration. Since its launch, the programme has supported more than 300 start-ups, connecting entrepreneurs with investors, industry leaders and healthcare experts across Europe.

Now, as Catapult celebrates its 10th edition, seven emerging companies are preparing to take the next step in their entrepreneurial journey. Selected by european investors, following a competitive evaluation process, these finalists represent a new generation of innovators developing solutions to address some of Europe’s most pressing healthcare challenges.

A decade of innovation, collaboration, and growth

Over the past ten editions, EIT Health Catapult has evolved into a European platform connecting ambitious healthcare entrepreneurs with the expertise, networks and opportunities needed to accelerate their development. Beyond the competition, the programme provides start-ups with opportunities to refine their business strategies, strengthen their investment readiness, gain international visibility, and establish valuable connections with potential partners.

The achievements of previous participants reflect the high calibre of startups selected for the programme and their continued growth beyond it, with some going on to become outstanding success stories. A recent example is living brain (Catapult Edition 5 alumni) which has recently announced its aquisition by XRHealth, a leading platform in therapeutic technologies. .

Meet the next generation: the Finalists of Edition 10 announced in Leiden

Since the kick-off of the edition in June 2026 and after months of training, the 28 startups participated in category-specific pitch selection sessions before a jury panel of investors, which selected the companies that will advance to the final stages of the competition. These top seven start-ups were announced in Leiden on November 5 at the Catapult Get-Together event hosted by the Catapult sponsor TNO, with the support of the Leiden Bioscience Park and the Innovation. The event brought together relevant Dutch industry players, investors, and the 28 semifinalists. Among the speakers, Ijsbrand De Lange (CEO of STIL and Catapult alumni of the 5th Edition) shared an update on the company’s progress and reflected on the value of its participation. Since joining the programme in 2020, STIL has reached significant milestones, including successfully securing €4.6M from the EIC Accelerator and expanding its operations to Germany, Belgium, and Italy. His presentation highlighted the company’s remarkable journey and the continued value of the support and connections gained through EIT Health.

The event culminated with the announcement of the finalists of the 10th edition:

Life Sciences

FcR Therapeutics (Netherlands) develops new medicines to calm harmful immune reactions in auto-immune diseases, where the body attacks itself.

NurExone Biologic (Canada/Israel) develops innovative exosome-based therapies to repair and regenerate nerve cells, offering hope for patients with central nervous system injuries and disorders.

Panosome (Germany) develops antibodies against cancer markers existing therapies cannot reach, creating new treatment opportunities for patients with hard-to-treat cancers such as pancreatic and ovarian cancer.

HealthTech

Aiomics (Germany) turns the unstructured documents a hospital drowns in into a verified patient record, then runs operational and compliance workflows from it, giving clinicians back the time lost to paperwork.

Heecap (Spain) is a smart, non-invasive device that keeps breathing muscles active for ICU patients on ventilators, preventing muscle atrophy and helping them recover faster.

Rebrain (France) Precision neurosurgery meta-model for Parkinson’s & tremor. Safer, faster, accessible, so every patient can live freely.

Strive Health (United Kingdom) Treating the sickest patients involves many high-stakes decisions. STRIVE’s AI learns from millions of past cases to guide doctors in real time, adapting treatment as patient physiology evolves.

After the announcement, Arantxa Encinas López, EIT Health Catapult Leader (BioRN), highlighted the value of collaboration and peer-to-peer connections: „Reaching the 10th edition of the programme is a significant milestone. While the final pitch and the opportunity to win the competition are undoubtedly important highlights, the programme’s value extends far beyond the final event. After months of mentoring online, seeing the entire cohort finally connect in person and exchange experiences, business contacts and potential investor introductions is particularly rewarding. It highlights the importance of meaningful connections and the willingness of startups to support and learn from one another.”

Together, the seven finalists reflect the diversity and dynamism of Europe’s healthcare innovation ecosystem. Each company brings a different approach to addressing unmet medical needs and improving healthcare delivery.

The next milestone: EIT Health Catapult Finals in Madrid

The Finals will offer a platform to showcase their solutions, connect with potential investors and industry partners, and compete for the Catapult prize of €30,000 in each category. For the past six years, EIT Health Catapult has collaborated with several leading healthcare players in Europe to further support the most promising start-ups. For this edition, AstraZeneca will award their selected winners with prizes consisting of connexions with their Global A.Catalyst Network Innovation Hubs and R&D sites, visit to the AstraZeneca Global Hub in Barcelona to connect with R&D and Tech teams, free Pass invitation to BMWC 2027 to attend and experience the event alongside AstraZeneca teams and ecosystem players and Go-to-market mentorship with the AstraZeneca Innovation Leadership team.

Nasdaq will also recognise the winner of the “Alex Casta Award”, selected by the audience. The winning start-up will receive a unique opportunity to gain international visibility, with its logo and a congratulatory message displayed on the iconic Nasdaq Tower in New York’s Times Square, reaching millions of people worldwide.

The EIT Health Catapult final Pitches and Award Ceremony will take place during the EIT Health Summit in Madrid on November 24 at 11:15 CET and 17:15 CET respectively.

Learn more and get your conference ticket now to watch the Catapult finals live!