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EIT Health e.V.
EIT Health e.V. was established in 2015 as one of the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology...
EIT Health e.V.
EIT Health e.V. was established in 2015 as one of the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a European Union body. Its founding mandate is to accelerate health innovation across Europe by connecting over 140 partner organizations — including pharmaceutical companies like Sanofi, medical device firms, universities, and hospital networks — into a single cross-border ecosystem (per EIT Health, 2015). The network operates under German association law (e.V.) with its registered seat in Munich. EIT Health deploys capital through a mix of grant-based innovation projects, startup accelerators (notably the EIT Health Headstart programme), and early-stage venture support rather than direct equity investment. It provides up to €50,000 in non-dilutive funding per startup through the Headstart programme, alongside business creation services and access to clinical partners across 15 EU member states. The network has supported over 2,200 startups since inception (per EIT Health, 2023), with portfolio companies spanning digital health, medical devices, diagnostics, and climate-health intersections. Geographic focus is pan-European, with significant activity in Germany, France, Spain, the Nordics, and Benelux. Named portfolio companies include Kheiron Medical (AI breast cancer screening), Cicada Innovations (UK), and HeartKinetics (Belgium). As a KIC, EIT Health does not manage an investment fund in the traditional sense; its budget allocation from the EIT runs approximately €1.2 billion for the 2021–2027 Horizon Europe period (per EIT, 2021). The organization employs roughly 100 staff across its network hubs. Adjacent vehicles include EIT Health InnoStars (Southeast Europe), EIT Health Sweden, and EIT Health Spain, each operating as regional partnership clusters. In 2023, EIT Health launched the EIT Health Venture Centre of Excellence in Barcelona to deepen its support for scaling health startups across borders (per EIT Health, 2023). EIT Health's structural differentiator is its triple-helix model — it is not a family office or venture capital firm but a publicly funded public-private partnership that ties startup support directly to healthcare system needs. Unlike venture funds, it does not take equity or seek financial returns; its success metric is health-system impact and job creation in the EU. This removes the pressure to exit, but also limits its ability to provide significant follow-on capital compared to venture funds. Its governance includes a Supervisory Board with representatives from industry, academia, and healthcare providers.
General information
Firm type
other
Year founded
2015
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Germany
City
Munich
Corporate office
Munich, Germany
Additional offices
Berlin, Germany · Brussels, Belgium · Barcelona, Spain · London, United Kingdom · Paris, France · Stockholm, Sweden · Zaragoza, Spain · Cologne, Germany · Heidelberg, Germany · Rotterdam, Netherlands · Milan, Italy · Dublin, Ireland
Principals
Jorge Juan Fernández García
CEO
Jan-Philipp Beck
CEO (former)
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at EIT Health?
EIT Health does not have a traditional CIO or investment committee because it does not make equity investments. The network's innovation programmes are shaped by its Supervisory Board, which includes representatives from partner organisations like Sanofi, Siemens Healthineers, and the University of Oxford. The CEO, Jorge Juan Fernández García, oversees operational execution.
How does EIT Health source startup deals?
EIT Health operates an open-call model — startups apply through its Headstart accelerator or thematic challenges, which are published twice per year. Selection is managed by local hubs (co-location centres) across 15 EU countries, with evaluation criteria that include health impact, innovation level, and scalability within the EU.
Is EIT Health structured as a venture capital fund or a grant-making body?
EIT Health is a public-private partnership (KIC) under European law, not a venture capital fund. It provides non-dilutive grants (up to €50,000 per startup) and business support services, but does not take equity. This means it cannot offer follow-on funding rounds the way a VC would, but it also removes dilution risk for founders.
What is the relationship between EIT Health and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)?
EIT Health is one of eight Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) established by the EIT, which itself is an EU body created in 2008. The EIT allocates the bulk of its Horizon Europe budget to KICs like EIT Health, but each KIC operates independently with its own legal structure (EIT Health is a German registered association, e.V.) and governance.
Which sectors does EIT Health focus on?
EIT Health focuses exclusively on health innovation. Its priority areas include digital health (AI diagnostics, telemedicine), medical devices, biotech, healthcare services, and the intersection of health with climate change and sustainability. It explicitly does not invest in non-healthcare sectors such as finance, energy, or consumer goods.
Does EIT Health operate outside Europe?
EIT Health's mandate is the European Union and Horizon Europe associated countries. It does not invest outside the EU/EEA. However, its portfolio companies may operate globally — for example, Kheiron Medical (UK-based) serves US and EU markets.
How is EIT Health different from a corporate venture capital arm like Sanofi Ventures?
EIT Health is a public partnership, not a corporate entity. It has no parent company seeking financial returns or strategic M&A. Its partners include Sanofi and Siemens, but the network is governed collectively — no single partner controls decisions. Funding comes from the EU budget, not from corporate balance sheets.
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