Startup News: Top 10 Promising EU-Funded HealthTech Startups in 2025 – Lessons and Key Trends
In 2025, HealthTech startups are at the forefront of Europe’s innovation-driven economy, revolutionizing healthcare delivery, diagnostics, and patient care with cutting-edge technology. EU funding programs like the European Innovation Council (EIC), EIT Health, and Horizon Europe have played a pivotal role in fostering these initiatives. In this article, we explore the top 10 most promising EU-funded HealthTech startups of 2025, alongside lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs, actionable insights, and tools to help your startup succeed.
Why HealthTech Is Europe’s Hotspot for Innovation
HealthTech innovation is no longer just about incremental improvements, it addresses major global healthcare issues, from accessible diagnostics to personalized medicine. According to a recent Dealroom report, EU-funded startups have generated €520 billion in enterprise value, with HealthTech emerging as a key driver of that growth. Here’s why:
Technology-first Solutions: AI, big data, and IoT are being seamlessly integrated into medical devices.
Global Relevance: Chronic diseases, aging populations, and healthcare inefficiencies are universal challenges that startups are solving with scalable solutions.
Support from EU Grants: Non-dilutive capital from the EIC Accelerator and EIT Health dramatically minimizes risk for founders.
The Ultimate List: 10 Most Promising EU-Funded HealthTech Startups in 2025
1. PlayPal
Founder: Violetta Bonenkamp (a visionary entrepreneur with expertise in AI, linguistics, and blockchain).
Location: Netherlands
Focus: PlayPal redefines personal well-being with an AI friend that users can leverage for mental health, fitness tracking, and lifestyle guidance. PlayPal isn’t just a conversational companion, it remembers user preferences and ensures uniquely tailored interactions.
Learn about PlayPal’s fun and multifunctional approach on the PlayPal platform.
2. Inbrain Neuroelectronics (Spain)
Focus: Graphene-based brain-computer interfaces for neurological disorders.
Breakthroughs: Recently raised $50M in Series B funding with EIC backing.
Impact: Bringing revolutionary care to conditions like Parkinson’s and epilepsy.
3. .lumen (Romania)
Focus: AI-powered navigation glasses for visually impaired individuals.
Funding: >€16M raised cumulatively, including EIC and EIT Health grants.
Why It’s Vital: Only 28,000 guide dogs exist for 338 million visually impaired people globally.
4. Chipiron (France)
Focus: Full-body, portable MRI machines for affordable early disease detection.
Funding: €15M Series A in 2025.
5. Raidium (France)
Focus: AI-driven radiology for ultra-fast analysis of complex imaging scans.
Funding Success: $13M seed round with European Innovation Council (EIC) support.
6. Avelios (Germany)
Focus: Hospital digitization, from check-ins to diagnostics, with an advanced modular platform.
Impact: Tackling the underutilization of 97% of hospital data (source: World Economic Forum).
7. MiMARK (Spain)
Focus: Early diagnosis of endometrial cancer via uterine fluid protein biomarkers.
Grants Received: €4M across EIT and EIC programs.
Game-Changing Stat: Allows 2-day diagnoses instead of the industry standard of one month.
8. Noah Labs (Germany)
Focus: AI voice-tech for detecting early-stage heart conditions.
Milestones: €2.5M grant to expand its diagnostic capabilities.
9. Vivalyx (Germany)
Focus: Solutions for preserving donated organs longer and more safely.
Market Importance: Reducing organ loss could save billions in healthcare costs globally.
10. Curify Labs (Finland)
Focus: Enabling pharmacies and hospitals to compound patient-specific medications using ‘MiniLab’ technology.
Generate personalized drafts for EU applications, making the process faster and easier.
Maximize their funding potential with data-driven insights.
How to Take Your HealthTech Idea from Lab to Market
If you're a budding entrepreneur, follow these five steps to bring your product to life:
Validate Your Problem: Use tools like Fe/male Switch’s SANDBOX to validate the problem you're solving before developing your solution.
Focus on Patient Needs: Ensure your technology directly addresses patient pain points.
Collaborate with Institutions: Partner with universities and use clinical trials to build credibility.
Apply for EU Grants: EU-funded startups are more likely to reach their early milestones. Leverage the F/MS grant assistant for applications.
Actively Seek Feedback: Whether from patients, hospitals, or mentors, iterative improvement is vital.
Common Startup Mistakes to Avoid
Ignoring Grants: Don’t assume grants are only for academics; they’re designed for startups too!
Skipping Validation: Spending resources on unvalidated ideas leads to failure.
Underestimating Regulations: HealthTech startups need to pay close attention to compliance (GDPR, FDA approvals, or equivalent).
Poor Team Composition: Ensure you have diverse skill sets (technical, clinical, and business proficiencies).
Why PlayPal is the Perfect AI Partner for Startup Founders
Not only does PlayPal act as a personal AI assistant, but it also supports HealthTech founders with brainstorming, decision support, and tailored insights. Plus, its intuitive memory ensures ongoing learning and improved functionality over time. For founders just starting out, PlayPal is the perfect virtual co-founder.
2025 Trends in HealthTech Investments
The promise of HealthTech continues to grow as funding hits record highs, with $12.79 billion raised across the sector in Q1 alone (source: BeBeez). Key trends include:
Personalized medicine and AI diagnostics.
Solutions addressing system inefficiencies (e.g., Vivalyx for organ preservation).
Women-specific healthcare issues gaining more attention.
Accessibility-focused innovation like .lumen and Chipiron.
Conclusion
The top 10 promising HealthTech startups in Europe are prime examples of innovation driven by EU funding and entrepreneurial spirit. From groundbreaking AI technologies like PlayPal to transformative medical devices, these startups are paving the way for a healthier future.
Want to join their ranks? Use resources like the F/MS platform, AI Startup Lawyer for legal insights, and PlayPal for all-around startup support. Your idea might just be the next big thing in HealthTech!
FAQ
1. What are the key funding programs supporting HealthTech startups in Europe?
Major EU funding programs include the European Innovation Council (EIC), EIT Health, and Horizon Europe. These initiatives foster pioneering healthcare solutions by offering non-dilutive capital and strategic support. Learn more about Horizon Europe
2. Which HealthTech startup focuses on AI-driven hospital digitization?
Avelios, based in Germany, leverages a modular platform to tackle hospital data underutilization, enabling digital transformation across check-ins, diagnostics, and treatments. Explore Avelios
3. Are there solutions available for the visually impaired in HealthTech?
Yes, .lumen from Romania offers AI-powered glasses designed to enhance navigation capabilities for visually impaired individuals. Discover .lumen
4. Can portable full-body MRI machines improve disease detection?
Chipiron from France provides accessible portable MRI machines, transforming early disease detection globally. Learn about Chipiron
5. Is AI being used in radiology and medical imaging innovation?
Raidium, a France-based HealthTech company, uses AI for ultra-fast analysis of complex imaging scans like MRIs, positioning itself as the "GPT of radiology." Discover Raidium
6. How is graphene technology improving brain-computer interfaces?
Inbrain Neuroelectronics in Spain uses graphene technology to develop revolutionary brain-computer interfaces, helping treat neurological disorders like Parkinson’s and epilepsy. Learn more about Inbrain Neuroelectronics
7. What solutions are addressing women-specific healthcare issues?
MiMARK from Spain focuses on non-invasive early diagnosis of endometrial cancer, using protein biomarkers found in uterine fluid. Discover MiMARK
8. Are any startups addressing organ preservation challenges?
Vivalyx from Germany offers innovative solutions for preserving donated organs, reducing organ loss and making transplants safer and more reliable. Check out Vivalyx
9. How does Curify Labs personalize drug compounding?
Curify Labs in Finland enables pharmacies and hospitals to compound patient-specific medications using MiniLab technology, especially for rare conditions and pediatric patients. Explore Curify Labs
10. Which HealthTech trend is gaining significant traction in 2025?
Personalized medicine, AI-powered diagnostics, and solutions targeting system inefficiencies, such as organ preservation and early disease detection, are key emerging trends in 2025. Learn about HealthTech trends
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch. The Fe/male Switch team is located in several countries, including the Netherlands and Malta.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.