Corporate-driven acceleration program for international start-ups and scale-ups in the cardiometabolic and chronic diseases

Summary

An Italian healthcare accelerator centre launched the first acceleration program, together with industrial companies, to recruit the best global start-ups and scale-ups able to respond to the new trends for the cardiometabolic and chronic diseases. The selected companies will develop pilot project with the corporates to launch new solutions on the market. Financial, commercial and technical agreements are envisaged depending on the specific pilot project.

Description

The initiative is a multi-corporate, pilot-driven, scale-up program targeted at growing and market-ready startups. The program aims to recruit the best international start-ups and scale-ups, capable of responding to the disruption generated by new trends for the cardiometabolic and chronic diseases sector.
The main features of the scale-up program are the following:
• The program is targeted at start-ups or scale-ups that have already consolidated their structure and moved beyond the setup phase. Many of the applicants are already on the market in several countries and are generating substantial traction. Some of them are in their pre-seed/seed stage, others have already successfully closed their series A, B or even C rounds (the
steps for growing a business through outside investment).
• The program is sponsored by a group of large corporates across the healthcare value-chain. The goal is to match a restricted group of start-ups with one or more of these partners in order to work together on building actual industrial/clinical/commercial pilot actions that will last 4 months.
• The goal of the program is not simply to create networking possibilities but to actually work on a real pilot roll out.While the program does not entail a direct investment in the selected start-ups, the goal of the Corporate Partners that will choose to work with each start-up for a 4 months program, is to use this pilot action as the starting point of a lasting business collaboration with the start-up (that may be an investment, an acquisition, a licensing deal, a co-development agreement, a distribution agreement, etc.).
• At the end of the program there will be a Demo Day in which start-ups will present the results of their pilot projects and how they will move forward with their Corporate Partner.


The first edition was launched on September 30th 2021 and the call to apply is open until November 15th 2021. Applicants will receive a link to submit their proposal after creating an Expression of Interest.

Expertise sought

International start-ups and scale-up operating in one of the following fields:
- Prevention & early diagnosis
- Digital health solutions
- Caregiving innovation
- Value-based cardiometabolic care
- Smart systems for patient monitoring and support

Stage of Development Comment

Eligible startups must be legally established, have completed or are about to complete their technological development and be ready to launch their product/service on the market or have recently entered the marketplace.

Requested Partner

Global start-ups and scale-ups, developing solutions in the cardiometabolic and chronic diseases areas, that are willing to develop pilot projects with the Corporate Partners initiative.

Financial, commercial and/or technical agreement is envisaged.
The corporate partner companies are open to discuss the exact type of cooperation with the potential start-up partners.