GENERAL INFO
Mid-Stage Innovation Hub
At the mid stage, innovation hubs move from initial credibility-building to consolidation and scaling. The hub is no longer “new, ” but it must prove that it can deliver consistent value to startups, hospitals, and MedTech partners. At this point, credibility depends on measurable results – number of startups supported, pilot projects launched, funding attracted, and partnerships built.
Key Milestones at This Stage
Run structured acceleration/incubation programs (beyond ad-hoc events).
Build a portfolio of validated startups with measurable outcomes (funding raised, pilots in hospitals).
Strengthen hospital partnerships with active pilot projects or testbeds.
Develop corporate engagement models for MedTech and pharma (e.g., open innovation challenges).
Secure funding streams (mix of public grants, industry partnerships, service revenues).
Expand visibility regionally or nationally through branding, publications, and thought leadership.
Best Practice from the Field
Mid-stage innovation hubs have successfully scaled by running structured acceleration programs and building a portfolio of validated startups with measurable outcomes. By engaging hospitals through active pilot projects and collaborating with corporate partners via open innovation challenges, these hubs demonstrate consistent value to the ecosystem. Clear metrics, published impact reports, and regional visibility help strengthen credibility and attract further support.
Pitfalls to Avoid
Ensure hospitals are actively involved by formalizing clinical validation programs with clinician champions. Avoid over-reliance on public funding by building sustainable revenue models, such as corporate sponsorships or premium services. Maintain stakeholder trust by publishing clear KPIs and annual impact reports.
Enabling environment for Digital Health Innovation
Offer educational sessions on MDR, CE marking, and EHDS so all ecosystem actors share the same baseline knowledge.
Create “neutral zones” such as living labs where vendors, hospitals, and startups can experiment with interoperability, or mapping of hospital infrastructures to connect startups with environments already equipped for pilot implementation.
Share international good practices like DiGA to inspire local policymakers and partners.
Organize multi-stakeholder workshops where patients, clinicians, and innovators can openly exchange views.
Treat every barrier as a chance to connect needs with innovators and attract support from EU initiatives.
Create a list of active funding schemes (EU calls, national grants, regional programs) relevant to digital health pilots. Share this list with startups during meetings or publish it on your hospital website.
Build connections with 3–4 local investors or corporate funds and use them to design funding roadmaps for startups.
Create a shared KPI repository that all startups and hospitals can use.
Organize multi-stakeholder roundtables every 6 months. Invite hospitals, startups, payers, and patient groups to discuss ongoing pilots and align priorities.
Formalize partnerships with 2–3 hubs in different countries. Sign MoUs to share access to hospitals, mentors, and regulatory experts.
Create a steering group with 5–7 representatives — one from a hospital, one from a payer, one from a startup, one from academia, and one patient advocate. Meet quarterly to review pilot proposals and decide which to prioritize.
Act as connectors, guiding applicants toward funding opportunities and helping build consortia for EU proposals.
Instead of a simple membership model, the hub can participate directly in projects, gain national recognition to access public funding, or implement a success-fee model where fees are tied to the outcomes or adoption of supported digital health solutions.
Draft living lab rules in cooperation with hospital: pilot duration, patient consent, data-sharing agreements, evaluation templates.
Set clear objectives and expectations with the startup before it enters the living lab. Provide a shared KPI sheet (e.g., patient satisfaction, clinician time saved, error reduction).
Facilitate regular review sessions between startups and hospital staff.
Act as the neutral convener. Organize workshops where hospitals present needs and startups/MedTechs pitch solutions.
Create a regional case study repository (shared online, searchable).
Scouting & Recruitment of Startups
You run early-stage accelerator programs and want to build more effective validation pipelines.
You need to:
✓ Connect startups with hospitals and mentors
✓ Support early clinical validation
✓ Structure calls to attract high-potential solutions
Design a structured scouting process: open call + targeted outreach.
Use diverse channels (accelerators, EU networks, startup databases) to reach beyond local players.
Apply selection criteria (problem fit, pilot feasibility, evidence potential, scaling readiness).
Ensure diversity: not just digital apps, but also MedTech devices, AI, and hybrid models.
Act as connectors, guiding applicants toward funding opportunities and helping build consortia for EU proposals.
Encourage innovators to design with systemic challenges in mind, not just isolated problems.
Are startups designing solutions that tackle specific problems while remaining aligned with broader systemic challenges?
Have we provided training on national health system priorities and financing flows?
Do our calls for innovation reflect pressing reform needs (e.g., reducing waiting times, improving chronic care)?
Are pilots designed with multi-stakeholder input (patients, clinicians, payers, policymakers)?
Do we help innovators map their solution onto a system-level pathway (clinical, financial, regulatory)?
Add sustainability criteria into startup selection and mentoring. This could mean asking: Does the solution save resources? Does it lower emissions? Does it reduce costs? Startups that can answer “yes” to all three questions will be stronger candidates for EU support and international scaling.
Set up a “regulatory desk” with a small pool of on-demand experts. These could include a regulatory consultant, a reimbursement advisor, and a payer representative.
Build a structured mentorship program. Pair each startup with:
a.A business mentor (an entrepreneur, investor, or MedTech executive with scaling experience).
b.A clinical mentor (a doctor or nurse familiar with digital health integration).
- Require mentors to meet startups at least once a month, and track progress with short reports.
Ensure balance: at least as many hospitals presenting needs as startups pitching solutions.
Provide a template for hospitals to describe challenges and for startups to structure pitches.
Collect results — track how many pilots emerge from each event.
Organize pilot-readiness workshops 1–2 months before pilots start, after pre-pilot workshops. These sessions focus on confirming hospital readiness, finalizing workflows, ensuring IT integration, and reviewing data-collection protocols with the startup.
Cover basics: pilot timeline, KPI collection, validation dimensions (medical, business, technical, eHTA, market).
Provide hospitals with templates for data collection and reporting.
Coordinate the matchmaking process by collecting hospital challenge briefs, verifying their clarity, and sharing them with startups in advance.
Provide structured templates: Offer both hospitals and startups clear formats for challenge descriptions and solution pitches to ensure comparability and consistency.
Facilitate structured sessions: Organize the event in three parts: (1) hospitals present challenges, (2) startups pitch tailored solutions, and (3) moderated discussion for Q&A and feedback.
Ensure fairness and quality: Use a transparent scoring system to assess fit, feasibility, scalability, and validation potential. Share results with participants to guide next steps.
Support follow-up: After matchmaking, facilitate bilateral meetings and help formalize cooperation through Memoranda of Understanding or pilot agreements, ensuring that discussions translate into concrete pilot projects.
Business validation
Innovation hubs play a central role in helping startups understand the business context of healthcare. They guide startups in refining value propositions, pricing models, and sustainability plans.
Technical integration
Innovation hubs mediate between both sides, managing technical documentation, sandbox environments, and data governance compliance.
early HTA
Innovation hubs ensure data quality and liaise with external evaluators (such as Syreon Institute).
Market potential validation
Innovation hubs synthesize outcomes into policy briefs or scale-up proposals, aligning them with national or regional health priorities.