EIT Health Catapult

EIT Health’s flagship pitch competition, the EIT Health Catapult, connects biotech, medtech and digital health start-ups to leading experts and international investors. The competition begins with regional selections, followed by a training programme and semi-final pitch contests. The best start-ups will go on to pitch for part of the €210,000 investment awarded during the finals, scheduled for December 2020.

Is it for me?
The EIT Health Catapult is open to micro and small enterprises (<50 employees), spin-offs and start-ups that are:

  • already incorporated, looking for seed or Series A funding of a minimum of €500,000 and have a self-valuation of more than €1 million
  • either in possession of least €500,000 funding (private or public) or had at least €500,000 of revenue last year
  • active in the fields of medtech, biotech or digital health
  • operating in the EU
  • working with innovative business concepts

The journey

The EIT Health Catapult follows a three-stage procedure:

Stage 1 – Regional selection of the semi-finalists

Interested companies apply at the regional level, through one of EIT Health’s seven regional offices. Some 42 of the best start-ups – 14 in each category from medtech, biotech and digital health – will be identified by June 2020. During intensive training, experts will review the start-ups’ business plans and help them hone their pitches.

Stage 2 – Semi-final competitions
More training, and semi-final pitch competitions will be held for each of the three categories, biotech, medtech and digital health. Each event will have the following format:

  • During preparation, start-ups will be matched with mentors – experienced entrepreneurs, investors and experts in the field – to strengthen and optimise their business plan and gain intensive pitch training
  • During expos, all participants will pitch to a jury and audience of specialists in the subject-matter and investors
    Then 21 finalists, consisting of the top seven companies per category, will be selected and invited to pitch at the finals in December 2020.

Stage 3 – The finals

Finalists will compete before a jury of experts, industry stakeholders and investors. The top three finalists in all three categories will receive cash prize.

Important date

Application period: 16 December 2019 – 30 March 2020
Regional Selections: April – May 2020
Semi-Finals: 21-23 October 2020
Finals: December 2020

The application process

Applications should be submitted, through the EIT Health Optimy platform

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