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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.

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.

HIHR-16 helped another 20 new projects

The live pitch session on May 7 with high level pitch presentations in the intimate and beautiful chapel of the Grauwzusters Convent in Antwerp was the perfect apotheose of our successfull 16th edition.

Alltogether we have helped another 20 new promissing projects:

  • 10 very early projects got constructive advice during our online Quickfire sessions from  April 22 – 28
  • 10 new academic start ups presented themselves at our live pitch event in Antwerp on the morning of May 7.
  • In the afternoon KTO-professionals discussed the challenges and hurdles around the CEO-gap in the 3rd KTO-Meetup session
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Nearly 250 academic spin off projects have been helped by HIHR

Ever since 2016 we have helped 249 projects with strategic advice, presentation skills and network introductions.

Press here to view all projects

About 85% has raised funding or is in the process of further development.

Nice balance between Biotech and Medtech, with Digital Health coming up

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.

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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.

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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.

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Mark these dates for our fall edition in 2025!

HIHR-17 Fall

Submission deadline pitch nominations & Quickfire sessions

Thursday September 18

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

7 – 13 October

Live Pitch session

October 15, location t.b.c.

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.