Kunsen launches the call for the next edition of its digital health program - #BHHMembersInitiatives

After the success of its first edition, in which 3 healthcare projects were accelerated and invested in (Legit Health, Trak and Exheus), Kunsen brings new partners on board and all the lessons learned from Kunsen.

The goal remains unchanged. To drive the transformation of the healthcare system by helping digital health startups to enter the market, as quickly and efficiently as possible.

In this new edition, they will select 3 projects to keep the work personalised and manage the specific needs of each startup.

What will this new edition be like?

The program will have an approximate duration of 6 months divided in 4 blocks:

• 1-to-1 personalised mentoring

Once their needs and areas of work have been identified, the projects will begin a 3-month stage of will begin a 3-month stage of individualised mentoring with experts in the sector.

The aim is to work over several sessions with each of the mentors, in a practical way and with ready to use knowledge.

These are some of the mentors confirmed for this new edition: José Antonio Hernández (Crowe), Marta de Vicente (Antares Consulting), Alejandro Castillejo (Sanitas), Luis García (Accenture), Aline Noizet (Digital Health Connector), Ignasi Heras (SeedLink), Fernando Atienza (PS Consulting), Beatriz Volckaert (Philips), Mariano Barbero (Dinamiza) and many more.

• Clinical-commercial validation

After the mentoring phase, startups will work on the preparation of the clinical validation in Kunsen's network of hospitals/clinics. Once the protocol is aligned with the interests and needs of the startup, Kunsen will manage the implementation and follow-up, as well as support in the elaboration of a report with the results of the study.

• Market Access

In this 2nd Edition, Kunsen focuses on helping startups to access the market.

• Make your solution reach more than the +250 centers adhered to the ASPE network.
• 1-to-1 meetings with the main healthcare groups in Spain.
• Present your project to the ASPE board of directors.

In addition to the partners of 1st edition, ASPE's support expands Kunsen’s network to more than 200 healthcare industry partners. At the same time, they are working with public agents to facilitate the access of startups to public hospitals.

Jose Luis Fernández, Partner and Program Manager at Kunsen, points out that "Our network of clinics and hospitals is undoubtedly one of the most valuable resources we have. 

Because they make product testing possible in a real environment, which we consider to be adding enormous value to startups. For hospitals it is a way to access to innovative solutions and implement tech solutions in their centers.

It also allows them to get in touch with the startup ecosystem, from which they are often very far away. In this sense, we seek to transform the relationship that the healthcare sector has with startups.”

• Investment Support

Last but not least, Kunsen will help startups structure financial needs and conditions of the capital round, as well as help raise capital from its healthcare network and VC partners.

Kunsen targets startups that develop technological innovations linked to the healthcare sector. These are some of the characteristics they look for in projects:

• Innovative/disruptive value propositions in the digital health and medical devices (SaMD) markets.
• Products with high healthcare value.
• Well-balanced teams with professional processes.
• Scalable business models.
• Projects that solve a REAL need.

Adrian Gorritxo, Partner and Accelerator Developer at Kunsen, says: "We are mainly looking for software projects with an innovative or disruptive component in the digital health and medical devices (SaMD), that seek to solve problems that many people have and always with a focus on clinical evidence. We seek people who are committed to their project and who are experts in the problem they are trying to solve. We really like people who think big and globally from the beginning." 

"About the maturity of the projects, we need projects that have at least an MPV (Minimum Viable Product). In principle, an idea or a PowerPoint is not for us, we care about the execution and how the problem is solved," he adds.

Call for applications

The registration period for the program is now open and applications can be submitted until June 17, 2022 through the form on its new website.

The pre-selected startups will have the opportunity to present their proposals to the industry-experts-committee at the Welcome Day (online/face-to-face) that will be held in early July 2022. From this event will come the 3 finalist projects that will enter the program.