On June 18, the auditorium of the Gregorio Marañón Maternal and Child Hospital hosted the celebration of the 10th anniversary of healthstart madri+d. The incubation program of the madri+d Knowledge Foundation has spent the past decade driving innovation and entrepreneurship in healthcare in the Community of Madrid.
The event brought together representatives from hospitals, universities, research centers, partner organizations, mentors, tutors, and entrepreneurs to recognize the work carried out since 2016, with the aim of highlighting the program’s role in transforming scientific and clinical knowledge into business initiatives.
Ten years connecting innovation, knowledge, and entrepreneurship
The institutional opening featured Sonia García de San José, General Manager of the Gregorio Marañón Hospital; Federico Morán Abad, Director General of the madri+d Knowledge Foundation; Inmaculada Ibáñez de Cáceres, Director General for Research and Teaching at the Regional Ministry of Health; and Mirina Cortés Ortega, Deputy Minister for Universities, Research and Science of the Community of Madrid.
In their speeches, they emphasized the importance of collaboration between hospitals, universities, research centers, and support organizations in strengthening the regional healthcare innovation ecosystem and enabling new technologies to reach the market and patients.
They also highlighted the growth experienced by healthcare entrepreneurship over the past decade. In this context, they recognized healthstart madri+d’s contribution to promoting knowledge transfer and facilitating the commercialization of new technologies and innovative solutions.
They likewise underscored the courage of professionals who choose to undertake entrepreneurial paths in healthcare. Researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, and even patients launch new innovative initiatives every year in a particularly demanding sector. It is a highly regulated environment with long validation and development processes before a solution can reach the market or patients.
Finally, they acknowledged the outstanding quality of scientific and healthcare professionals in the Community of Madrid and across Spain. This excellence is reflected in their ability to generate knowledge, attract talent, and create innovative companies with increasing national and international impact.
145 projects supported and 49 startups created
The commemorative presentation marking the program’s 10th anniversary was delivered by Eduardo Díaz, Head of the Entrepreneurs Area at the madri+d Foundation.
He reviewed the evolution of healthstart madri+d since its launch in 2016 and highlighted some of the key figures achieved over the past decade.
Across its ten editions, the program has supported more than 145 entrepreneurial projects, mainly from hospitals, universities, and research centers in the Community of Madrid. Of these, 22 participated already incorporated as startups, and another 27 went on to formally establish companies after going through the program.
In total, healthstart madri+d has contributed to the creation of 49 innovative health startups, becoming one of the leading initiatives supporting healthcare entrepreneurship in the region.
The presentation was accompanied by a commemorative video showcasing the program’s history through its main milestones and protagonists.
Recognition of six success stories in the Madrid ecosystem
One of the highlights of the event was the recognition of six startups that participated in healthstart madri+d and now represent some of the most prominent examples of healthcare innovation emerging in the Community of Madrid. The entrepreneurs especially thanked the training and, in their words, the program’s “reality checks.”
The awards were presented by Mirina Cortés Ortega, Deputy Minister for Universities, Research and Science.
The recognized companies were:
Biotechnology and pharmaceuticals
Medical devices and equipment
eHealth
These companies were selected for their outstanding trajectory over the past decade. They reflect the potential of science- and technology-based entrepreneurs to generate innovative solutions, attract investment, create highly skilled jobs, and contribute to improving healthcare delivery.
The healthstart madri+d experience and its protagonists
The second part of the event was dedicated to hearing from some of the individuals and institutions that have accompanied the program’s evolution over the past ten years.
Under the title “The healthstart madri+d experience and its protagonists,” representatives from hospitals, research centers, universities, partner organizations, and experts shared their experiences and reflections on the evolution of healthcare entrepreneurship.
The origins of the program
Manuel Desco, the program’s driving force, as Director of the Innovation Support Unit at Gregorio Marañón Hospital, recalled the context in which healthstart madri+d was born and the pioneering role of Madrid hospitals in promoting healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship.
The hospitals’ perspective
Diego Velasco, Director of Innovation at Ramón y Cajal Hospital, and María López Berlanga, Director of the Biomedical Research Foundation of the 12 de Octubre University Hospital, analyzed the evolution of healthcare entrepreneurship in the Community of Madrid and the growing involvement of hospitals as generators of innovation and new business initiatives.
Universities and research centers
Javier Etxabe, Head of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at CSIC, and Ana Acebrón, Director of Support for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Transfer at the Scientific Park of the University Carlos III of Madrid, highlighted the importance of knowledge transfer and collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, and institutions to turn scientific results into viable business projects.
Partner organizations
Marta del Castillo, Director of the Madrid Science Park Foundation, emphasized the importance of incubation and inter-organizational collaboration in supporting entrepreneurial teams during the early stages of development.
Tutors and trainers
Carolina Egea, Miguel Ángel López Trujillo, and Eva Martín Becerra shared their experience supporting program participants and reflected on the evolution in maturity, preparedness, and ambition of projects over the past decade.
“As I reflect on my work in healthstart, I realize I am a translator; scientists arrive speaking a highly technical language, and I help them realize they can also speak the language of business,” said Miguel Ángel López Trujillo.
Across all interventions, a common idea emerged: the value of collaboration among different ecosystem stakeholders to accelerate innovation and maximize the impact of entrepreneurial initiatives in healthcare.
A growing community
The event concluded with a networking session that further strengthened connections among the different ecosystem players. The ceremony was marked by emotion, shared memories, and gratitude.
Ten years after its launch, healthstart madri+d is much more than an entrepreneurship program. It is a community made up of healthcare professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs, mentors, trainers, and institutions united by a common goal: transforming healthcare innovation into solutions that improve people’s lives.
Thanks to all the individuals and organizations that have made these ten years possible and continue building the future of healthcare innovation in the Community of Madrid.
healthstart madri+d, promoted by the madri+d Knowledge Foundation in collaboration with the Platform for Medical and Health Technologies Innovation (ITEMAS) and other sector organizations, aims to accelerate entrepreneurial ideas based on health technologies arising from healthcare and research environments in the Community of Madrid
cloud technology axon
Across its ten editions, the program has supported more than 145 entre...
