Innovation in healthcare can be described as a new idea applied to address an unmet clinical need. It is important for healthcare innovation to be driven by real patient needs rather than just technological advancement alone. Successful healthcare innovation requires evidence that an idea works and creates value for stakeholders like patients and providers. The Biodesign process develops innovations to solve clearly defined healthcare problems. In recent years, investment in European healthcare startups has grown significantly, with many accelerators and universities helping to support early-stage companies in developing need-driven solutions.

1. Innovation in Healthcare
From Tech Push to Need Pull
Florence (Italy), October 11th 2019 Adriano Fontanari

2. What is Innovation?
Innovation can be
described as a new idea
applied to a market need
(and introduced into the
marketplace)
...but also the original
recombination of existing
ideas (Schumpeter)
Pasteur’s Quadrant
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laws and are protected under international copyright laws.

3. What is Healthcare?
Services &
Facilities
Managed Care
Laboratories
Pharma
Tech (basic)
Tech
(high tech)
healthcare
Agri-Tech
Feedstock &
Chemicals
Biotech
Digital &
Information
Tech
Source: Nina Capital
life science
distinction between:
● healthcare
● life science
● health tech
● digital health

4. Tech Push or Need Pull
Need Concept
Need Pull
Concept
Need?
Tech Push
Need?
Need?
Need?
Source: EIT health

5. What is it important to de-risk innovation?
High cost of failure
The roadmap from idea to
product is long and
expensive
Source: https://www.cbinsights.com/research/startup-failure-reasons-top/. All images are copyright to their respective
owners and are protected under international copyright laws and are protected under international
copyright laws.

6. Innovation in healthcare: evidence based and value based
FAKE IT
UNTIL YOU
MAKE IT
NOT IN
HEALTHCARE
Sources: https://www.gamechangers.technology/technology-readiness-levels/,
https://www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/data-research/clinical-trials/how-do-clinical-trials-progress,
https://global.agfahealthcare.com/us/enterprise-imaging/value-based-healthcare/,
https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/25/18197713/the-inventor-review-theranos-scandal-silicon-valley-startup
-elizabeth-holmes-fraud-sundance-2019. All images are copyright to their respective owners and are
protected under international copyright laws and are protected under international copyright laws.

7. Biodesign: need driven innovation
Source: http://biodesign.stanford.edu/about-us/process.html. All images are copyright to their respective owners and
are protected under international copyright laws and are protected under international copyright laws.

8. Biodesign: the need
...a way to solve a problem in a
given population to create a
specific outcome
VALUE
STAKEHOLDERS ALIGNMENT
Source: http://biodesign.stanford.edu/about-us/process.html. All images are copyright to their respective owners and
are protected under international copyright laws and are protected under international copyright laws.

9. The European Healthcare Startup Ecosystem
In the last six years, the volume of
investments in healthcare companies
grew more than 4x, from € 2,6 B in
2013 to € 11,7 B in 2018.
Fig. 1: Distribution of Healthcare startups in
Europe that raised at least a Series A
(2009-2019), 728 observations.
Source: The European Healthcare Startup Ecosystem (Nina Capital). All images are copyright to their
respective owners and are protected under international copyright laws and are protected under
international copyright laws.

10. Spotlight on Accelerators
Distribution of accelerators dealing with
Healthcare, HealthTech, Digital Health, Pharma &
Biotech Startups in Europe, 162 obs.
Distribution of the best accelerators in
Europe, 30 obs.
Source: The European Healthcare Startup Ecosystem (Nina Capital). All images are copyright to their
respective owners and are protected under international copyright laws and are protected under
international copyright laws.

11. Spotlight on Universities & Research Centers
Quantitative Analysis (Fig. 5), 132 obs. Qualitative Analysis (Fig. 6), 32 obs.
Distribution of Universities / Research Centers in Europe with successful HealthTech spin-off
Source: The European Healthcare Startup Ecosystem (Nina Capital). All images are copyright to their
respective owners and are protected under international copyright laws and are protected under
international copyright laws.

12. Adriano Fontanari
Digital Health Innovation
https://adry.health/
Link:
https://www.nina.capital/news
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All images are copyright to their respective owners and are protected under international copyright
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