EIT Health France awards 15 start-ups Headstart support for 2019

Meet the exciting new companies receiving €40 000 or more

EIT Health France chose 15 French start-ups as winners of EIT Health Headstart support after an intensive three days of pitching by 31 contestants during 1-3 July 2019. The winning start-ups are developing innovations like improved cancer-drug delivery, better gene therapy, virtual reality first-aid training and vests that allow kinder treatment of animals in preclinical research.

Each of the teams will receive a €40 000 EIT Health Headstart grant, designed to support them in overcoming short-term hurdles and strengthening their business profile, so they can realise the next steps towards the market with their healthcare innovations.

They all will be invited to present their project progress before the end of the year during a local event in France with a new jury board. During that event, five teams will be selected and will receive an additional €10 000 grant to finalise their project.

The 15 winning start-ups were chosen after presenting their ideas at EIT Health France offices before a jury composed of experts from: Acting Santé, Air Liquide Santé International, Angels Santé, Biomérieux, Cen Stimo, Chausson Finance, CNRS Innovation, Ex Materia, Genopole, IMT, Inria, Madopa, Mérieux Equity, Pfizer, Prismamedia, Sorbonne Université, Strammer and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

The Headstart winners chosen by EIT Health France

Biotech category

Etisense SAS: DECRO is the first connected jacket able to perform combined cardiorespiratory monitoring in small mammals, in a non-invasive and unrestrained way. With DECRO, scientists will be able to collect improved data while responding to the more and more strict ethical rules of using animal models in preclinical research.

Imescia: Their vision is to provide cancer patients and hospital staff with a simple-to-use subcutaneous formulation of anticancer drugs, which can be used to replace the traditional intravenous formulation, to simplify patient intake and eventually allow at-home cancer treatment.

Linseg Tech SAS: This is a new type of optical microscope which was developed by Linseg team members (CEA members) and allows the creation of super resolution images (less than 100nm) by assembling focal points of a large number of images (10 000 images) and reconstructing the image through a software treatment. The patent was deposited by CEA and CNRS in 2016.

MedTech category

Ganymed Robotics SAS: Ganymed is developing a revolutionary active therapeutic device to enhance surgical precision in knee replacement surgery. Working in close collaboration with high-volume orthopaedic surgeons, the company is seeking to improve patient outcomes with a compact system offering unparalleled surgeon-friendliness and reduced operating time.

Neuraltide: Neuraltide is currently developing for commercialisation in Europe a low risk medical device to treat acute ischemic stroke. The mode of action is innovative, able to enhance cerebral perfusion and to reduce stroke handicap. The device offers a new therapeutic option for physicians and stroke patients known to have high unmet medical needs.

Service/Care Model category

Prev & Care SAS: Prev & Care is the first personal assistant for family caregivers. Our Care managers bring personalised information, admin and financial support; they find qualified homecare experts; and they set up and coordinate all necessary actions. Caregivers can care for their loved one while preserving their health and life.

DigiHealth Technology/System category

BrainTale SAS: This solution makes it possible to quantify brain damage from an MRI after head trauma, cardiac arrest or stroke with sufficient accuracy to predict the emergence of patients with an unparalleled level of certainty. A prognosis of the chances of long-term recovery of comatose patients can help caregivers and relatives make therapeutic decisions.

PLS Experience (SAS): Provides companies first aid training in virtual reality to empower employees to save lives. By living a one hour immersive experience, while in the safety of a virtual environment, people are better prepared to respond.

Galeon SAS: This system allows for better sharing of obstetrical records. The platform includes a patient portal and the business tool for carers in the hospital and in the city. The platform data is structured in accordance with international standards.

Gleamer (SAS): Gleamer develops a system to read medical images with artificial intelligence-based software, using the latest deep learning technologies. The solution automatically detects subtle abnormalities in medical images and presents them to the radiologist for final validation, thus providing safety, time saving, and reading comfort.

Kee Lab: Kee Lab develops AI-based software that allows for the automation of histological diagnosis, improving a vital step in the detection of cancer and other pathologies. The solutions enable pathologists to fulfill a growing number of diagnoses while maintaining an unwavering level of reliability.

Meditect SAS: Meditect is an authenticity and traceability solution to strengthen the legal distribution of medicines in Africa. It is designed for pharmaceutical companies, pharmacists and patients, and relying on blockchain, a robust and proven technology that guarantees an immutable data safeguarding process.

Neuradom: Neuradom provides patients needing physical rehabilitation with a home tele-rehabilitation service combining the most advanced techniques, the easy usability of digital as well as a personalised medical follow-up.

N-Vibe SAS: Using GPS and vibrating bracelets on the left and right hand, this solution acts as a guide for the visually impaired, helping them to get around by themselves. There are 15 million visually impaired people in Europe. N-Vibe’s mission is to make them explorers.

Whitelab Genomics: WhiteLab Genomics aims to revolutionise the way gene therapies are developed using artificial intelligence. Whitelab Geneomics will serve gene therapy companies by addressing their needs and challenges to develop therapies optimally while significantly reducing cost and time.

About the EIT Health Headstart programme

The EIT Health Headstart programme is designed to help start-ups and SMEs develop their healthcare innovations faster and better. The programme provides early-stage healthcare companies and SME’s with non-dilutive funding to:

• support the next steps towards the market and shorten time-to-market for innovative products and services;
• verify the need of the product or service, and the benefit of the product or service for users, customers, health care
• providers and also for the EIT Health Partners;
• increase the possibility of attracting further private investment.