Digital health start-ups pitch their way to success at MEDICA

MEDICA offers digital health start-ups and scale-ups the big stage: young and up-and-coming companies can pitch their ideas and solutions for better care to the MEDICA audience and a panel of experts in not just one, but two competitions. In our article, we present the winners of MEDICA 2025.

They can look forward to more than just prize money. Taking part in the competitions at the trade fair also helps start-ups in the medical sector by giving them exposure and access to valuable partnerships.

The MEDICA START-UP COMPETITION is aimed at start-ups in the field of health IT and digital health. This year's focus was on AI in medicine, robotics, health apps and laboratory diagnostics.

The HEALTHCARE INNOVATION WORLD CUP is aimed at advanced start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs. The solutions presented here include wearables, XR solutions, digital biomarkers, electroceuticals, smart devices and smart patches.

Before MEDICA itself, there is a pre-selection of the submissions admitted to the final at MEDICA. Digital health start-ups that qualify for the final present their products and solutions in five-minute pitches during MEDICA.

The winners are selected by a jury of experts from the fields of medicine, research and industry. In 2025, a prize was also awarded by the audience as well for the first time (Public Vote).

The team is developing a compact device for the digital analysis of respiratory samples in real time. Using biomarkers in human breath, Nanose Medical aims to contribute to the early detection and care of cancer and chronic diseases, for example.

Acorai is working on a method for non-invasive measurement of cardiac and pulmonary blood pressure. The multimodal platform includes sensors for vibration, acoustic, optical and electrical measurements. It is intended to support medical professionals in the care of people with heart failure.

OxyPrem develops optical, non-invasive sensors for continuous monitoring of oxygen levels in the brain of premature and newborn babies. The aim is to prevent an undersupply of oxygen, which can cause serious, permanent damage to health.

SVAN stands for "Smart Versatile Autostop Navigation Drill" – a versatile bone drill for both surgical use and drug administration in emergencies. It can be used to safely reach the bone marrow to facilitate the rapid administration of medication.

With R³CE, AcroCyte offers a platform for the creation of three-dimensional cell cultures. It can be used to create patient-specific tumor models that can be used to test drugs in the context of personalized medicine.

Virtuosis' AI technology analyzes the voice to provide insights into general well-being and for early illness detection. The AI can be used during online meetings, creating a confidential report from the recording.