Several hundred start-ups will once again be among the more than 5,000 exhibitors bringing their innovations for inpatient and outpatient healthcare to MEDICA 2019 from November 18 – 21 at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany, said the organization in a news release. MEDICA also offers creative young companies special event formats to present their products and enter into target-oriented dialogues with potential business partners. Examples include:
· MEDICA START-UP PARK
· The daily MEDICA DISRUPT pitches at the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM
· MEDICA App COMPETITION
· INNOVATION WORLD CUP
The schedule for the first two days of MEDICA 2019 includes the final rounds of the MEDICA App COMPETITION and the INNOVATION WORLD CUP (in the Healthcare category). The competition aims to drive the development of innovations for the daily use of patients, doctors and hospitals. The MEDICA App COMPETITION jury rates entries according to the following criteria: Degree of innovation, commercial potential, technological feasibility, marketing approach, time required until launch and required investments. On Tuesday, November 19, the developer teams will present the best international healthcare app solutions at the pitch of the eighth MEDICA App COMPETITION (MAC), taking place in Hall 13. The prizes will be awarded on the same day. Companies can apply until September 18.
In addition to receiving global awareness from as many as 170 attending countries, this year’s first place winner will be honored with EUR 2,000, second place winner will be awarded EUR 1,000 and the third place winner will receive EUR 500. For information on the competition and registration: http://www.medica-tradefair.com/mac2.
Last year’s winner FibriCheck, a Belgian app, has already been approved by the FDA. The app recognizes various cardiac arrhythmias with a smartphone camera and creates a report for both doctor and patient. (Note: contestants are not required to comply with the Medical Device Directive or have FDA Approval to enter the MAC.) FibriCheck is among the first start-ups funded by the Digital Health Accelerator program, initiated by Roche. The company is one of the partners of this year’s MEDICA App COMPETITION, as are Bayer G4A. In 2013, Bayer G4A launched their first accelerator program for digital health initiatives. Since then, their requirements for start-ups have become stricter, with longer-term co-operations and financing opportunities offered in return. The start-ups receive a lump sum payment of the initial start-up funding. Once they reach certain milestones, the young companies can claim further payments. Since its launch, Bayer G4A has funded more than 149 teams of founders with its start-up program, resulting in 29 concrete co-operations.
The INNOVATION WORLD CUP finals in the Healthcare category will also take place November 18 at 1:00 pm, as part of the MEDICA DISRUPT program. Here, the best medical Internet of Things (IoT) solutions will be presented. Ten finalists from several hundred applicants will have the opportunity to present themselves in the final. StethoMe was the much-acclaimed winner in 2018 for its cordless stethoscope that even amateurs can use to examine the lungs and hearts of children. The start-up aims to enable parents to quickly check the condition of their children's airways at any location and at any time and to exchange data with medical experts.
Visit Medica for details on all programs.
