Leading Start-ups from Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe Showcased Their Healthcare Innovations

Start-ups from 19 countries, spanning from Ukraine to Turkey and Spain to Estonia, showcased their groundbreaking healthcare solutions at the EIT Health InnoStars Grand Final in Budapest. The competition celebrated the diversity and ingenuity of Europe’s healthcare innovation ecosystem, with nearly 50 start-ups presenting transformative ideas aimed at improving patient care and addressing global health challenges, including AI-powered mass screenings for chronic diseases and portable devices to combat counterfeit medicines.

To enable Europeans to live longer and healthier lives, EIT Health—part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union—provides multiple business creation programmes to support start-ups in the biotech, digital health, med tech & therapeutics fields in Europe. Since its inception, the organisation catalysed over 2,950+ start-ups and scale-ups, helping supported start-ups attract €2.1+ billion in investment, propelling 110+ healthcare solutions to the market, and training 65,000+ students and professionals.

The InnoStars Awards is a flagship of these efforts, having accelerated nearly 400 start-ups in Southern, Central and Eastern Europe during the past decade. This year’s programme culminated with the Grand Final in Budapest, where 39 start-ups pitched their ideas to a professional jury of industry leaders, investors, and experts. The finalists represented a record 18 countries—from Spain to Bulgaria and Turkey to the Baltics—opening the door for fostering truly cross-continent collaborations.

Winning solutions from Czechia and Ukraine

This year’s edition features two tracks for companies in distinct phases of their start-up journey: while the Validation Track focused on refining MVPs and prototypes, the Investment Track was aimed at start-ups already on the market, and ready for Seed or Series A funding—unlocking access to more extensive capital and scaling opportunities.

In the Validation Track, Lightly Technologies from Czechia earned first place for its innovative portable device designed to combat counterfeit medicines, providing law enforcement with real-time analysis capabilities to fight pharmaceutical fraud. In the Investment Track, Ukraine’s CheckEye secured the top spot with its AI-powered platform, which aims to revolutionise preventive healthcare by offering mass screenings for over 40 chronic diseases. Both winners received €25,000, along with mentorship and networking opportunities to propel their solutions to market.

“The incredible ingenuity from innovators across Europe demonstrates the power of collaboration and diversity in tackling healthcare challenges,” said Tamás Békási, RIS Business Creation Lead at EIT Health InnoStars. “By leveraging our extensive network, we’re empowering these start-ups to deliver impactful solutions that enhance patient care and strengthen Europe’s global leadership in healthcare innovation. We are especially proud to have welcomed start-ups from more countries than ever, including Ukraine, broadening the programme’s scope across the continent.”

Making connections in Budapest

Budapest also hosted the final of InnoStars Connect, a new programme launched by EIT Health in partnership with two of Europe’s prominent pharmaceutical companies, Chiesi Pharmaceuticals and SYNLAB Italy. InnoStars Connect aims to drive the development of life-changing healthcare solutions in the open innovation format, connecting start-ups with corporations to solve real-life challenges.

Out of 110 initial applications, through a rigorous screening process, 10 start-ups were selected to access Europe’s largest health innovation network, secured smart funding, and receive expert guidance. In the end, Türkiye’s PONS claimed first place with its AI-driven mobile ultrasound system, which empowers users without formal training to collect precise data on disease progression. The winner was awarded funding and access to top industry leaders, paving the way for further development.

“This year’s finalists embody the innovation InnoStars Connect programme aims to support,” said Sarah Haddadin, RIS Innovation Lead at EIT Health InnoStars. “By offering mentorship, structured bootcamps, and access to Europe’s leading pharmaceutical companies, we enabled the start-ups to refine their projects addressing real-world challenges. The Grand Final in Budapest has showcased the power of collaboration, and I’m confident the solutions developed here will significantly impact the future of healthcare.”

The Full List of Winners

InnoStars Awards – Validation Track

1. Lightly Technology, Czechia

The company develops a portable device called Catcher to help police units identify counterfeit medicines and track them back to the manufacturer by delivering sample results right on the spot.

2. Tesai Care – Heecap, Spain

The Heecap solution activates the respiratory muscles by providing non-invasive electrical stimulation in synchronisation with patients’ breathing. It consists of a stimulation device with integrated software that tells when and how to provide the stimulation and a multifield electrode.

3. Kelvin Health, Bulgaria

Founded in 2020, it brings a smart solution for detecting and monitoring various abnormalities and inflammation processes in different stages and conditions, using AI analysis to mobile-based digital thermal imaging.

InnoStars Awards – Investment Track

1. CheckEye, Ukraine

It is an AI-driven platform revolutionising preventive healthcare with mass screenings for over 40 chronic diseases, including Diabetic Retinopathy and Arterial Hypertension. Its advanced AI algorithms make screenings accessible and affordable, whether at optic retailers, pharmacies, or from home via mobile phones.

2. Paperbox, Italy

Paperbos offers Dino, a B2B digital platform that was created to support specialists in the pre-diagnosis of disorders. Inside, Paperbox offers gaming solutions for early identification and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders (medical interventions such as computer-based), substituting paper tests.

3. Robota, Italy

It is a company specialising in robot-based automation for surgical instrument reprocessing and producer of the first automatic complete sterilization on the market, STER. The team boasts a strong background in robotic automation, with direct experience in concrete projects that demonstrate their expertise and know-how, not limited only to healthcare.

InnoStars Connect

1. PONS, Turkiye

PONS is an AI system for mobile ultrasound that integrates AI-driven navigation and enhancement, allowing users without ultrasound training to capture robust data on disease progression.

2. NIB Biotec, Italy

NIB Biotec has identified a panel of molecules that are differently expressed in the urine of healthy subjects and prostate cancer patients. This evaluation allows for more efficient discrimination between healthy men and patients than standard procedures.

3. Bialoom, Cyprus

The solution includes a disposable diagnostic cartridge and an analysing instrument. The cartridge features a silicon photonic chip capable of conducting multiple label-free immunoassays to simultaneously detect and quantify numerous biological targets.