The grand finale of the NetHub Validated pre-acceleration program was held on February 7, 2023, at the NetHub Accelerator premises. On Demo Day, three entrepreneurial teams presented their innovations to an expert jury, enriching the innovation potential of the healthcare sector in Adriatic Croatia.
Through the three-month program, the NetHub Accelerator supported healthtech startups by implementing an individualized mentoring package. This included networking with technology mentors, as well as health and social care providers and their users.
At the beginning of the event, the program moderator, Mihaela Papić, addressed the teams, jury, and audience. Following the introductory greeting, Tea Labetić from NetHub Accelerator presented the goals and concept of the NetHub Validated program, highlighting the key benefits of healthcare innovation and the steps involved in the program’s workshops.
Over the past three months, four workshops were conducted: immersion, ideation, prototyping, and finally—user testing. By implementing design thinking and lean startup approaches—putting the end user at the center of the process—the teams developed innovative business ideas in the fields of virtual care, remote patient monitoring, and healthcare data analysis.
On Demo Day, the teams presented their ideas to a jury of experts from various fields in the form of a pitch presentation. The jury included: Damir Brčić (ICT County project coordinator and director of Digital Dalmatia), Prof. Katarina Vukojević, PhD (Vice Dean for Science, Postgraduate Studies, and International Cooperation at the School of Medicine in Split), and Vlado Slišković (co-founder and CFO at the biotechnology spinoff Apiotix Technologies).
The most successful team was declared to be Waveform—a startup whose product is a software solution with a companion wearable device based on sensory technology and the Internet of Things (IoT), intended for the elderly population and their caregivers. This solution will surely contribute to the safety of the elderly and simplify daily life and regular care for both seniors and their loved ones.
Second place was won by Hotel’s Touch—a startup focused on developing an innovative AI-based platform that offers tourists a personalized tourism offer after selecting a specific type of health service. By encouraging the adaptation of the health sector to technological changes and dynamic market conditions, this digital platform will bring progress to both the tourism and healthcare sectors.
Third place was awarded to MetaBelly—a startup with a digital solution idea that provides support in choosing restaurants based on a user’s health condition and preferences. In addition to this, the innovative product offers educational content focused on nutrition, nutritional counseling, and gut microbiome analysis.
At the conclusion, the entrepreneurs expressed great satisfaction with their participation in the pre-acceleration program, emphasizing the new experiences and skills acquired, as well as the networking opportunities NetHub Validated might bring in the future.