5th edition of CRAASH Barcelona program comes to an end
<p>Biocat’s acceleration program has drawn to a close after twelve weeks of intensive training, with teams improving and validating their projects in order to successfully take the leap onto the market. Participants valued very positively the role of the mentors, the figure of the godfather investor and the GAITS tool.</p>
CRAASH Barcelona, promoted by Biocat with collaboration from CIMIT, held the last sessions in the third phase of the program this December. After twelve weeks of work, the participants had a virtual introduction to Boston to discover one of the world’s strongest life sciences and healthcare ecosystems with the Massachusetts Life Science Center (MLSC).
Before bringing this fifth edition of the program to an end, the participants also had a workshop on attracting investment, led by entrepreneur Markus Wilhems, CEO and co-founder of MOWOOT, plus some sessions on patient engagement with TU Delft and the last pitch sessions to finish perfecting the presentation they give investors. After a year, any teams interested in traveling to Boston will be able to apply to meet with stakeholders in person and pitch their projects to US investors.
After the program ended, we asked the teams what they thought were the acceleration program’s strengths and unique points. For Berta Padilla (Phill) and Sofia Ferreira (Heecap), the mentors were key. “We really appreciated the feedback from our mentors on how to continue with the project after the program is over,” explained the entrepreneur from Heecap, a project that came out of the Biocat d·Health Barcelona program. Bàrbara Baró (B-triage) agreed, pointing out that the program and the mentors’ tips will help them design studies adapted to their potential market in order to consolidate their research
The godfather investor was another highlight of the program. José Rodrigo Magaña (Regecure) noted, “This figure gave us loads of insights and tips to develop our product.” For Luis Artiles (Manina Medtech), though, what set the Biocat training apart was the GAITS tool: “It’s amazing and we’ll keep using it for a long time. In fact, it was one of the reasons to join the program,” he explained.
The fifth edition of the program drew to a close with a track record that demonstrates its success: the 35 projects that have taken part in the accelerator over the first four editions have secured over €20 million in funding. This capital has allowed the accelerated projects to launch 7 products to market and create 77 new jobs.
From laboratory to market in three phases
The program, which kicked off in September, is divided into three separate phases: the first one serves to validate the solution, the second immerses participants in various European ecosystems and the third gives them a first-hand look at the US ecosystem in Boston, one of the most powerful in the world.
Phase one - Validation. The teams established their value proposition, validated their solution and analyzed how well it suits the healthcare market through interviews with various stakeholders.
Phase two - Immersion in Europe. At this point, the participants did a deep dive in the Catalan, Spanish and Dutch life sciences and healthcare ecosystems. The teams polished their pitches to investors and got the chance to forge connections with top startups through a collaboration with the MedTech accelerator in Germany.
Phase three - Immersion in the United States. Participants did a virtual immersion in Boston to discover one of the world’s strongest life sciences and healthcare ecosystems.