Two Greek startups find themselves in top EIT Health programmes for the improvement of healthcare

The preliminary lists of two top innovation competitions in  healthcare EIT Health Catapult  and EIT Health Headstart, have been announced, with two Greek teams among those selected. The Greek team Booking Clinic Research P.C received 40,000 euros from the EIT Health Headstart programme and will have the opportunity to win an additional grant of 10,000 euros for better guidance and networking. The Greek team RTSafe, with PseudoPatient®  technology advanced to the semi-finals of the prestigious EIT Health Catapult programme.

The finalists of the two competitions will claim not only the attention of investors, but also guidance and financial support during the Grand Finals in the second half of the year.

This year, EIT Health expanded the scope of the Headstart competition to help find solutions in the fight against COVIC-19 and selected 89 startups that will develop products and services to help Europe reduce, treat and manage this disease. Among these startups 17 teams from Innostars regions are included. Seven startups are from Italy, two from Portugal, Poland and Estonia and one from Greece, Roumania, Hungary and Latvia.

All selected  groups receive 40,000 euros to develop their innovations and attract private investment. The startups will compete in the finals for a further 10,000 euros. This year, there were more than 150 applications from developing regions of Central, Eastern and Southern Europe alone, triple that of 2019.

The solution of the Greek Booking Clinic team links patients not only with doctors who will guide them online, but also with clinics for the virus, through a smart, online platform. The company works with the global humanitarian organisation Doctors of the World to give free online medical support to patients seeking  advice on COVIC-19, always based on the guidelines of the  National Agency for Public Health.

The second programme, EIT Health Catapult, is awarding 40,000 euros, 20,000 euros and 10,000 euros for first, second and third places respectively, in the following categories: medtech,digital health and biotech. The programme is also offering companies high quality training, support in creating a business plan, negotiating investment agreements, training in presenting their ideas, and facilitating access to expert mentors and investors.

The Greek company that advanced to the semi-finals, RTSafe, with PseudoPatient®technology provides quality assurance for the patient undergoing radiation therapy for brain cancer, minimising the risk of side effects during it.

The hub of EIT Health in Greece is the National Documentation Centre, 'EKT is at the core of the country's research and innovation ecosystem and through the rapidly evolving EIT Health programmes paves the way for companies that innovate in the health sector, scaling-up partnerships and funding that will lead them over the valley of death. In a time when healthcare has become the barometer for the whole economy, through EIT Health in 2020 we focused on the promotion of companies that will help society overcome the new coronavirus pandemic and all those that try to continue their work in unpredictable times for business,' said George Megas, Innovation Advisor at EKT and co-ordinator of the Greek hub.

EIT Health is a non-profit organisation and one of the largest European public-private partnerships  in the field of health innovation. Consisting of around150 companies, it is a unique European network of leading companies, universities, research and development centres, hospitals and institutes.

EIT Health Headstart

The EIT Health Headstart programme provides emerging companies with guidance and funding opportunities to accelerate the development and marketing of innovative products and services to improve the lives of European patients and citizens.

EIT Health Catapult

EIT Health Catapult is listed as one of the six best biotech events in Europe.  It is a training programme that enhances the development of top European health enterprises through exposure to leading experts and international investors. The programme funds and supports 42 European startups in the area of biotechnology, technology and digital health.

For further information about the Greek hub of EIT Health and the support provided to Greek startups contact George Megas, EKT, at megas@ekt.gr