CIVITTA and Roche launched a CEE Healthcare accelerator

Roche and Civitta joins forces to support best healthcare startups in CEE

HealthCare Lab is a new project to support inspiring innovations and ideas to improve healthcare. The accelerator aims to attract and support the best startups with promising innovations in healthcare. The program is organized by ROCHE Slovakia and CIVITTA and intends to connect with start-ups within Central and Eastern Europe and beyond.

Thanks to the strong competence of such a global player in the field of diagnostics and pharmaceutical industry as ROCHE, startups with innovations in the field of healthcare and digital technologies have a chance to become part of a 4-month acceleration program. They will be able to further develop their ideas and gain access to potential customers, investors, experienced mentors and business coaches. More information about HealthCare Lab and how to register are available at www.healthcarelab.sk.

“ROCHE has a long-term commitment to bringing global innovations to the market that improve peoples’ lives - from unique diagnostics to innovative treatments that push the boundaries of modern medicine. We have innovation deeply rooted in the DNA of our company and we are aware of the impact it has on people's quality of life. Today we want to take innovation to a new level and, therefore, we are establishing a valuable cooperation with the startup community. I am convinced that ROCHE can provide unique know-how in healthcare, and simultaneously, this community can inspire us with exciting technological solutions that deserve our attention, support, and will have a significant impact on healthcare in the 21st century,” said Daren Wilson, GM of ROCHE Slovakia.

HealthCare Lab with interesting mentors from all over the world

Startups in the program will be able to access the advice and expertise from mentors, major investors, entrepreneurs, and healthcare professionals from developed innovative hubs from all around the world.

Tonu Esko (professor of genomics and advisor to biotechnology companies), Riivo Anton (United Angels VC), Eliezer Manor (Shirat Enterprises), Lukáš Alner (Diagnose.me) – this is just a small sample of the great names that will participate in this healthcare startup accelerator program as mentors. They will enrich the participants with, among other things, experience in attracting investments, building a business model, entering the healthcare market, and gaining customers in healthcare.

How will the HealthCare Lab acceleration program work?

ROCHE, in partnership with CIVITTA, an experienced consulting company, will be in charge of the project: “Digitization and digital technologies have significantly transformed the entire healthcare system over the past few years. HealthCare Lab is a unique platform that will systematically support innovation in this field and build an ecosystem of start-up technology companies. Such companies are the future of the economy of Slovakia and Central Europe,” says Peter Kolesár of CIVITTA Slovakia.

Registration for HealthCare Lab is open from 12th May 2020 via www.healthcarelab.sk. Existing Central and Eastern European startups that want to transform their digital solutions prototypes in healthcare into successful solutions can apply until 9th June 2020. These are mainly companies that have already developed a prototype solution, have a team of at least two people and funding up to 500,000 EUR.

Online webinars will take place as part of the recruitment process in the coming weeks. Subsequently, on 16 June, 12 selected startups will be part of an all-day online boot camp, from which 6 finalists will emerge after public presentations as part of the Launch webinar. They will become part of the acceleration program for the next 4 months and gain the opportunity to develop their projects with the help and support of ROCHE and top domestic and foreign mentors. At the end of the first batch of the HealthCare Lab acceleration program in October this year, participants will present their projects as part of a public DEMO Day in front of a wide audience and an international jury.