MedTech Accelerator 2022: the winning projects have been announced!

Gratiago and Pulso: these are the winning projects in the MedTech Accelerator® 2022 of hub.brussels’ lifetech cluster. Since its creation in 2016 with the support of the ERDF, this medical device accelerator programme has supported 59 Brussels projects led by entrepreneurs innovating in the medical sector. This year, almost all the five projects in the running were in the e-health sector, a sector in constant (r)evolution…

Each year, the MedTech Accelerator® jury awards a prize to the project with the most promising technological innovation in terms of market opportunities.

Five projects in the running: e-health in the spotlight

Five projects were in the running in 2022: Benefit, a statistical solution for untangling the complexity of the multidimensional analysis of clinical data; BuildWind, a software programme that assesses the risk of infection by airborne pathogens in real time; Gratiago, a smartphone app designed to help anxious patients with their medication; Melimpus, a solution that uses the power of VR to treat and prevent burnout; Omnia, a smart pillbox that triggers a visual and audible alarm at adjustable time slots to deliver medication; and Pulso, a high-quality in vitro testing service for vascular devices to reduce animal testing. 

“This year, the pronounced trend in the evolution of innovations hosted by hub.brussels is e-Health and the many digital platforms supporting patients and clinicians, a sign of the evolution of an entire sector,” emphasises Isabelle Grippa, General Manager of hub.brussels.

By seeking to quickly make health innovation support the needs of users (patients and care professionals) and building bridges between industry and care institutions, the lifetech.brussels cluster wants to contribute to improving the performance of health interventions from the prevention and early diagnosis stages (“care”), to the therapeutic intervention stages (“cure”). In doing so, lifetech promotes the well-being and quality of life of the people of Brussels and helps to make the Brussels-Capital Region a centre of excellence in health. 

Gratiago and Pulso, 2022 winners

After deliberation by the jury (Agoria, Dell, Innovation Sprint and UZ Brussels), the MedTech Award 2022 goes to Gratiago, while the People’s Choice Award goes to Puslo.

The Jury Prize has a value of 3,000 EUR excl. VAT and the People’s Choice Prize has a value of 2,000 EUR excl. VAT. Both allow the winners to hire professional consultants to continue to advance their solution in the coming year. In addition, the winner elected by the jury will receive a one-year membership offered by the Agoria technology federation. And the two winners will receive a ticket to the MedTech Meetup organised by Covartim in 2023. 

The MedTech Accelerator®: at the heart of HeathTech innovation

The programme, supported by the Brussels Capital Region and the ERDF, has already catapulted several big names in the sector, such as Lys Medical, Axiles Bionics, StellaScreen, SurgeLight, Smarcos, Momly and Tulipal – the previous winners of the pitch competition. Not to mention the many nuggets that have also taken part in the programme, such as Heart Kinetics, EndoMagnet, MoveUp, Spentys, Cellsine, Innovadent, Kaspard, Depist-Eye, VR4Good, Poolpio, Lilo Health and Dhealth.

Four months to boost your MedTech project

The MedTech Accelerator® is a four-month programme that helps medtechpreneurs develop their entrepreneurial skills and meet the challenges of the medtech industry with the help of a pool of over 120 experts and coaches. Participating entrepreneurs have access to hands-on group workshops on the business aspects and specifics of MedTech, personalised coaching, in-depth discussions with the MedTech ecosystem, relevant industry visits and the opportunity to present their solution to different audiences. 

One important aspect of this accelerator is the creation of a company-specific network. The lifetech.brussels cluster organises a large number of meetings to help them find a partner, an expert, an investor or a first customer and thus accelerate the development of their project. 

The support given to the entrepreneurs does not stop when the programme ends, as the lifetech cluster continues to support each project leader individually. 

Health, a priority for the Brussels economic transition

Today, the role of all healthcare stakeholders is on the agenda for the transformation of the healthcare model. The public’s concern for quality of life and the increasing desirability of technological solutions offer new opportunities for entrepreneurial innovation, propelled by the acceleration of technical developments. 

Quality of life in the city and the development of e-health are among the priority objectives of the Shifting Economy, a strategy that transposes for the Brussels Region the commitments made by the European Union in the European Green Deal.  

“With the Shifting Economy, the Brussels Government plans to improve the resilience of the health care system through actions to reduce social inequalities in health, and better organise care and social action, guaranteeing the accessibility, quality and sustainability of prevention and care”, said Barbara Trachte, Brussels Secretary of State for Economic Transition and Scientific Research.