How the EIC Framed European Medtech at MEDICA 2025 and What to Watch Next

Brussels, November 28th 2025

Summary

›From 17 to 20 November 2025 the European Innovation Council organised a 15-company delegation inside the EIC Pavilion at MEDICA 2025 in Düsseldorf.
›Exhibitors highlighted AI diagnostics, remote monitoring, advanced coatings, organ-on-chip and rapid microbiology tools, while the Pavilion ran panels on AI, sustainable devices, mobile diagnostics and scaling.
›EIC used the event to explain funding lines and the EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0 which supports internationalisation, matchmaking and coaching for awardees.
›Speakers from PwC Strategy&, Johnson and Johnson and EISMEA presented market insights, reverse-pitch opportunities and the EIC 2026 funding outlook.
›Claims of near-term clinical or market impact were made by several start-ups but require independent validation, regulatory clearance and payer pathways before wider adoption.

How the EIC Framed European Medtech at MEDICA 2025

From 17 to 20 November 2025 the European Innovation Council convened a curated delegation of 15 medtech and digital health innovators at MEDICA in Düsseldorf. The EIC Pavilion assembled firms with technologies spanning AI diagnostics, wearable remote monitoring, advanced surgical automation, implantable biomaterials and rapid microbiology. The presence was positioned as an exercise in internationalisation and investor engagement under the EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0.

Who attended and what they showed

The cohort represented a mix of early stage start-ups and scale-ups from across Europe and selected partner jurisdictions. Their offerings ranged from point of care diagnostics to device coatings and tissue engineering. The EIC described the Pavilion as a hub for matchmaking with investors, clinical partners and regulatory stakeholders.

Company	Country	Core technology or focus
Advanced Brain Companion Diagnostics (ABCDx)	Spain	Mobile blood biomarker diagnostics and SaaS for brain injury triage
ADmit Therapeutics	Spain	MAP-AD test using mitochondrial DNA methylation, NGS and machine learning for Alzheimer prognosis
Akara	Ireland	AI-powered operating room data layer, surgical workflow automation and service robots
BrainCapture	Denmark	Portable, point-of-care EEG system and cloud-based expert reading
Check Point Care	Bulgaria	Wearables and AI telemonitoring platform for continuous physiological monitoring
CM4Cure	Belgium	Nanogel CMD-COAT coatings delivering multiple APIs from catheter and device surfaces
EyeControl	Israel	AI-driven communication and engagement platform for ICU recovery and patient interaction
GO-Pen	Denmark	Reusable user-filled insulin pen targeting syringe-dependent populations
Interlinked AB	Sweden	ReLink safety connectors for drains and IV lines to reduce dislodgements and contamination
Lattice Medical	France	3D-printed resorbable implants and tissue engineering matrices for soft tissue reconstruction
neuroClues	Belgium	Eye-tracking environment to quantify neurological exams
POROUS	Germany	Radiation-free 3D ultrasound for cortical bone microstructure and fracture risk
React4Life	Italy	MIVO organ-on-chip platform combining clinical-scale tissue size with millifluidic control
SoundCell	Netherlands	Graphene-based biosensor platform for 1-hour antibiotic susceptibility testing
Time is Brain	Spain	BraiN20 brain monitoring platform to accelerate stroke triage and treatment

Pavilion programme and headline sessions

Across four days the EIC Pavilion ran more than ten activities. Those included market insight presentations, reverse-pitch sessions with corporates, panels on AI in healthcare, and practical sessions on investment and scaling. Thematic highlights were digital health transformation, sustainable device ecosystems, mobile diagnostics for low-resource settings and practical advice on EIC funding pathways.

Market Insight presentation by PwC Strategy&:Manuela Müller-Gerndt of PwC Germany summarised Strategy&’s 'Future of Health' findings. The presentation framed a sector shift from reactive 'DISEASEcare' to a proactive 'WELLcare' or LIFEcare ecosystem driven by personalized consumer demand, data intensive services and new digital business models for biopharma and providers.

Reverse pitch by Johnson and Johnson Innovative Medicine:Ralf Angermund outlined J&J’s partnership priorities and pathways for start-ups to integrate into larger health systems. Reverse pitches like this are designed to signal corporate needs but they do not guarantee procurement or investment. For small companies these sessions are useful for alignment but they are an early step in a long commercialisation process.

EIC on MEDICA’s main stage and AI in healthcare

EIC representatives also presented on MEDICA’s main stage. Dr Andreas Lymberis of EISMEA discussed EIC funding instruments and previewed aspects of the EIC 2026 Work Programme. A panel moderated by Gisela Santos (EIC Business Acceleration Services) focused on artificial intelligence and robotics in clinical settings. Participating start-ups emphasised efficiency and patient benefit but also flagged integration challenges.

EIC funding instruments explained:The EIC supports deep tech across multiple instruments. Pathfinder funds early stage research, Transition helps maturation towards demonstration and market readiness, and the Accelerator offers blended grants and equity for companies pushing to scale. Each instrument targets different technology readiness levels and carries specific requirements for technical milestones, consortia and business plans.

The AI panel featured three EIC-backed companies. Akara discussed automated OR sensing and robot coordination. ABCDx presented mobile blood biomarker diagnostics intended to accelerate stroke triage. EyeControl showcased assistive AI platforms to support communication in intensive care. Panelists emphasised ethical and human-centric design and the importance of interoperability and regulatory compliance as adoption barriers.

What the trade fair presence aims to deliver

According to the EIC, the Pavilion is meant to accelerate internationalisation. Services under the EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0 include pre-departure market briefings, coaching, B2B matchmaking and onsite support. The programme runs through 2024 to 2026 covering key sector fairs in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and the United States. EIC says this approach helps companies convert technical proof points into commercial partnerships and investor conversations.

Technical approaches on show and a brief explainer of the technologies

AI-driven diagnostics and digital biomarkers:Start-ups presented software as a medical device that uses machine learning models trained on clinical and biomarker data. These systems promise faster triage and diagnostics but they face clinical validation requirements, algorithmic generalisability tests and regulatory pathways under the EU Medical Device Regulation and forthcoming AI-specific frameworks.

Graphene biosensors for rapid antibiograms:SoundCell claims a graphene-based sensor that detects bacterial nanomotion on single cells to measure antibiotic susceptibility in under an hour. This approach is biologically plausible and attractive for sepsis care but clinical adoption will require reproducible multicentre trials, CE marking or equivalent approvals and integration with laboratory workflows.

Nanogel multi-API device coatings:CM4Cure demonstrated CMD-COAT, a hydrophilic nanogel meant to deliver multiple active pharmaceutical ingredients from a thin coating. The promise is dual antimicrobial and antithrombotic protection on catheters and complex devices. Key questions remain about chronic release kinetics in vivo, compatibility with sterilisation processes, and regulatory classification when devices carry drug combinations.

Organ-on-chip and MIVO:React4Life presented MIVO, an organ-on-chip platform combining millifluidic control with clinically relevant tissue size. Such platforms can improve preclinical modelling and reduce animal studies. Their value for regulatory decision making depends on standardisation, inter-lab reproducibility and acceptance by drug developers and regulators.

Mitochondrial DNA methylation biomarker for dementia:ADmit Therapeutics described MAP-AD, a blood test leveraging mitochondrial DNA epigenetic markers plus NGS and machine learning to prognose progression to Alzheimer’s dementia. This is an area of intense research interest, but prognostic claims require longitudinal clinical validation, external replication, and clarity on clinical utility and how results will change patient management.

A measured view: opportunities and risks

The EIC Pavilion showcased a diverse set of technologies that reflect current high priority problem areas in healthcare. Europe’s innovation ecosystem benefits from programmes that help innovators access markets and partners. At the same time the road from prototype to clinical and commercial scale remains long. Key friction points include clinical validation, payers and reimbursement, regulatory classification and approval, hospital procurement cycles and interoperability with existing health IT systems.

Start-ups often present pilot results or promising early data at trade fairs. These are useful signals but they are not the same as peer reviewed, multicentre clinical evidence or clear paths to sustainable revenue. Investors, purchasing decision makers and clinicians who attended MEDICA will be seeking evidence that extends beyond proofs of concept.

Operational and policy hurdles to watch

1. Regulatory routes. AI tools and combination products may need multiple approvals and post-market surveillance. 2. Reimbursement and procurement. Without clear reimbursement codes or procurement pathways, clinical adoption will be slow. 3. Data governance. Cross-border deployments face differing data protection rules and requirements for clinical data hosting. 4. Manufacturing scaling. Medical device manufacturing and sterile supply chains are capital intensive. 5. Interoperability. Hospital IT integration is a recurrent barrier for digital health solutions.

EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0 and next steps

The ITF 3.0 is the programme channel the EIC used to select and support the MEDICA delegation. Running 2024 to 2026, ITF 3.0 offers awardees places at major trade fairs, pre-departure coaching, matchmaking and onsite support. The stated objective is internationalisation. For companies, the immediate benefits are exposure, meetings with potential buyers and investors, and practical coaching. The long term measure of success will be converted deals, follow-on funding and regulatory progress.

EIC follow-up and measurement:To assess impact the EIC and independent analysts should report on outcomes such as number of commercial agreements, investment raised after trade fair participation, clinical trial initiations, and regulatory milestones achieved by participating companies in the 12 to 24 months following the event.

The EIC reiterated its commitment to continue participation at MEDICA and other global industry events. Gisela Santos, EIC Programme Coordinator, said MEDICA is an important fair for the health solutions financed by the EIC and that past editions produced 'really good' results for companies. That optimism is understandable. It should be balanced with transparent follow-up metrics so the community can judge whether trade fair support translates into durable scaling.

What to watch next

Watch for concrete signs that participating companies move beyond demonstrations. Specific milestones to track include CE marking or IVDR conformity for diagnostics, CLIA or equivalent accreditation for labs targeting the U.S. market, published multicentre clinical validation studies, first hospital procurements or pilot deployments, and follow-on private financing rounds. The EIC 2026 Work Programme and the next tranche of ITS 3.0 trade fair calls will shape which companies receive similar support in 2026.

For innovators the message is pragmatic. Trade fair exposure can accelerate introductions and visibility but it is one component in a lengthy commercialisation pathway. Realising impact in healthcare requires rigorous clinical evidence, clear regulatory and reimbursement strategies and reliable manufacturing and distribution plans.

Practical links and support

EIC awardees interested in trade fair support should follow open calls on the EIC Community platform and engage with the EIC Business Acceleration Services. The ITF 3.0 publishes calls approximately six months before each trade fair. The EIC also operates coaching, investor-readiness and market access services that can be accessed through the EIC Service Catalogue.

Resource	Where to find it	Notes
EIC Community platform	eic.eismea.eu/community	News, open calls and ITF 3.0 announcements
EIC Service Catalogue and BAS	EIC Business Acceleration Services newsletter and catalogue	Catalogue lists coaching, market access and investor readiness services
EIC ITF 3.0 FAQ and reports	EIC International Trade Fairs Programme pages	Contains programme rules, selection criteria and past reports