EIT Health Catapult

EIT Health Catapult 10th Edition

Runs research teams and institutions for EIT Health Catapult Edition in biotechnology, medical technology, and artificial intelligence.

Eligibility · EU member states

EIT Health Catapult is an annual European competition and training programme for life sciences and healthtech micro and small enterprises, now in its tenth edition. The programme targets companies active in two defined sectors: Life Sciences (drugs, biologics, diagnostics, gene therapies) and HealthTech (digital health, medtech, AI-enabled devices). To be eligible, companies must be micro or small enterprises under EU SME definitions (fewer than 50 employees), incorporated within the last ten years, and active in EU or Horizon Europe-associated countries. Critically, applicants must already have raised at least €500,000 in documented private investment or generated €500,000 or more in audited annual revenue, and must be seeking at least €2 million in follow-on funding — this makes Catapult unsuitable for pre-seed or seed-stage companies without prior traction.

Selected start-ups progress through European selection events, structured training, mentorship described as "360° supermentoring," and semifinals before pitching at the EIT Health Flagship Event. The financial prize pool awards up to €30,000 in cash prizes to category winners — one for Life Sciences and one for HealthTech. An additional in-kind Audience Award includes a display on the New York Nasdaq Tower. No equity is taken by EIT Health. Applications for the 10th edition are currently closed; the 11th edition has not yet been announced as of mid-2026.

All proposals must be submitted in English. The programme provides substantive investor visibility beyond the cash prize — EIT Health's portfolio companies have collectively attracted €1.9 billion in investment, and the Catapult finals serve as a high-profile pitch venue in front of European healthcare investors. Companies that clear the €500,000 funding or revenue threshold and are seeking a Series A or growth round should evaluate Catapult primarily as a fundraising accelerant and investor-access mechanism, with the €30,000 prize as a secondary benefit.