Accelerator Program
Validate your healthtech solution. Pitch to investors. Scale across Europe.
The DigiCare Innovation Accelerator is a European acceleration programme designed for ambitious healthtech and digital-health startups ready to move beyond proof of concept.
Bringing together universities, healthcare providers, researchers, innovation ecosystems, and industry experts across Europe, the programme helps startups validate their solutions in real-world healthcare environments, strengthen regulatory and market readiness, connect with investors, and prepare for sustainable growth.
Whether you are developing AI-powered healthcare solutions, digital therapeutics, medical technologies, remote monitoring platforms, oncology innovations, mental health applications, or smart living technologies, the DigiCare Innovation Accelerator provides the expertise, infrastructure, and international network needed to transform innovative ideas into scalable healthcare solutions.
Bringing together universities, healthcare providers, researchers, innovation ecosystems, and industry experts across Europe, the programme helps startups validate their solutions in real-world healthcare environments, strengthen regulatory and market readiness, connect with investors, and prepare for sustainable growth.
Whether you are developing AI-powered healthcare solutions, digital therapeutics, medical technologies, remote monitoring platforms, oncology innovations, mental health applications, or smart living technologies, the DigiCare Innovation Accelerator provides the expertise, infrastructure, and international network needed to transform innovative ideas into scalable healthcare solutions.
Why DigiCare?
Building an innovative product is only the beginning.
Successful health-tech innovation requires clinical validation, user acceptance, regulatory awareness, market understanding, strategic partnerships, and investor confidence.
The DigiCare Innovation Accelerator supports startups throughout this journey by combining practical learning, personalised mentoring, cross-border collaboration, and access to specialised European HealthTech testbeds where solutions can be explored and refined in realistic healthcare and living environments.
Successful health-tech innovation requires clinical validation, user acceptance, regulatory awareness, market understanding, strategic partnerships, and investor confidence.
The DigiCare Innovation Accelerator supports startups throughout this journey by combining practical learning, personalised mentoring, cross-border collaboration, and access to specialised European HealthTech testbeds where solutions can be explored and refined in realistic healthcare and living environments.
Why Join the DigiCare Innovation Accelerator?
Validate in Real Healthcare Environments
Unlike many accelerator programmes, DigiCare provides access to specialised European HealthTech testbeds where startups can evaluate their solutions with clinicians, researchers, patients, healthcare professionals, and end users.
Validation in realistic environments helps generate the technical, clinical, usability, and implementation evidence needed for market adoption, procurement, reimbursement discussions, regulatory readiness, and investment.
Unlike many accelerator programmes, DigiCare provides access to specialised European HealthTech testbeds where startups can evaluate their solutions with clinicians, researchers, patients, healthcare professionals, and end users.
Validation in realistic environments helps generate the technical, clinical, usability, and implementation evidence needed for market adoption, procurement, reimbursement discussions, regulatory readiness, and investment.
Learn from European Experts
Participants benefit from a structured programme combining online and on-site workshops, individual feedback sessions, mentoring, and peer learning.
Topics include:
• Lean Startup methodology
• HealthTech validation
• Regulatory pathways (MDR, IVDR, GDPR)
• Low-cost testing methodologies
• Value proposition design
• Go-to-market strategy
• Investor readiness
• Funding strategies
• Strategic partnerships
• Scaling operations and leadership
Topics include:
• Lean Startup methodology
• HealthTech validation
• Regulatory pathways (MDR, IVDR, GDPR)
• Low-cost testing methodologies
• Value proposition design
• Go-to-market strategy
• Investor readiness
• Funding strategies
• Strategic partnerships
• Scaling operations and leadership
Become Part of a European Innovation Network
The DigiCare Innovation consortium connects leading universities and healthcare innovation ecosystems across Portugal, Spain, Germany, and Romania.
Participants collaborate with researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, investors, and fellow founders through international workshops, cross-country Coffee Clubs, Demo Days, and networking activities designed to support long-term collaboration beyond the programme itself.
Participants collaborate with researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, investors, and fellow founders through international workshops, cross-country Coffee Clubs, Demo Days, and networking activities designed to support long-term collaboration beyond the programme itself.
Meet Investors
Preparing for investment is an integral part of the accelerator.
Throughout the programme, startups refine their investment narrative, develop an investor-ready pitch deck, identify suitable funding pathways, and present their solutions during local Demo Days attended by investors, healthcare organisations, universities, incubators, and regional innovation stakeholders.
Throughout the programme, startups refine their investment narrative, develop an investor-ready pitch deck, identify suitable funding pathways, and present their solutions during local Demo Days attended by investors, healthcare organisations, universities, incubators, and regional innovation stakeholders.
Prepare to Scale Across Europe
The programme supports startups in developing sustainable growth strategies through guidance on strategic partnerships, operational readiness, leadership development, and international expansion.
The objective is not only to accelerate innovation but also to prepare startups for successful implementation within European healthcare systems.
The objective is not only to accelerate innovation but also to prepare startups for successful implementation within European healthcare systems.
European HealthTech Testbeds
A defining feature of the DigiCare Innovation Accelerator is access to a network of specialised European HealthTech testbeds.
These are not conventional laboratories. They are real-world validation environments where startups collaborate with clinicians, researchers, healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, and end users to evaluate their technologies in authentic healthcare and living settings.
By combining scientific expertise, healthcare practice, and innovation ecosystems across Europe, the DigiCare testbeds enable startups to move beyond proof of concept and generate the evidence required for investment, market adoption, regulatory readiness, procurement, reimbursement, and international growth.
Whether your innovation focuses on digital health, oncology, mental wellbeing, AI, smart living, or remote monitoring, the DigiCare ecosystem provides opportunities to validate solutions where they will ultimately create impact – in real life.
These are not conventional laboratories. They are real-world validation environments where startups collaborate with clinicians, researchers, healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, and end users to evaluate their technologies in authentic healthcare and living settings.
By combining scientific expertise, healthcare practice, and innovation ecosystems across Europe, the DigiCare testbeds enable startups to move beyond proof of concept and generate the evidence required for investment, market adoption, regulatory readiness, procurement, reimbursement, and international growth.
Whether your innovation focuses on digital health, oncology, mental wellbeing, AI, smart living, or remote monitoring, the DigiCare ecosystem provides opportunities to validate solutions where they will ultimately create impact – in real life.
CalmXR – Mental Health Innovation
Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC Barcelona)
Where immersive technologies meet mental wellbeing.
The CalmXR Testbed provides an innovative validation environment dedicated to digital mental health and immersive healthcare technologies.
Designed around virtual reality experiences that promote stress reduction, emotional resilience, and wellbeing, the platform enables startups to evaluate how digital interventions perform in realistic settings with real participants.
Researchers, psychologists, clinicians, students, and innovation experts collaborate throughout the validation process, helping startups understand user engagement, usability, behavioural outcomes, and implementation potential.
The testbed combines immersive virtual environments, structured assessment methodologies, and future-oriented AI integration, creating an ideal environment for validating next-generation mental health solutions before entering healthcare markets.
Best suited for innovations in:
• Digital Mental Health
• XR / VR Healthcare
• Digital Therapeutics
• Stress & Anxiety Management
• Behavioural Health
• Wellbeing Technologies
• AI-supported Mental Health Solutions
Where immersive technologies meet mental wellbeing.
The CalmXR Testbed provides an innovative validation environment dedicated to digital mental health and immersive healthcare technologies.
Designed around virtual reality experiences that promote stress reduction, emotional resilience, and wellbeing, the platform enables startups to evaluate how digital interventions perform in realistic settings with real participants.
Researchers, psychologists, clinicians, students, and innovation experts collaborate throughout the validation process, helping startups understand user engagement, usability, behavioural outcomes, and implementation potential.
The testbed combines immersive virtual environments, structured assessment methodologies, and future-oriented AI integration, creating an ideal environment for validating next-generation mental health solutions before entering healthcare markets.
Best suited for innovations in:
• Digital Mental Health
• XR / VR Healthcare
• Digital Therapeutics
• Stress & Anxiety Management
• Behavioural Health
• Wellbeing Technologies
• AI-supported Mental Health Solutions
LivingLab – Digital Oncology Care
“Grigore T. Popa“ University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iași • Regional Institute of Oncology Iași • GreenSoft
Bringing innovation closer to patients.
The LivingLab is a collaborative digital oncology environment where startups can validate healthcare innovations directly within authentic clinical pathways.
Developed through the close collaboration of academia, clinicians, technology providers, and healthcare organisations, the platform supports patient engagement, symptom monitoring, treatment adherence, communication between patients and healthcare professionals, and personalised digital care.
Rather than testing technology in isolation, startups explore how their solutions integrate into real healthcare workflows, generating valuable evidence on clinical relevance, usability, interoperability, patient experience, and implementation feasibility.
This collaborative approach helps innovators prepare their solutions for adoption within modern healthcare systems.
Best suited for innovations in:
• Oncology
• Digital Patient Pathways
• Remote Monitoring
• Patient Engagement
• Clinical Decision Support
• AI in Oncology
• Digital Therapeutics
• Chronic Disease Management
Bringing innovation closer to patients.
The LivingLab is a collaborative digital oncology environment where startups can validate healthcare innovations directly within authentic clinical pathways.
Developed through the close collaboration of academia, clinicians, technology providers, and healthcare organisations, the platform supports patient engagement, symptom monitoring, treatment adherence, communication between patients and healthcare professionals, and personalised digital care.
Rather than testing technology in isolation, startups explore how their solutions integrate into real healthcare workflows, generating valuable evidence on clinical relevance, usability, interoperability, patient experience, and implementation feasibility.
This collaborative approach helps innovators prepare their solutions for adoption within modern healthcare systems.
Best suited for innovations in:
• Oncology
• Digital Patient Pathways
• Remote Monitoring
• Patient Engagement
• Clinical Decision Support
• AI in Oncology
• Digital Therapeutics
• Chronic Disease Management
KogniHome – Smart Primary Care Environment
Hochschule Bielefeld – University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSBI)
Testing tomorrow’s healthcare where people actually live.
KogniHome is an advanced smart-home living laboratory designed to evaluate digital health technologies in realistic everyday environments.
Equipped with connected devices, ambient sensors, smart-home technologies, and interoperable digital infrastructure, the living lab enables startups to understand how their innovations perform during daily routines rather than under artificial laboratory conditions.
Beyond technical validation, startups gain valuable insights into user acceptance, interoperability, workflow integration, and long-term adoption, helping transform innovative prototypes into trusted healthcare solutions.
KogniHome creates a bridge between technological innovation, independent living, healthy ageing, and community-based care.
Best suited for innovations in:
• Healthy Ageing
• Smart Living
• Remote Monitoring
• AI for Healthcare
• IoT Solutions
• Assistive Technologies
• Independent Living
• Preventive Care
Testing tomorrow’s healthcare where people actually live.
KogniHome is an advanced smart-home living laboratory designed to evaluate digital health technologies in realistic everyday environments.
Equipped with connected devices, ambient sensors, smart-home technologies, and interoperable digital infrastructure, the living lab enables startups to understand how their innovations perform during daily routines rather than under artificial laboratory conditions.
Beyond technical validation, startups gain valuable insights into user acceptance, interoperability, workflow integration, and long-term adoption, helping transform innovative prototypes into trusted healthcare solutions.
KogniHome creates a bridge between technological innovation, independent living, healthy ageing, and community-based care.
Best suited for innovations in:
• Healthy Ageing
• Smart Living
• Remote Monitoring
• AI for Healthcare
• IoT Solutions
• Assistive Technologies
• Independent Living
• Preventive Care
One European Validation Ecosystem
Together, the DigiCare Innovation testbeds create a unique European validation ecosystem where startups can access complementary expertise, infrastructures, and healthcare environments across multiple countries.
Rather than offering isolated testing facilities, DigiCare connects innovators with an international network of universities, healthcare providers, researchers, technology experts, and end users working together to accelerate healthcare innovation.
This European dimension enables startups to:
• Validate technologies in diverse healthcare environments.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary international teams.
• Generate evidence that supports investment, procurement, reimbursement, and regulatory pathways.
• Strengthen market readiness before scaling.
• Build strategic partnerships across the European innovation ecosystem.
• The result is more than product validation – it is a pathway from innovation to real-world healthcare impact across Europe.
Rather than offering isolated testing facilities, DigiCare connects innovators with an international network of universities, healthcare providers, researchers, technology experts, and end users working together to accelerate healthcare innovation.
This European dimension enables startups to:
• Validate technologies in diverse healthcare environments.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary international teams.
• Generate evidence that supports investment, procurement, reimbursement, and regulatory pathways.
• Strengthen market readiness before scaling.
• Build strategic partnerships across the European innovation ecosystem.
• The result is more than product validation – it is a pathway from innovation to real-world healthcare impact across Europe.
Programme Structure
The DigiCare Innovation Accelerator follows a structured, step-by-step journey that combines self-directed work, expert guidance, practical validation, and international collaboration.
Self-Starter Period
Participants begin by refining their business documentation, validating their problem-solution fit, and preparing for the programme.
Participants begin by refining their business documentation, validating their problem-solution fit, and preparing for the programme.
Onboarding
The programme officially starts with an online onboarding event introducing participants to the DigiCare ecosystem, programme activities, and expectations.
The programme officially starts with an online onboarding event introducing participants to the DigiCare ecosystem, programme activities, and expectations.
Phase 1 – Validate
Startups strengthen their business model, understand regulatory requirements, prioritise business hypotheses, and develop structured validation plans.
Startups strengthen their business model, understand regulatory requirements, prioritise business hypotheses, and develop structured validation plans.
Phase 2 – Grow & Pitch
Participants design their go-to-market strategy, refine their value proposition, prepare investor presentations, and showcase their innovations during local Demo Days.
Participants design their go-to-market strategy, refine their value proposition, prepare investor presentations, and showcase their innovations during local Demo Days.
Phase 3 – Fund & Scale
The final phase focuses on funding strategies, investor engagement, strategic partnerships, operational scaling, leadership, and long-term business growth.
The final phase focuses on funding strategies, investor engagement, strategic partnerships, operational scaling, leadership, and long-term business growth.
Who Should Apply?
The DigiCare Innovation Accelerator welcomes early-stage startups developing innovative solutions in:
• Digital Health
• HealthTech
• Medical Technologies
• Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare
• Digital Therapeutics
• Mental Health
• Oncology
• Remote Monitoring
• Healthy Ageing
• Community Care
• Smart Living Technologies
The programme is particularly suitable for startups at pre-seed or seed stage that have reached at least Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and are ready to validate their solutions in real-world environments while preparing for investment and international growth.
• Digital Health
• HealthTech
• Medical Technologies
• Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare
• Digital Therapeutics
• Mental Health
• Oncology
• Remote Monitoring
• Healthy Ageing
• Community Care
• Smart Living Technologies
The programme is particularly suitable for startups at pre-seed or seed stage that have reached at least Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and are ready to validate their solutions in real-world environments while preparing for investment and international growth.
What Participants Will Achieve
By the end of the programme, startups will have developed:
• A validated business and testing strategy
• A stronger understanding of regulatory requirements
• A refined value proposition
• A national go-to-market strategy
• An investor-ready pitch deck
• A funding strategy
• A partnership roadmap
• A scaling blueprint
• Valuable connections with European innovation ecosystems, healthcare organisations, investors, and fellow founders
• A validated business and testing strategy
• A stronger understanding of regulatory requirements
• A refined value proposition
• A national go-to-market strategy
• An investor-ready pitch deck
• A funding strategy
• A partnership roadmap
• A scaling blueprint
• Valuable connections with European innovation ecosystems, healthcare organisations, investors, and fellow founders
Building the Future of European Healthcare Innovation
The DigiCare Innovation Accelerator is more than an accelerator programme.
It is a European ecosystem where startups, universities, healthcare providers, researchers, investors, and innovation partners work together to transform promising ideas into evidence-based healthcare solutions capable of creating real impact.
Validate your innovation.
Connect with Europe’s healthcare ecosystem.
Build partnerships.
Scale with confidence.
It is a European ecosystem where startups, universities, healthcare providers, researchers, investors, and innovation partners work together to transform promising ideas into evidence-based healthcare solutions capable of creating real impact.
Validate your innovation.
Connect with Europe’s healthcare ecosystem.
Build partnerships.
Scale with confidence.
