At the internal mid-term demo day of the Forward to Health Innovation program, we spoke with three teams—MediBoost, Moj Liječnik, and RepairStroke—to better introduce them and their ideas, and to discover the impact the program has had on the development of their products and services. Additionally, we gathered participants’ impressions of the program from the users’ perspective—read more below.
To recap, the Centre for Research, Development, and Technology Transfer at the University of Zagreb (EIT Health Hub Croatia) and Smion have been jointly providing support and business consulting to healthcare startups for the third year in a row. Their goal is to help transform innovative ideas into effective solutions that address unmet healthcare needs and improve patient outcomes. The FTHI program is supported by AstraZeneca and Selvita. The first phase of this unique healthcare startup program aims to enhance founders’ understanding of the problem they are solving and to define the idea (product or service) that addresses that problem.
The conclusion of this phase of the program took place at AstraZeneca’s premises, in the form of an internal demo day where each startup presented to a panel of judges. The judges faced the difficult task of selecting the best teams that would advance to the second phase of this healthcare startup program
MediBoost – confident they will succeed
The team consisting of Karlo, Jan, and Andrija—MediBoost—is a team with more degrees than members. They completed studies in electrical engineering and computing (FER), medicine, and mathematics, and each team member has knowledge in both medicine and data science. They revealed that they gained knowledge in the program that they hadn’t even acquired at their universities!
“In comparison to previous courses at FER (Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing) that encouraged practical application of knowledge, nothing was as detailed, significant, and useful as this. In the workshops, we had the opportunity to segment the market and customers, define the areas where we will operate, and determine how to collect data that would guide us in deciding how to develop the startup in future phases,” said Jan Kolić. Karlo added that the first workshop was the most interesting for him, “because we heard the story of a real startup that managed to go far and succeed in a world where most don’t.”
What gives them confidence that they will succeed is their victory in the AI4Health innovation challenge, during which they focused on and developed a significant portion of their product.
They also believe they possess the necessary knowledge and that the time has finally come to leverage medical data and implement artificial intelligence, specifically machine learning algorithms, to improve healthcare and ultimately the health of patients.
It is important to clarify that MediBoost is working on addressing the problem of early rehospitalization, a significant challenge for healthcare systems due to high costs and strain on facilities. Their model is based on machine learning and integrates a wide range of clinical and demographic variables. It is designed for a high level of explainability, enabling users to optimize discharge decisions for patients based on accurate risk assessments, which leads to improved utilization of clinical resources and enhanced quality of healthcare provided.
“The solution is actually AI; data on patient rehospitalization is very complicated due to the nature of the illnesses and a large number of other factors. Therefore, artificial intelligence allows us to untangle the complexity and explain where rehospitalization comes from,” they explained, adding that it is still “necessary to create good visualizations and interpretations of the data, which is a significant challenge with the AI models currently in use.” For more on the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare, read our summary of the panel discussion: “AI in Healthcare: Theory vs. Practice”.
The next steps in development include implementation in hospital systems, starting with a pilot project that is “in the late stages of negotiation.”
Moj Liječnik – How to Make a Complex Thing Simple
The idea’s originator is Ilija Ćosić, a university master’s graduate in economics with a focus on marketing and a UX/UI designer who developed the platform himself after realizing an unmet market need (from personal experience). “My Doctor was born out of personal necessity because I was looking for a dentist, spent a lot of time, and realized there was a lack of a single place where we could find a doctor. Many of us face this problem, and even when we get recommendations, we still engage in research. At the end of the day, we people love to explore, so why shouldn’t we have that opportunity within the My Doctor platform?” Ilija rhetorically asked.
Moj Liječnik aims to help patients find the best doctor or healthcare facility while making it easier for doctors and healthcare institutions to find new patients. Additionally, it seeks to standardize healthcare offerings in the Republic of Croatia and provide users with easy access to the best institutions.
Ilija believes there have been “previous attempts to launch similar projects,” but he thinks “there’s a lack of persistence because we need to attract not only patients but also doctors.” He asserts that accessible design and a simple way to find a doctor—essentially “making a complex thing simple“—is the key to success.
The portal was launched in early 2023, and the current numbers show around 20,000 unique visitors per month, further reinforcing the idea that there is an unmet market need in the aspect of finding doctors.
Through this project, Ilija Ćosić aims to create the first Croatian platform that will enable easy doctor searches and provide relevant educational content about health. He believes that a comprehensive solution needs to be designed for the problem of finding the best doctor— Moj Liječnik.
As a barrier, Ilija pointed out: “Doctors are generally not immediately interested, and I am currently in the phase of educating and generating features that would encourage them to use the platform daily.”
Regarding the benefits the program for early-stage entrepreneurs offered him, Ilija cheerfully responds: “First of all, the ‘Forward to Health Innovation’ program provided me with knowledge I didn’t have. Like My Doctor, it offered information in a structured manner. I learned the meanings of terms like Problem-Solution Fit, Product-Market Fit, and how to achieve them. This program really helped me see if what I’m doing makes sense and whether there is actually a need in the market.” When we asked him, “And? What did you discover?” he smiled and replied, “I would say there is,” and added,
“but of course, there are always opportunities for pivoting—not the entire idea, but in certain individual features.”
“The further vision is to connect with private clinics and doctors who have their practices to enhance the platform and to help My Doctor learn how they present their offerings so that it can complement them and assist in their mission of attracting as many doctors as possible, so that in the end, both patients and doctors have a platform where they can connect,” he concluded.
RepairStroke – The Philosophy of a Healthy Brain
Stroke is a major health issue, the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death worldwide and in Croatia, which motivates the RepairStroke team to find a solution. In addition to helping those at risk of stroke, they aim to offer a brain health solution that everyone can use.
“This is a very specific dietary supplement that we believe is innovative and different. It’s not just another magic pill; it’s part of a philosophy that you want to be healthy, you want to have a healthy brain, and you want to live a long life,” said Prof. Dr. Srećko Gajović, who is joined in the team by Marina, Monika, and Anton. He added, “Since your life is determined by the health of your brain, you don’t just want to take care of your clothing and hygiene; you want to take care of your brain in the same way you brush your teeth or wash your hands every day. You want to do something for yourself. And that’s what we offer in this startup.”
The team’s concept is based on preclinical research experience with stroke on mice using the GlowLab platform at the Medical Faculty in Zagreb, where they conduct innovative procedures that involve observing and caring for the mice in a manner similar to how they would treat patients.
Regarding their impression of the program, Srećko didn’t hold back his praise: “The startup program [Forward to Health Innovation] opens your eyes! I didn’t expect something like this at all. I’m extremely satisfied, and in these ‘young days’ of mine, I’m surprised that I can still learn so much.” He added, “During this program, we fundamentally changed the idea with which we came, and what we’re talking about now is something different. What scares me a little is that we will probably continue to change to be as adaptable as possible to those who truly need this solution.”
As for future plans, Srećko reveals: “We would like people to actually start using our product. We are concerned about the legal framework and safety because we need to see that people are satisfied and that they feel better. Stroke can be very close, and the sooner people receive the product, the sooner we will address the problem.”
From Zero to Hero – Impressions of the Forward to Health Innovation Program
We also received feedback from other entrepreneurs who shared their opinions about the program, and we highlight some of their comments below.
Some of the valuable aspects of the Forward to Health Innovation program included: “support to try (present, defend) even when we’re not 100% ready,” “showing what professional work looks like, how to achieve professional results…,” “a structured approach, sprinting through all the most important steps of iterating a startup idea, and direct access to potential partners and clients,” “a systematic approach to topics and the confidence it gave me for further steps,” “defining the problem, reexamining solutions, and room for advancement,” “understanding the element of need, lean startup strategies, and the entrepreneurial community we have become a part of,” “the people I met, the knowledge startup dictionaryand the startup vocabulary,” “familiarity with startup terminology and the business side of product/service development in general, a structured process, mentoring support, interactive presentations, and my favorite—practicing public speaking and live presentations.”
The Second Phase of the Forward to Health Innovation Program for Healthcare Startups
Some teams
are planning further product development, seeking funding, and developing their go-to-market strategies, while a few teams will be selected for the second phase of the program, where they will receive:
- Structured feedback from 5+ clinical stakeholders
- Characterization of the market environment and competitive solutions
- A well-defined value proposition for their solution
- Description of key user and technical features of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
- Access to funding and startup investors (pitch at the demo day)
The second phase of the program (Advance to Health Innovation) is focused on market entry, where teams will be supported by experienced professionals from various fields, helping them to further develop their projects. Follow us on social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram) so you don’t miss the latest updates on the ongoing development of this year’s 10 teams in the Forward to Health Innovation program.
Dare to Innovate!
At the end of the program, the goal for these entrepreneurs is to create a pitch deck that showcases everything they have worked on as part of the Forward to Health Innovation program. They aim to receive feedback from investors and prepare for capital raising for their companies.
Through the Forward to Health Innovation (FTHI) program, Smion provides structured content and support for developing startups specialized in healthcare. The program removes obstacles that co-founders face and accelerates the growth of the participating startups. Smion’s approach is based on years of its own entrepreneurial experience. Through the development of its own companies and startups, as well as consulting for hundreds of startups and founders, we have discovered what works and what doesn’t, best practices for business development, how to identify business opportunities, and which mistakes to avoid during the growth process.
If you need support in designing and implementing similar programs for entrepreneurs or ecosystem development activities in your industry or community, please contact us for a free consultation and discussion about collaboration opportunities.
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