Skip to main content

Healthy Ideas, Healthy Returns

Together we support the entrepreneurs who build our healthy future

The invitation only Benelux platform for tomorrow’s academic Health ventures.

In memoriam

Unfortunately, we received the sad news that Harrold van Barlingen, founder of Thuja Capital, passed away on Tuesday 7 January. Harrold was one of our most loyal supporters and participated actively in HIHR from the very beginning. We were very happy to see him again at our last edition in November and his health seemed to be improving. Regrettably, things turned out differently.
Our thoughts go out to his family and colleagues.
The world of healthcare venture building loses in him a passionate, driven and skilled investor. Harrold will be dearly missed.

Connect with our Human Health community of knowledge institutes, spin-off initiatives, investors and industry partners.

HIHR offers valuable networking opportunities, allowing spin-offs to build up contacts for investments in follow-up programs, as well as a good feedback to sharpen their propositions.

Our practitioner driven network that brings together around hundred investors, spin-offs and TTO-professionals within the Benelux is gathering momentum and is increasingly recognised as a valuable player in early stage healthcare ventures. 

With the help of many experts, we offer projects and start ups in the Human Health in broadest sense, from Biotech Therapeutics and Diagnostics to Medtech and digital Health an opportunity to test their ideas, strategy and investment proposition and receive tailormade feedback from investors and industry partners.

More than 230 academic spin off projects participated in HIHR

Ever since 2016 we have helped more than 230 projects with strategic advice, presentation skills and network introductions.

Press here to view all projects

Click here for a summary of 2024 and our resolutions for 2025.

Mark these dates in 2025!

HIHR-16 Spring

HIHR-17 Fall

Submission deadline pitch nominations & Quickfire sessions

Thursday March 27

Thursday September 18

Online Quickfire sessions
(9am, 12pm & 5pm)

21 – 25 april

6 – 10 October

Live Pitch session

Antwerp, May 7

t.b.c. (NL), October 15

Call for nominations HIHR-16 now open!

We warmly invite Start ups in the Human Health, seeking seed investment to nominate their project for a start up pitch at our live event in Antwerp, on May 7, 2025.

If you’d like to talk once freely and openly about your ideas with investors or KTO experts, then sign up for a constructive, intimate Quickfire session.

We offer again one HIHR alumni project who has reached a new milestone, the floor to share their experiences and present their proposition once more.

Press here for information and nomination

We invite all stakeholders in academic venture development to join our platform:

Spin-off initiatives

Connect with investors and industry partners.

During the preparations and sessions itself you will get highly valued, tailor made feedback, preparing you to connect with leading companies and investors in the medical innovation field.

Read more

Public Research Organisations (PRO’s)

Support and networking for your (potential) spin-offs.

Expert sessions, pitchtraining and webinars provide hands-on feedback for you and the entrepreneurs you work with.

Read more

Investors & industry partners

An unique sneakpeak into the upcoming spin-off initiatives from all Benelux knowledge institutes in the human health.

Spin off initiatives are selected and supported in the preperation for their pitch or Quickfire presentations at our informal events.

Read more

HIHR helped another 23 new projects at HIHR-15, November 2024

We’re very pleased that yet again we’ve been able to help 23 new Spin off projects with their next entrepreneurial steps during our 15th edition November lately. Thanks to the great feed back of investors, corporates, KTO experts and the help of our volunteers, sponsors and supporters we look back on a successfull event. We’re proud to have helped 14 Quickfire sessions with constructive and strategic advice and offered 9 start ups a pitch-opportunity to present their proposition and interact directly during our live event in Utrechtt.

Press here for an impression of our 15th edition

HIHR helped us enormously in improving our pitch.

Pieter Roelfsema, Phosphoenix

At HIHR 2019 we had the opportunity as an academic team to pitch our spin-off project to a group of investors. After teaming up with an experienced entrepreneur and thorough due diligence, we successfully secured funding from some of those investors.

Kevin Braeckmans, Trince
View their Journey

Great opportunity to get honest feedback from a great panel of experts and investors, even for projects in a rather early stage (QF Sessions).

Sven Arnouts, Ghent University

As an early stage investor, HIHR is a unique opportunity to meet entrepreneurs in life sciences that are motivated to bring their work to patients. In addition, the meeting clearly has an objective to have benefits for all involved. I learned a lot from both presenters as well as questions from the audience.

Kjell Mortier, Novalis Biotech

Participating Public Research Organisations (PROs)

Supporting PROs

Regular PROs

Golden Partner

Silver Partners

Supporters

Other participating funds

Many leading funds and venture developers are participating in our events. Found out here the list of all investors and industry partners that have joined our pitch sessions.