3 Austrian Start-ups Semi-Finalists at EIT Health Catapult Competition

3 Austrian Start-ups are amongst the 30 semi-finalists of this years’ EIT Health Catapult pitch competition. Each year, the programme showcases Europe’s most promising life science and healthtech start-ups to leading experts and investors.

The Catapult programme has supported over 330 companies in the eight editions so far, with many closing multi-million investment rounds of euros after participating. Participants often highlight that the EIT Health Catapult flagship programme, where European partners and industry leaders assess all critical aspects of businesses, has been invaluable to start-ups.

In recognition of their outstanding potential, twenty Catapult alumni, to date, have also received prestigious European Innovation Council funding. Dive into the stories of our inspiring alumni from 2021 and 2022.

Meet the 3 Austrian semi-finalists

Cellectric Biosciences (Life sciences category) has discovered a new way for biologists to work with cells. Using electric fields, standard laboratory processes can be fully automated, with increased precision and without the use of chemicals. They also won the EIT Health Austria Catapult Audience Award 2024 (read more).

BrightComSol (Healthtech category) is developing a new dosimetry system for a new radiotherapy treatment that reduces therapy duration from 15 sessions to one. To be clinically approved, a reliable dosimetry system is required, and they are building this system.

Brightmind.AI (Healthtech category) is developing a headset enabling personalised, at-home brain stimulation through electromagnetic pulses and AI. The first use case is migraines, where they can reduce attacks by over 50% in up to 90% of patients

How the semi-finalists of the 9^th edition of Catapult were selected

Each of the start-ups selected to progress to the semi-finals in the 2024-25 competition have passed a comprehensive pre-selection process in their region and category. In Austria, a local final was organised in collaboration with Austrian Startups on September 24, 2024 (see here). They will now receive high-quality mentorship and training from experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and experts, which will be tailored to each start-up’s individual needs for them to strengthen and optimise their business plans and pitches.

EIT Health Austria Catapult Audience Award Winner 2024: Cellectric Biosciences (in the middle)

What will happen at the semi-finals

During the semi-finals, start-ups from both categories – ten from life sciences and twenty from healthtech – will present their solutions to a public audience of healthcare professionals, industry experts, investors and more.

Get ready for the big reveal!

The top nine start-ups will be announced in April 2025 at a networking event in Cambridge (UK) bringing together Industry players, investors and the thirty start-ups. Among the nine finalists, three start-ups from life sciences and six start-ups from healthtech will earn the chance to pitch their cutting-edge innovation at the finals of a major European healthcare event later that year.

They will go head-to-head for their share of the €30,000 cash prize, as well as for the Catapult industry in-kind prizes worth over €800,000 awarded by leading industry players like Amazon Web Services (AWS), e.g., technology, Lusíadas Saúde and AstraZeneca. They will also compete for the “EIT Health Catapult Audience Alex Casta Award” and the chance for their logo to be displayed on the New York Nasdaq Tower.

Learn more about EIT Health Catapult, a programme that fast-tracks Europe’s best health start-ups.