Start-ups at Medica: Anticipation for two 'world cups'

Medica trade fair (November 15-18) is once again a welcome field for many healthcare start-ups to present their products.

The joint stand at the 'Medica Start-up Park' in Hall 12 has become the central cross-national meeting point for the healthcare start-up scene, the fair's organizers are pleased to report. "We bring innovators and investors together. This time, more than 40 start-ups are participating - more than ever before," explains Michael Degen, Executive Director of Messe Düsseldorf. The spectrum of innovations presented here ranges from a device for the non-invasive therapy of nasal pain to an AI-based ultrasound application for the rapid detection of nerve blocks.

This year's highlights include the finals of the 13th 'Healthcare Innovation Worldcup' on November 15 and the 10th 'Medica Start-up Competition' on November 16. Here, teams of developers from start-up companies will present their innovations. The complete program of the Medica Connected Healthcare Forum (including the award ceremonies) can be followed as a live experience on the program stage in Hall 12 and, with the appropriate ticket, also as a livestream via the industry portal MEDICA-tradefair.com.

The 10th Medica Start-up Competition alone attracted more than 250 applications from all over the world. Health start-ups submitted their solutions for the areas of artificial intelligence (AI), health apps and robotics, among others. Twelve young companies were selected by the jury as finalists. The start-up Sympatient, for example, has dedicated itself to the digital therapy of anxiety disorders by means of a psychotherapy app. Their 'Invirto' therapy is, according to their own claims, the world's first digital anxiety therapy for patients with agoraphobia, panic disorder or social phobia. It uses mobile virtual reality technology and app-based therapy courses (including contact with psychotherapists and doctors). 'Invirto' has already been approved by the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) as a digital health application (DiGA) and can therefore be prescribed by doctors as a benefit of the statutory health insurance in Germany.

The bionic 'Esper Hand' belongs to the field of robotics. The artificial hand recognizes situations, helps to choose the right grip and has precise muscle activity recognition. The Esper Bionics team from Ukraine will explain this during their final presentation. Orthopedic solutions with 3D-printed products are the focus of the Swiss team from macu4. One of their first applications is a passive functional forearm prosthesis for children and adults with a focus on sports and leisure activities - for example, throwing a tennis ball. The final pitch and award ceremony of the 10th Medica Start-up Competition will take place on November 16 in Hall 12 (Booth 12 E35) from 1 to 3 pm.

The 13th Healthcare Innovation World Cup focuses on innovative devices and smart applications for digital networking and process integration in the sense of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). More than three hundred start-ups have applied for this competition. Among the twelve selected finalists is Ai Health Highway India Private Limited from India with 'AiSteth', a smart stethoscope for examining, detecting and predicting heart and lung diseases using artificial intelligence. Cynteract from Germany is also a finalist. Their smart glove with sensors is designed to support patients at home. This is because, in combination with tuned software, the glove can be used for the rehabilitation of finger, hand and arm injuries not only in rehabilitation centers, but also at home. A software-supported summary of the training data provides clues for further therapy determination.

The final presentations and awards ceremony of the 13th 'Healthcare Innovation World Cup' will take place on Monday, November 15, from 1 to 3 p.m. - also on the program stage of the Medica Connected Healthcare Forum and available online as a livestream with the corresponding ticket. Information on the Forum and the start-up competitions with abstracts on all finalists is available at: https://www.medica-tradefair.com/mchf2.

The '3G principle' applies to access to the exhibition grounds during Medica 2021. Tickets can only be purchased online, not on-site. Information on opening hours, prices, event programs or even exhibitors and products online: https://www.medica-tradefair.com.

Source: Messe Düsseldorf

12.11.2021