EPIC PITCH BATTLE FOR HEALTH TECH STARTUPS

400

Challengers

5

Tracks

80

Finalists

1

Winner

EPIC PITCH BATTLE FOR HEALTH TECH STARTUPS

LEARN MORE

HEALTH TECH CHALLENGERS 2023 HIGHLIGHTS

FOUNDERS & PARTNERS

ABOUT HEALTH TECH CHALLENGERS

Health Tech Challengers is a premier platform for discovering and supporting innovative digital health startups that make a difference in the world. Each year, we host an epic pitch competition for entrepreneurs who develop disruptive products revolutionising the future of health.

To enter, startups must be innovators in one of the five tracks fostering the digital health revolution – Chronic Disease Management, Mental, Holistic and Sleep Health, Nutrition, Metabolic and Gut Health, Gender-Specific Health or Solving X (Wild Card).

Application tracks

Chronic Disease Management
Chronic Disease Management
Mental, Holistic and Sleep Health
Mental, Holistic & Sleep Health
Nutrition, Metabolic & Gut Health
Nutrition, Metabolic & Gut Health
Gender-Specific Health
Gender-Specific Health
Solving X (Wild Card)
Solving X (Wild Card)

HOW DOES IT WORK?

80 companies are shortlisted by a distinguished panel of industry experts from leading corporations, Venture Capital, ecosystem builders and media partners.

The Top 80 startups are invited to pitch live at Health Tech Forward 2023, the leading industry conference of the year, offering valuable media and PR attention, as well as vast networking opportunities.

One company is announced as the ultimate winner of the Health Tech Challengers 2023 award.

APPLICATION CRITERIA

Timeline

1

Application deadline

September 25
2

Top 80 announced

October 9
3

Top 80 pitches

November 28 @ Health Tech Forward
4

Top 8 pitches & Winner announced

November 29 @ Health Tech Forward

WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Application to the HTC is entirely free and each of the 80 finalist Companies is granted one free General Admission ticket to Health Tech Forward 2023. It’s an event that you don’t want to miss!

MEET THE WINNERSMEET THE JURY

WINNERS OF 2023

ULTIMATE
CHALLENGER

munevo created a technology to provide a comfortable electric wheelchair operation option for people with mobility impairments. Smartglasses transmit the user’s head movements into digital signals, which enables them to operate electric wheelchair hands-free.

ULTIMATE
CHALLENGER

munevo created a technology to provide a comfortable electric wheelchair operation option for people with mobility impairments. Smartglasses transmit the user’s head movements into digital signals, which enables them to operate electric wheelchair hands-free.

TOP 5 finalists

WUKA is a female-led startup, making the UK’s first-ever reusable and leak-proof period wear. Equality, social and environmental responsibility are at the heart of the company, along with the desire to spread body positivity.

Awarded for “most innovative German startup”, DiaMonTech has developed an innovative medical device that non-invasively measures blood glucose without finger pricking, a drop of blood, or a test strip. 

HelloBetter offers psychological online courses to prevent and treat mental illnesses. Their mission is to make effective psychological support accessible to everyone – at zero cost and no waiting lists. 

Implandata Ophthalmic Products is a digital health company that addresses a vastly underserved need in the care of glaucoma patients, by combining medical technology with state-of-the-art information technology.

munevo created a technology to provide a comfortable electric wheelchair operation option for people with mobility impairments. Smartglasses transmit the user’s head movements into digital signals, which enables them to operate electric wheelchair hands-free.

JURY

Ida Luka Lognone

Ida Luka-Lognone

CEO Health, Board of Management @ Allianz Partners

Stephen Konya

Stephen Konya

Senior Advisor to the Deputy National Coordinator for Health IT and Innovation Portfolio Lead @ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Sofie Roorda

Sofie Roorda

Global Associate Digital Health Strategy Director @ Novo Nordisk

Michael Treskow

Michael Treskow

Partner @ Eight Road Ventures

Pekka Simula

Pekka Simula

Founding Partner @ Innovestor Life Science Fund

Guy Spigelman

Guy Spigelman

EMEA Lead Healthcare and Life Sciences Startups @ Amazon Web Services

Dominick Kennerson

Dominick Kennerson

Senior Vice President, HealthTech @ HSBC Innovation Banking

Lorraine Egger

Lorraine Egger

Chief Financial Officer @ CyncHealth

Sander Ruitenberg

Sander Ruitenberg

Digital Health Solutions Head @ Novartis

Cris Salinas

Cris Salinas

Global Head, MedTech Advisory and Innovation @ Salesforce

Dr. Sabine Klein

Dr. Sabine Klein

Managing Director @ TUM Venture Lab Healthcare

Ayotunde Aladejana

Ayotunde Aladejana

Global Partnerships Lead @ Founders Factory Africa

Madeleine Durand

Madeleine Durand

Head of Strategy @ Bupa

Dr Karolina Maria Nowak

Karolina Maria Nowak PharmD, PhD, MBA

Director of Innovation and Biotechnology Development Department @ Medical Research Agency

Stefan Schwarz

Stefan Schwarz

Referent Innovation Scouting and Venturing @ ERGO Group

Marcin Kwiatek

Marcin Kwiatek

Digital Health Solution Executive (CEE & SEE & DX Region) @ Abbott

Orest Hydziy

Orest Hudziy

Co-Founder and COO @ inVerita

Aleksandro Grabulov

Aleksandro Grabulov

Head of Product, Fitbit Health Solutions @ Google

Christina Brandmair

Christina Brandmair

Senior Manager Corporate Innovation @ STARTUP CREASPHERE | Plug and Play Tech Center

Tatiana Klimanova

Tatiana Klimanova

Accelerator Director @ FemTech Lab

Amine Benmoussa

Amine Benmoussa

Venture Partner @ Karista

Beatriz Testoni

Beatriz Testoni

Investment Manager @ YAYA capital

Jan Szollos

Ján Szöllös

Senior Director AI Platforms BD @ Insilico Medicine

Blaschke Johannes

Johannes Blaschke

Principal @ Calm/Storm Ventures

Simon Turner

Simon Turner

Partner @ Sofinnova Partners

Katharina Neisinger

Katharina Neisinger

Associate Investor @ Pace Ventures

Hugh Bowen

Hugh Bowen

Associate @ SOSV

Justin Smith

Justin Smith

Managing Partner @ Recharge Capital

Aahuti Rai

Aahuti Rai

Partner @ Four Points Consulting

Katarzyna Kolasa

Katarzyna Kolasa

Professor of Health Economics @ Kozminski University Warsaw Poland

Alexis Edwards

Alexis Edwards

Associate Partner @ IBM Healthcare Consulting

Ritesh Patel

Ritesh Patel

Senior Partner, Global Digital Health @ FINN Partners

Issy Gordon

Issy Gordon

Associate @ HambroPerks

Philipp Spenger

Philipp Spenger

Investment Advisor to the EIC Fund - Venture and Growth Capital @ European Investment Bank

Nick Fox

Nick Fox

Head of Proposition Development @ AXA Health

Simon Bates

Simon Bates

Digital Health Expert, Partner @ PA Consulting

Dan Ma

Dan Ma

Head of Innovation & New Commercial Partnerships @ Sandoz Germany

Dr. Saira Ghafur

Dr. Saira Ghafur

Co-Founder @ Prova Health

Alexander Kuznetsov

Alexander Kuznetsov

Managing Partner @ Kodori Ventures

Daniel Dilinger

Daniel Dillinger

Principal @ Redalpine

Tomasz Chwialkowski

Tomasz Chwiałkowski

Partner @ Aligo Venture Capital

Ilona Hubbard

Ilona Hubbard

Clinical Research Specialist @ CHUV | Lausanne university hospital

Ivan Clement

Ivan John Clement

Global Associate Director, RWE & Innovative Evidence @ Novartis

Stanislav Birov

Stanislav Birov

Client Partner, Tech & Venture | Mobile Apps | CEE @ Meta

Corinne Isnard Bagnis

Isnard Bagnis

Nephrologist @ APHP Sorbonne Université, Paris

Jerome Dziersan

Jerome Dziersan

Director of Business Strategy and Operations @ GSK

Manuel Grossman

Manuel Grossmann

Founder and General Partner @ Amino Collective

Artur Drobniak

Artur Drobniak

Director of the Central Center for Research on Innovation and Education NIL @ Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists (Supreme Medical Chamber)

Lina Behrens

Lina Behrens

Head of Content @ HLTH Europe

Max Grenz

Max Grenz

Global Head of Value Creation | Healthcare Consulting @ Siemens Healthineers Consulting

Bottler Nils

Nils Bottler

Principal @ Angelini Ventures

Amin Esmaily-Fard

Amin Esmaily-Fard

Senior Pharmacy Clinical Informatics Specialist @ The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Susan van Boxtel

Susan van Boxtel

Sr Advisor FDI Health & Food @ East Netherlands Development Agency (Oost NL)

Terje Peetso

Terje Peetso

Chief Medical Innovation Officer @ North Estonia Medical Centre

Martina Vitezova

Martina Vitézová

Investment Manager @ Uniqa Ventures

Avi Mehra

Dr Avi Mehra MBBS BSc (Hons) FFCI

Associate Partner & Clinical Safety Officer @ IBM

Lucas Paul

Lucas Paul

Investment Director @ Redstone

Sascha Lorenzen

Sascha Lorenzen

Investment Analyst @ BonVenture

Vinciane Lhuissier

Vinciane Lhuissier

Associate @ Verve Ventures

Johannes Fischer

Johannes Fischer

Partner @ Wellington Partners

Marta Mrozowicz

Marta Mrozowicz

Investment Manager @ Heal Capital

Christian Oberlé

Christian Oberlé

President - Director @ Caisse Nationale de Santé / d'Gesondheetskeess / National Health Fund

Filippo Falaschi

Filippo Falaschi

Partner @ Spex Capital

Bill McMahon

Bill McMahon

Chief Algorithmic Analytics Officer @ Sumitovant Biopharma

Philipp Kopp

Philipp Kopp

Investment Manager @ BMP ventures

Jose Ferrer Costa

Dr. José Ferrer Costa, MD

Innovation and Projects, Research and Education teams @ Badalona Serveis Assistencials

Sergey Jakimov

Sergey Jakimov

Managing Partner @ LongeVC

Tom Beauvironnet

Tom Beauvironnet

Investment Manager @ Karista

Igor Jurkowski

Igor Jurkowski

Head of Technology @ GoE Wellness

Yang Chen

Yang Chen

Investor @ Joyance Partners

Helen Dent

Helen Dent

Chief Executive (Interim) @ British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA)

Yuriy Flyud

Yuriy Flyud

Co-Founder & Solutions Director @ Hevelian

Daria Gherghelas

Daria Gherghelas

Associate @ Speedinvest

Johannes Link

Johannes Link

Investment Banking Associate @ FCF Fox Corporate Finance GmbH

Maciej Banach

Maciej Banach

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) @ Nomi Biotech Corporation & Dairy Biotechnologies

George Mitropoulos

George Mitropoulos

Healthcare & Life Sciences Sector Leader @ EY Greece

Samanta Dall'Agnese

Samanta Dall'Agnese

Otolaryngology and Sleep specialist, Sleep scientific advisor @ Health Protection

Laura Schaefer

Laura Schäfer

Manager @ Lea Partners

Jan Przybylowicz

Jan Przybylowicz, MD

Investment analyst @ MTIP

Sophy Li

Sophy Li

Investor @ Headline

Matthew Foran

Matthew Foran

Healthcare Innovation Consultant @ EnableHealth LLC

Bernhard Ungerböck

Bernhard Ungerböck

Principale @ Qventure

Jakob Lilienweiss

Jakob Lilienweiss

Investment Manager @ HTGF

Thorsten Kern

Thorsten Kern

Investor @ ARCHIMED

Pieter De Maeght

Pieter De Maeght

Science & Technology Diplomat @ Flanders Investment & Trade

Ruth Coleman

Ruth Coleman

Investment Manager @ Mercia Ventures

Hanna Fedchyshyn

Hanna Fedchyshyn

Head of Research @ Ananda Impact Ventures

Livia Jacob

Livia Jacob

Senior Specialist for Digital Health @ SWICA

Michael Hübner

Michael Hübner

Manager Innovation and Digitalization @ Sana Kliniken AG

Andre Sarmento

André Moraes Sarmento

Investment Associate @ Dealflow

Elizabeth Piatkowska

Elizabeth Piatkowska

Business & VC Strategy Manager @ VentureBlick

Jakub Chwiećko

Jakub Chwiecko

Managing Partner @ Polish Chamber of Doctors and Dentists, Innovation Network (NIL IN)

Benjamin Belot

Benjamin Belot

Partner @ Kurma Partners

Alexander Selzer

Alexander Selzer

Chapter Head Strategy, Innovation & Partnerships @ PHOENIX group

Joanna Broy

Joanna Broy

Ecosystem Lead for Poland @ European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Health InnoStars

Moritz Grosse

Moritz Grosse

Associate @ Altano Capital

Alexander Vaselek

Alexander Vaselek

CEO @ CIMEDO

Katherine Ossenkopp

Katherine Ossenkopp

Country Manager Germany @ Future4care

Vilma Radvilaite

Vilma Radvilaite

EIC Investment Advisor @ European Innovation Council

Christian Pinnow

Christian Pinnow

Attorney-at-law, Partner @ D+B Lawyers

Eric Machado

Eric Machado

Head of Strategy @ Europe and Global Segments at Cigna Healthcare

Guy Dickinson

Guy Dickinson

Head of Employee Experience @ Novartis

Hester Tak

Hester Tak

Senior Investment Manager Life Sciences @ East Netherlands Development Agency / Oost NL

Dana Cullen

Dana Cullen

Senior Associate @ SCOR Ventures

Maja Więckiewicz

Maja Wieckiewicz

Director of Operations @ Centre for Computational Personalized Medicine International Research Foundation

Magdalena Plotczyk

Magdalena Plotczyk

Investment Associate @ MTIP

Philipp Harnischfeger

Philipp Harnischfeger

Venture Associate @ Arve Capital

Yannick Bornhard

Yannick Bomhard

Investment Manager @ Helsana HealthInvest

Zsuzsanna Varga

Zsuzsanna Varga

Digital Health Asset and Programs Lead @ Biogen

Cedric Odje

Cedric Odje

Investment Associate @ Debiopharm

Veysel Ümit

Veysel Ümit

Venture Capital Account Executive @ Salesforce (Tableau Analytics)

Alex Stroud

Alex Stroud

Principal @ Concentric

Ian Rentsch

Ian Rentsch

Chief Commercial Officer & General Manager - Head Pharma Business Unit @ CENTOGENE

Paul Kurz

Paul Kurz

Investment Professional @ YZR Capital

Julien de Salaberry

Julien de Salaberry

CEO & Founder @ Galen growth

Helena Turck

Helena Turck

Health Ventures @ Plug and Play Center

Frederik Schoenen

Frederik Schoenen

Associate @ D+B Lawyers

Olesia Miahkota

Olesia Miahkota

QA Engineer @ Hevelian

Pascal Joncour

Pascal Joncour

General Partner @ Convergence Brain Health Fund

Eithan Wolf

Eithan Wolf

Chief Executive Officer @ PassportCard Deutschland

Marek Sękara

Marek Sekara

Software Engineering Lead @ GoE Wellness

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