Swedish startup Acorai’s vision is to transform heart failure management, and during 2022 the company will have the opportunity to accelerate their solution on the French market.

In July 2021 EIT Health launched a new joint accelerator program for Swedish start-ups in digital health and artificial intelligence (AI). At the inauguration of the accelerator program in Paris on November 17 2021, the six Swedish startups were introduced to the French ecosystem and pitched their solutions to a selected committee of over 25 representatives from EIT Health partners, including PariSanté Campus, Alcen, Digital Pharma Lab, Fondation de l’Avenir, Medicen and Medtronic.

“This accelerator is a great example of how our network can provide the right ingredients to coach entrepreneurs, foster new businesses and spur growth.”

“We want to overcome obstacles to innovation so we can improve healthcare delivery in Europe and make life-changing solutions possible. By working together, we can remove barriers across borders to create a more resilient and dynamic European healthcare system. This accelerator is a great example of how our network can provide the right ingredients to coach entrepreneurs, foster new businesses and spur growth,” says Jean-Marc Bourez Managing Director, EIT Health France.

 

At the inauguration of the accelerator program in Paris on November 17 2021, the six Swedish startups were introduced to the French ecosystem and pitched their solutions to a selected committee of over 25 representatives from EIT Health partners. Photo: Christina Bergstrand

 

One of the most dynamic European countries in AI R&D

The program was initiated with support from the Swedish Innovation Agency Vinnova and within the framework of the strategic innovation partnership between Sweden and France.

“This effort is in line with several of the goals in the Swedish Life Sciences Strategy, and is also a good example of what can be obtained within the French Swedish Partnership for Innovation,” says Jenni Nordborg, National Life Sciences Coordinator, Government Offices of Sweden.

With 82 laboratories, 268 research teams and 5,300 researchers, France is already one of the most dynamic European countries in AI R&D, and many opportunities are opening up for cooperation with the French government to create a more efficient healthcare system, using AI-based solutions, describes EIT Health. The French Government will dedicate 1.5 billion EUR to develop AI by the end of 2022, including 700 million EUR for research.

Over 12 months the six selected Swedish start-ups (Acorai, Deversify, Infrion, Minnity, Walkbeat, and Worldish) will receive tailor made support from EIT Health experts and through the French and European partner network. They will have access to the French healthcare ecosystem, be able to develop new research and tech collaborations and accelerate their solution on the French market.

“The program will provide us with insight into one of our biggest markets. At the same time this opportunity will give us access to important collaboration and stakeholders within the industry.”

“The program will provide us with insight into one of our biggest markets. At the same time this opportunity will give us access to important collaboration and stakeholders within the industry,” says Filip Peters, CEO of Acorai, one of the six selected companies.

Based on their specific roadmap, the six startups have now begun exchanges for potential collaborations with French partners who are best suited to support with their objectives. For example, Medicen, an EIT-Health partner and one of Europe’s largest clusters in life sciences and healthcare, is happy to support Acorai by offering ”Partnerships with clinics – Meeting with KOLs, and understanding of the French market access,” reports EIT Health. Acorai is now also setting up a company and an office in France, and they have just hired their first employee there.

The drive to continue

Filip Peters founded Acorai in 2019 with a vision of transforming heart failure management. His company has developed a non-invasive intracardiac pressure monitoring device to help reduce heart failure (HF) re-hospitalizations.

“Today approximately half of all heart failure patients will need to be hospitalized again within six months. Intracardiac pressure monitoring has been shown to reduce mortality in this patient group by more than 50 percent but today can only be measured by invasive methods. Our heart monitor is completely non-invasive and hence, represents a cost effective alternative for healthcare,” describes Peters.

Around 60 million people are living with heart failure around the world today and the company’s long term vision is to reach out to the majority of these patients, continues Peters.

“France represents a large portion of this patient population and is an important bridge in order to reach out to the rest of the European market.”

“France represents a large portion of this patient population and is an important bridge in order to reach out to the rest of the European market. With some of the world’s leading cardiologists, France is also an important region for us to establish partnerships with leading scientists within heart failure,” he says.

Acorai’s journey has so far involved approved patents and clinical trials. Peters says that early support and interest from doctors, both in Sweden and internationally, provided him and his colleagues with the drive to continue to develop the product despite early setbacks within R&D. “Our advisors have also helped us understand the importance of thinking like a medtech startup, not just a startup, which has led us to financing from the right investors to take us further,” he concludes.

 

Filip Peters

Filip Peters, CEO, Acorai. Photo: Christina Bergstrand

 

Filip Peters: 3 X Startup advice

1. Define clear and distinct milestones and establish clear value creation steps.
2. Think globally, not locally
3. Advice built on experience from fields that feel adjacent can be completely different.

 

 

The six selected start-ups

Acorai AB: The company has developed a non-invasive intracardiac pressure monitoring device to help reduce heart failure (HF) re-hospitalizations.

Deversify: The company develops and commercializes mobile electronic devices and apps to monitor biomarkers for individualized health, specializing in breathalyzers and personalized nutrition.

INFRION AB: Via a web portal (SaaS) the company delivers all the components needed to run a testing clinic, interfacing with labs, health authorities and patients.

Minnity: The company improves caregiving skills through short, interactive digital training and enhances the working environment through a personalized care tool with care team collaboration features.

Walkbeat AB: The company has developed the world’s first easy-to-use tool to monitor, track and accurately analyze gait in any environment, such as clinic or daily life, for areas such as orthopedics, post-stroke rehabilitation, mobility disorders and sports injuries.

Worldish AB: The company has developed a digital and multilingual communication and work assistant called Helen that can be used within healthcare between caregiver and patient.