EIT Health announces second year of its innovation programme, Wild Card

EIT Health, a network of best-in-class innovators backed by the EU, has announced the second year of its innovation programme, Wild Card.

Individuals will be taken on an entrepreneurial journey to become high-performing teams transforming their idea into a healthcare product or solution, thanks to the world class business mentoring, coaching and networking opportunities provided throughout four-phase innovation programme, Wild Card.

This year, Wild Card will focus on two challenges: mental and brain health and digital biomarkers in diagnostics.

The programme will build momentum through a week-long hackathon in April 2019 determining which ideas are selected to go through to the next phases; including a business acceleration and mentoring programme, and a final pitching round.

The ultimate goal of Wild Card is to create two new ventures and award them two years of support and €2 million in non-dilutive funding, helping them grow their high-risk ideas into thriving commercial businesses.

Each year, Wild Card sets down different challenges to the innovation community. Last year’s programme resulted in the development of two projects tackling the areas of antibiotic resistance and the use of data to enhance diagnostics: DX-Labtrack and Abtrace. These two newly-created start-ups will work with EIT Health over the next two years to accelerate their products towards market-readiness.

Wild Card is now offering the opportunity for new applicants to join the programme, looking at two major key issues that impact citizens’ health in Europe. This year’s hopeful candidates must present their experience, skills and ideas to address one of two questions:

· Mental and brain health – How to improve prediction, diagnosis and treatment to fight mental disorders and strengthen brain health?

· Digital biomarkers – How to improve early diagnostics with the application of digital biomarkers?

Commenting at the Wild Card programme application launch, EIT Health’s CEO Jan-Philipp Beck said, “Now in its second year, Wild Card continues its search for risk-taking game changers who have the potential to bring about transformations in healthcare. We know this talent is out there and looking for the right opportunities. Through this programme, we hope to find them and offer them the business, research and financial supports necessary to bring their ideas to the next level.”