EIC pitching at HBI Paris: SPIN4EIC links AI medical imaging startups with buyers
- ›On 26 March 2025 EIC-backed innovators pitched AI medical imaging solutions at Healthcare Business International in Paris via the SPIN4EIC programme.
- ›Five EIC Accelerator beneficiaries presented technologies ranging from AI-native PACS viewers to an ultra-low-field, full-body MRI concept relying on SQUID detection.
- ›The session matched innovators with industry buyers including Rimed Unilabs, Affidea and 3R and formed part of the EIC Innovation Procurement Programme.
- ›SPIN4EIC offers training, matchmaking and hands-on procurement assistance to help EIC awardees bid for public and private procurement opportunities.
EIC pitching at HBI Paris: SPIN4EIC links AI medical imaging startups with buyers
On 26 March 2025 a cohort of European innovators supported by the European Innovation Council gathered at Healthcare Business International in Paris to pitch artificial intelligence solutions for medical imaging. The session was organised under the EIC Innovation Procurement Programme and powered by the SPIN4EIC initiative. Its intent was practical. EIC beneficiaries showcased technologies to private buyers and procurement stakeholders to accelerate commercial adoption and explore pilot or procurement opportunities.
Event setting and participants
The HBI event functioned as a networking and pitching hub where startups, buyers and intermediaries could discuss clinical needs, integration and procurement. Private buyer representatives included Rimed – Unilabs, Affidea and 3R. SPIN4EIC organised the session to surface practical procurement opportunities and to help innovators understand buyer requirements and procurement routes.
Who presented at the SPIN4EIC pitching session
Five EIC Accelerator beneficiaries presented technologies positioned to change aspects of clinical imaging workflows, diagnostics and hardware accessibility.
| Company | Technology and pitch | Contact (named in event materials) |
| Better Medicine | AI designed to improve patient outcomes and optimise radiology workflows through intelligent insights, with a focus on earlier cancer detection in routine imaging. | Priit Salumaa – LinkedIn |
| Raidium | An AI-native viewer and platform that aims to unify radiology workflows and provide access to imaging biomarkers via a foundation-model approach. | Sebastian Schwarz – LinkedIn |
| Chipiron | Aiming to build the first lightweight, affordable, open full-body MRI system operating at ultra-low magnetic fields under 10 mT using SQUID detectors and advanced AI reconstruction. | Evan Kervella – LinkedIn |
| AI4Medimaging | AI systems for intelligent image analysis to support clinical decision-making across imaging modalities, including a cardiac MRI product (AI4CMR mentioned in related material). | António Murta – LinkedIn |
| Contextflow | Computer-aided detection software for chest CT integrated into existing PACS workflows with features aimed at nodule detection and lung disease support. | Julie Sufana – LinkedIn |
Technical concepts explained
Voices from the event
Participants emphasised the practical aim of the session which was to engage buyers early and to turn product demonstrations into pilots and procurement opportunities.
Julie Sufana, Chief Marketing Officer at Contextflow, said the priority was to resonate with healthcare providers and to start collaborative discussions that could scale AI in clinical practice.
From the buyer side Alain Mayer, Chief Medical Officer at Rimed Unilabs, explained buyers are increasingly attentive to AI and the event was a good place to identify emerging companies with promising products for evaluation and potential purchase.
Federica Zanca, Programme Manager Medical Imaging and AI in Healthcare at EISMEA, described programme managers' roles as identifying emerging technologies, helping SMEs scale internationally and creating ecosystems that move research to market.
EIC Business Acceleration Services and SPIN4EIC: practical context
SPIN4EIC is part of the EIC Business Acceleration Services that aim to help EIC-backed innovators commercialise and scale. The initiative combines training, matchmaking and tailored procurement assistance for innovators and buyers. It also maintains a community and a newsletter to announce academies, open calls and assistance windows.
| EIC BAS metric | Figure reported on EIC site | Context |
| One-on-one meetings facilitated | +20,000 | Matches between EIC awardees and corporates, procurers and investors since 2021 |
| Deals reported | 595 | Deals following EIC facilitated contacts |
| Money raised through investor outreach | EUR 350 million | Capital connected through investor readiness and outreach activities |
| Turnover from trade fairs | EUR 42 million | Since 2024 according to EIC figures |
| Procurement value raised through support | EUR 7.7 million | Raised through innovation procurement support out of EUR 28.4 million in submitted tenders, metric started reporting in March 2024 |
Implications and caveats
Events that bring innovators and buyers together are a necessary step in adoption. Procurement and pilot projects can reduce commercial risk and produce the evidence needed for broader roll out. However several barriers remain. Clinical validation and peer reviewed evidence are essential to convince clinicians and payers. Regulatory clearance, conformity with MDR, CE marking or FDA criteria and local reimbursement pathways can be lengthy and resource intensive. Integration with hospital IT, data protection and interoperability with PACS and electronic health records are operational hurdles that can slow pilots. Finally, buyer interest at an event does not guarantee procurement. Formal tender requirements, procurement budgets and procurement timetables will determine whether pilots translate to contracts.
Practical next steps for innovators and buyers
SPIN4EIC and the EIC BAS recommend concrete actions for those interested in procurement-led scale up. Innovators should document clinical evidence, create clear integration guides for PACS and hospital IT teams and prepare procurement-compliant tender documentation. Buyers should define need statements and outcome measures and consider open market consultations to de-risk requirements before tendering.
To engage with SPIN4EIC monitor the SPIN4EIC website, join the EIC Innovation Procurement Programme LinkedIn group and subscribe to the SPIN4EIC newsletter. The initiative also offers a Helpdesk for tailored support and runs Innovation Procurement Academies and assistance calls for both EIC innovators and public buyers.
How to follow up
Missed the session and want to engage? Key routes are to subscribe to the EIC BAS newsletter, join the SPIN4EIC community, check open assistance calls such as the SPIN4EIC Assistance Action for EIC Innovators and contact the SPIN4EIC Helpdesk for bespoke procurement advice. For buyers, SPIN4EIC runs an Assistance to Public Buyers call to support needs assessment and market engagement.
The information in this article is provided for knowledge sharing and does not represent an official opinion of the European Commission or its agencies. Readers should verify vendor claims independently, request clinical data and regulatory documentation and assess local procurement requirements before proceeding with procurement.