EIT Health France selects six start-ups for the 2018 European Health Catapult Semifinals

Selected start-ups will have a chance to influence the future of the healthcare field

Six French Biotech, MedTech and Digital Health companies will participate in the 2018 EHC semi-finals.

During the past months, we have selected and organised hearings in the frameworks of The European Health Catapult (EHC). Now EIT Health France is pleased to announce that we have nominated six start-ups for the semi-finals of the EHC in three categories: BioTech, MedTech and Digital Health.

The applicants chosen by EIT Health France were evaluated by high-level experts. The applications were first evaluated remotely, and the highest ranked applications were chosen to further compete in a pitch competition. Read more about the event here.

We wish the best of luck to all six nominated companies in the next steps of the EHC.

The list of the nominated French companies and their projects by category are:

BioTech category:

• Smart Immune – is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing cell and gene therapies to treat T-cell immunodeficiencies such as SCID (“bubble boy”) or patients with chemotherapy. Smart Immune will change the prognosis of patients, allowing bone marrow transplantation to a larger number of patients without adverse reactions.

MedTech Category:

• Aenitis – develop innovative patented medical devices for continuous, contactless and pressurless sorting of cells in suspensions, using Acoustic Radiation Forces. With large added values, Aenitis answer in cell therapy units and blood banks’ challenges on cell sorting, on cell washing and on cell isolation for blood, tissues and stem cells processing.
• Neurallys – is developing a connected medical device to improve the patient’s comfort of live and to bring the neurosurgeons, a new tool for better patient follow-up and more accurate shunt failure diagnosis.
• VitaDX – is developing an innovative medical device for early bladder cancer diagnosis. They combine fluorescence imaging and image processing using machine learning algorithms to detect cancerous cells in a urine sample

Digital Health Category:

• FeetMe Monitor – is a connected insole and an associated mobile software that collects and analyses gait spatio-temporal parameters and variability in real life thanks to embedded smart algorithms and wireless connection.
• Wefight – has an ambition to never leave a patient alone. The team made by doctors, pharmacists and engineers developed Vik. Vik is a virtual companion that addresses any concerns of patients with chronic disease.

The nominees will receive training in business plan modelling, pitch training and more during the next phase of the competition that will take place apart for each of the three categories:

• Biotech – Leuven, 24 – 26 September 2018
• Medtech – Grenoble, 1 – 3 October 2018
• Digital Health – Erlangen, 8 – 10 October 2018

Participating in the competition gives start-ups the chance to mature their business plan, negotiation, and pitching skills as well as collaborate and learn from experts, in order to gain access to a large network of experts and investors, and gain money benefits.

Selected start-ups have a chance to influence the future of the healthcare field and have a high business potential. The winner will be announced at the Summit 2018, in Lodz.

Visit the following links to learn more about the programme:

• EIT Health’s European Health Catapult programme
• The European Health Catapult programme official website

For further enquiries contact:

Albane Pariset, albane.pariset@eithealth.eu