Call now open for healthtech projects for CRAASH Barcelona 2021
<p>If you have an emerging, cutting-edge technology project based on (or with a link) to the BioRegion of Catalonia and want to launch it to market, <a href="https://www.moebio.org/en/program/craash-barcelona" target="_blank">submit your proposal</a> by June 15 and train with experts from the CIMIT accelerator (Boston).</p>
Biocat has opened the call to take part in the 4th annual CRAASH Barcelona acceleration program, which helps researchers and entrepreneurs launch innovations in the healthtech arena to market, in collaboration with the CIMIT accelerator (Boston).
The program this year, with a hybrid format that combines virtual and in-person sessions, is exclusively for projects related to the field of medical devices, diagnostics or digital health that have come out of research centers and institutes, universities or are promoted by an entrepreneur based on (or with a link) to the BioRegion.
Selected projects will be guided by expert mentors from around Europe and CIMIT (Boston), the most experienced accelerator in the world, which has promoted more than 1,000 projects over 20 years. The projects will validate their technology and how they fit the market in some of the most important healthcare ecosystems in the US (Boston) and Europe (Barcelona and other European cities).
The program is geared towards projects with TRL 3-6 (proof of concept / early clinical trials). Companies that have already been created can submit proposals if they are looking for a healthcare application for their technology and/or to find/validate their business model.
From laboratory to market
The program will kick off this September and last three months, until December, when participants will travel to Boston to interact with one of the most powerful life sciences ecosystems in the world. In fact, this experience with the life sciences ecosystem in this US city is one of the most significant benefits of CRAASH Barcelona.
The program is broken down into three phases:
First, the teams learn to validate their business model by interacting with significant stakeholders and using the Lean startup methodology. Plus, they will work on their pitch for investors and have the chance to forge connections with other top-notch European healthcare companies. This phase will take place online and in person.
The second phase will allow participants to delve deeper into the Catalan, Spanish and Dutch healthcare and life sciences ecosystems and gain first-hand knowledge of their main stakeholders. Once again, this phase will combine virtual and in-person formats.
For the third phase, the teams will travel to Boston (Covid measures allowing) to forge connections and pitch their projects to the investment community in the region.
Testimonies: how CRAASH has helped launch other projects to market
This is the 4th edition of CRAASH Barcelona, which has accelerated 29 projects so far. One of them is ABLE Human Motion, a light robotic exoskeleton that helps patients with spinal injuries walk again, facilitating their rehabilitation. Alfons Carnicero, co-founder of the project, explains in this interview how the program helped them put the finishing touches on their business model.
“We did more than 100 interviews with all the interest groups associated with the product, from patients to doctors, which helped us make it better and come up with a convincing value proposition for each one. Under the guidance of experts who have helped us in areas like regulatory affairs, business models and finance. CRAASH Barcelona helped us mature our project very quickly,” explains Carnicero.
In fact, ABLE ended up evolving its project and, after the program, closed a round of funding that made it possible to adapt the exoskeleton technology for paraplegics.
Another project that went through the CRAASH Barcelona program is Flomics. “The program helped us understand the market we were moving into, to identify all the players and establish the right value proposition for each one. During the project, our positioning changed completely. It also gave us the contacts that have made it possible for us to break into the sector. Thanks to all of that, I think we’re one step closer to success,” explains João Curado, founder of Flomics, in this interview.
Sign up to CRAASH Barcelona 2021:
> The call for proposals to participate is open now through June 15 on the website: www.craashbarcelona.org.