EIT Health selects UK-Ireland healthcare start-ups for the 2018 European Health Catapult

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

EIT Health has chosen the six best healthcare start-ups in the UK and Ireland that will proceed to the Semi-Finals of the 2018 European Health Catapult for the categories of Biotech, MedTech and Digital Health. The European Health Catapult Competition (EHC) is a training and competition platform that awards the best-of-the-best business concepts from medtech, biotech and digital health across Europe.

EHC sources and accelerates 21 European start-ups in biotech, medtech and digital health that get high-quality training in business plan modelling, deal negotiation and pitch training, as well as a facilitated access to top level investors.

The official list of UK-Ireland-based healthcare companies selected to participate at the Semi-Finals of the 2018 European Health Catapult include:

Biotech Category:

• Digital Test Tube Limited – developed the world’s first integrated Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) software solution that will change the status quo of the DNA testing markets.
• LIfT BioSciences Ltd – launched N-LifT (Neutrophil only Leukocyte Infusion Therapy), a therapeutic platform designed to bring LIfT (Leukocyte Infusion Therapy) to market in order to safely and consistently destroy solid tumours that other therapies cannot.
• Cambridge Oncometrix Ltd – created a non-invasive prostate-liquid biopsy test that can help men suspected of prostate cancer.

Digital Health Category:

• Kinesis Health Technologies – introduced an innovative “Screen, Assess and Intervene solution” that engages and empowers senior citizens in order to reduce falls to live longer, healthier and independent lives.
• iBreve Ltd – designed a wearable that improves women’s stress resilience in a simple, instant and natural way by analysing their breathing patterns in real-time through a machine-learning algorithm.

MedTech Category:

• Latch Medical – developed CathLatch, a revolutionary engineered catheter securement device that reduces the risk of blood stream infections.

Centralised training and selection days (“The Semi-Finals”) will be held before 15 October 2018 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

At each Semi-Final, 14 international start-ups will participate. The format will be as follows:

During a two-day training and selection event, participating start-ups will be teamed up with mentors (i.e. experienced entrepreneurs, investors, experts in the field) to strengthen the company’s value proposition. Mentors will review and potentially optimise the companies’ business plan and provide intensive pitch training in order to improve the start-ups’ ability to perform a funding roadshow in front of top-level seed or A series Investors.

At a one-day expo (immediately following the training and selection days), all participants will pitch in front of a jury and audience of market experts and investors. The top seven companies per category (21 in total) will be selected and invited to pitch in Lodz at the EIT Health Summit 2018 on 4-5 December 2018. Here a jury of experts will announce the winning start-ups in the Medtech, Biotech and Digital Health categories.

The EIT Health Summit is the annual gathering of the EIT Health consortium. There will be extensive opportunities to network with leading representatives of industry partners, healthcare providers, payers and investors (business angels, corporate VCs and crowd funders).

For further enquiries contact:

Laura Vicinanza, laura.vicinanza@eithealth.eu