CRAASH Barcelona kicks off its ninth edition with seven new teams

The ninth edition of CRAASH Barcelona, the acceleration program led by Biocat and Boston-based CIMIT, kicked off this October with three days of in-person activities in Barcelona. Over the coming months, the seven new participating teams will work to advance the development of their solutions and explore their potential applications in healthcare.

The selected projects cover a wide range of areas, including diagnostics, digital health, continuity of care, antibiotic resistance, and therapies for brain tumors.

Meet the teams:

Aegisome

This biotechnology project is developing a vesicle-based technology designed to capture and eliminate resistant bacteria in the respiratory tract. The solution explores new approaches to tackling bacterial infections, particularly in response to the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance.

ALSense

ALSense is developing a diagnostic technology that uses a blood sample and a biosensor to identify biomarkers associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The project aims to explore a new approach that could enable faster and more specific diagnosis of the disease.

KOKU Bladder

KOKU Bladder is a digital solution focused on preventing and managing bladder health issues and urinary incontinence in people aged 50 and older. Developed with input from healthcare professionals and users, it aims to make these conditions easier to manage and help improve the quality of life of those affected.

Muvity

Muvity is a digital platform that offers personalized motor rehabilitation sessions and enables remote monitoring. Through interactive exercises tailored to each patient, it aims to support continuity of treatment and help healthcare professionals monitor patient progress.

ObMetrics

This virtual clinical assistant supports cardiometabolic risk assessment in children. The tool helps healthcare professionals evaluate risk factors and identify potential health issues, with the goal of improving early detection and follow-up care.

TarGLIO

TarGLIO is investigating a new therapeutic approach to glioblastoma based on magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic resonance imaging techniques. The technology uses controlled heat in the tumor area to explore new treatment possibilities.

Theca

This tool helps care teams organize patient information, detect significant changes, and prioritize care needs. It also facilitates coordination among healthcare professionals, task assignment, and monitoring throughout the care process.

A New Collaboration to Strengthen Clinical Impact

One of the main developments in this edition of CRAASH Barcelona is the addition of the College of Physiotherapists of Catalonia as a new program partner. This partnership will help bring the program closer to the needs and challenges of a professional community that plays a key role in patient care, rehabilitation, prevention, and improving patients' quality of life.

This new collaboration builds on the initiative launched in the previous edition with i4KIDS, the pediatric innovation hub coordinated by Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children's Hospital.

A Program Running Through March

Following the kick-off, the CRAASH Barcelona schedule includes additional working sessions and an in-person week in Barcelona from November 30 to December 2, featuring activities focused on the healthcare environment, patient engagement, clinical trials, and market access, among other topics.

The program also includes an exchange event with the German innovation ecosystem in February. Final project presentations are scheduled for March, ahead of the program's closing event.

CRAASH Barcelona combines mentoring sessions, masterclasses, validation interviews with key industry stakeholders, and immersion experiences in international innovation ecosystems. The goal is to help teams step outside their comfort zones, test their hypotheses with clinicians, potential users, buyers, and other healthcare stakeholders, and build a strong value proposition with the potential to make a meaningful impact on patients within three to five years.