UK-Ireland winners announced for EIT Health 2018 Headstart Funding Programme

Ten companies selected as best healthcare innovators in the UK and Ireland

EIT Health has chosen to invest in ten innovative healthcare start-ups that will revolutionise the healthcare market in the UK and Ireland as part of its 2018 Headstart Funding Programme.

After two intense days of pitch coaching and investment training sessions in Liverpool with Beth Susanne, International Pitch and Communications Coach, Raj Airey, venture developer, advisor and investor, Gabriela Juarez Martinez, Knowledge Transfer Manager at Innovate UK and Eithne McShane, Senior Commercialisation Specialist at Enterprise Ireland, the UK-Ireland finalists of this year’s Headstart Funding Programme delivered their pitch in front of a jury of experts.

Only ten out of 21 start-ups won the award and their names were revealed at the 2018 International Business Festival in Liverpool in occasion of the Innovation Agency of the North West Coast’ event “Transforming Healthcare – Everybody’s Business”. As part of its Accelerator activities, EIT Health awarded each winner €50 000 in funding to help them launch their innovative healthcare products into the market.

The official list of winners of the 2018 Headstart Funding Programme in the UK and Ireland include:

• Adelie Health – invented a pen replacement cap that helps people with diabetes manage their insulin doses through reminders and sensor technologies;
• CroiValve – offers an innovative heart valve repair technology for patients with dysfunctional tricuspid valves;
• Endocore – developed an endoscopic ultrasound core biopsy device that helps diagnose cancerous lesions and other pathologies in the gastrointestinal tract;
• Gasgon Medical – produced an innovative technology that removes bubbles of gas from patients’ veins during IV drips;
• Grey Matter Technologies – launched ImmunoGrow, the first cell activation and growth platform for the industrialisation of cell-based cancer immunotherapies;
• Hidramed Solutions – created a wound management kit for the home care of chronic wounds;
• Inovus Medical – developed the world’s first, affordable, turnkey hysteroscopy simulator to examine and treat problems affecting women’s wombs;
• OneProjects Medical – created VERAFEYE, a smart device that revolutionises the treatment of Atrial Fibrillation;
• Tympany Medical – Tympany is a platform for performing minimally invasive ear surgeries for people who suffer from hearing loss.
• Venari Medical – developed BioVena™, the world’s first medical device to use the body’s natural biological response to cure varicose veins and venous ulcers.

For further enquiries contact:

Laura Vicinanza, laura.vicinanza@eithealth.eu