Health Startup Forum: Transforming health care

On 23 October, the University of Navarra Incubator hosted the inaugural “Health Startup Forum” in collaboration with the Clínica Universidad de Navarra and IESE Business School’s Business Angels network. The event provided a platform for the newly joined startups in the programme to showcase their cutting-edge innovations.

Cinfa’s Director of Innovation and Corporate Development, Julio Sánchez, was an active participant in the forum. He highlighted it as an excellent opportunity to discover pioneering projects with which to collaborate, aiming to enhance patients’ quality of life and drive forward the transformation of the healthcare sector.

Selection of startups with transformative potential

The Health Startup Forum received a total of 41 applications from startups across Spain. Out of these, 10 startups were shortlisted to join the University of Navarra Incubator, where they presented their innovative proposals to a panel of experts, including investors, clinical professionals, healthcare companies, and business development specialists. This panel evaluated each proposal for its innovative value and potential impact on the sector.

Among the startups, The Blue Box Biomedical Solutions—specialising in simpler, more sensitive, and accurate urine tests for breast cancer screening, aimed at reliably ruling out cases for healthy women—received a special mention for delivering the event’s “best pitch”. Medical Plasmas, focused on treating hard-to-heal ulcers with cold atmospheric plasma, and Diabyuda, which develops personalised software for diabetes patients, were awarded second and third place, respectively.

This recognition underscores the talent and innovation within the healthcare start-up ecosystem, emphasising the potential of these initiatives to make a significant impact on patient care and quality of life.