Start-ups launch at MEDICA - the creative founder scene is more in demand than ever right now

Siegerpokale der MEDICA App COMPETITION 2019 / Winner cups of the MEDICA App COMPETITION 2019

The MEDICA, the world’s leading medical trade fair held in Düsseldorf, was one of the very first events across all industries to offer young companies in their founding phase special programme formats to present their concepts many years ago. It has subsequently become the international number one for health start-ups too. The creative and predominantly digitally driven start-up scene will be the centre of attention once again at MEDICA 2020 (run time: 16 to 19 November). This is because, following the Corona pandemic, mobile and easily applicable solutions for linking the actors in the healthcare system have become even more important.

“Start-ups pitch up” is the motto for the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM once more. In daily sessions, multiple young companies explain their latest developments in a nutshell using a punchy, brief format. Two highlights which encapsulate this are on the programme for the first two days of the event: the final of the 9th MEDICA Start-up COMPETITION and the 12th Healthcare Innovation World Cup.

The MEDICA Start-up COMPETITION started life as an app competition and currently offers top innovators the perfect platform for showcasing their solutions in diagnostics, artificial intelligence and robotics, in addition to the health app area. The Synphne Pte Ltd. team from Singapore won us over last year with a system for mobile stroke rehabilitation.

“During the Corona lockdown, we have implemented our digital solutions in order to ensure that patients remain compliant with their therapy,” states Dr. Subhasis Banerji, the founder of Synphne. His innovative device captures brain and muscle signals simultaneously. It consists of a specially developed headset with neuronal sensors and an arm sleeve with muscle activity sensors. The patients use this to perform tasks that are shown to them in videos. Movements and brain signals are thus synchronised in realtime. First, the patient practices in an inpatient setting. Then the patient continues their treatment independently in an outpatient setting, with digital remote care provided by the doctor.

“Winning the start-up competition at MEDICA last year really gave us a confidence boost and confirmed that we were moving in the right direction with our innovative device for stroke rehabilitation,” synopsises Dr. Banerji. The online presence and media coverage of the victory at MEDICA was apparently brilliant. “In Europe, we’re now part of the digital hub 5-HT.com and have had a multitude of offers for marketing our products, which we are currently evaluating,” states Dr. Banerji. Since the win, business in India has also grown for Synphne. The start-up has also set its sights on another market. Dr. Banerji tells us more: “We founded our USA branch of the company in March 2020.”

The race is on for 2020

The objective of the MEDICA Start-up COMPETITION is to drive the start-ups’ development of innovative products forward by bringing them into contact with potential cooperation partners and users at MEDICA. The race is on for the 9th MEDICA Start-up COMPETITION. Submissions may be made up until 23 September 2020 (participants can register online at: https://www.medica-tradefair.com/MSUC2). All English-speaking applications will be evaluated by the competition jury based on the following criteria and a number of them will be selected to participate in the finale (on 17 November) free of charge: Degree of innovation, commercial potential, technological feasibility, marketing approach, time required until launch, required investments.

12th Healthcare Innovation World Cup & other highlights

The finale of the 12th Healthcare Innovation World Cup is part of the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM program and is held on the first day of MEDICA 2020. Start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs present their solutions for the “Internet of Medical Things” live in pitch format - from wearable technology to digital biomarkers and from intelligent patches to smart implants. You can submit your entry free of charge up until 23 September 2020 at: https://www.innovationworldcup.com/categories/healthcare).

Another highlight for start-ups is REVERSE PITCH, the accelerator programme for big companies. Flipping the script on its head, accelerator programmes try to find favour with the start-ups before the start-ups fight it out for glory in the MEDICA Start-up COMPETITION on Tuesday afternoon, 17 November 2020.

There are even more contact points for those interested in start-ups at MEDICA 2020. The MEDICA START-UP PARK has now firmly established itself as a central presentation area and is closely thematically linked with the start-up pitches (e.g. it is also included in the daily format of MEDICA DISRUPT) in the neighbouring MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM. This also applies for the WT Wearable Technology Show. This specifically focuses on wearable technology, for which the healthcare sector is one of the most important key markets.

All information on the programming and exact location of the programme highlights for MEDICA 2020 that have been mentioned here and on the hygiene and safety concept of the show can be viewed online, where they are also constantly updated: https://www.medica-tradefair.com and https://www.medica-tradefair.com/mchf2  (MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM).