6 projects chosen to participate in 4th edition of CRAASH Barcelona

Unlike previous editions, this year's announcement was targeted exclusively at projects established in (or linked to) the Catalan ecosystem, but even so, CRAASH Barcelona has received several candidates who have applied to participate in the program. CRAASH Barcelona is geared towards startups and projects with cutting-edge technology (diagnostics, medical devices, and digital health) that have emerged from research centers, hospital research institutes and universities.

The 6 projects chosen to participate in this year's edition are:

1. Blapp

Blapp is a project from Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Barcelona. It is the 1st gamified home rehabilitation platform for language rehabilitation. Nowadays, the two main disorders that can affect language in childhood are Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and Language impairment because a Brain Injury (BI). 

Blapp uses A.I. algorithms to tailor and adapt the therapy to each patient, as well as Voice Recognition Systems to facilitate patient-platform interaction and language pathology recognition. Thus, the technology addresses the main problems appointed by therapists (need time to create personalized therapies, to attend all patients and to provide feedback to families), by patients (treatment adherence, improved clinical outcomes and mobility issues) and by families (follow-up and logistics), having direct impact on clinical outcomes, treatment adherence and improved patient experience.

2. Direct Subjective Regraction

A project that was born in the Institute of Optics, part of the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), as a research project that is now moving to the market. When a patient enters an eye clinic, the first thing to do is to estimate his subjective refraction, the combination of lenses that corrects his myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism. Currently, the patient has to guess hundreds of blurry letters, and his fatigue affects the result, in a process that takes at least 10 minutes. This project aims to improve this process, making it quicker and more accurate, through a new methodology, that is 5 times faster, 2 times more accurate, and unsupervised, meaning that eye care practitioners will have time for eye explorations or more added-value activities.

3. Heatshot

A project from Vall Hebrón Institute of research (VHIR), it aims to prevent the respiratory infections in intubated patients, which is a cause of high morbidity and mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Intubation is a major risk factor for lower respiratory tract colonization and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in ICU patients. HEATSHOT is a new, non-existent technology for the prevention of infections caused by sensitive or extremely resistant bacteria that grow in biofilms on respiratory medical devices such as endotracheal tubes and/or tracheotomy tubes. 

4. Modelling.ms

Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is routinely used to monitor and predict the  efficiency of  the disease modifying therapies (DMTs’) used in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This is mainly based on the assessment of new T2 lesions. However, neuroradiologists quantify the presence of new lesions by a tedious, time-consuming and error-driven visually process that reduces their sensitivity below 50% in some cases, which can lead to sub-optimal treatment management and increasing disability in the mid-term. Tensormedical's software helps neuroradiologists to evaluate lesions by providing a precise and automated quantification tool. Contrary to previous solutions, the adoption of our software increases neuroradiologists' productivity by four and sensitivity in 46%, which could potentially reduce wasting treatment and patients productive losses in more than €5.9 Billion/year worldwide. TensorMedical is a spin-off of the University of Girona and the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR).

5. Point pressure

Grown in the city of Barcelona, Point Pressure is committed to lead the change in how treatments on patients with spasticity are done. Point pressure is developing a wearable non-invasive system that through an ischemic reaction on the leg reduces muscle hypertonia. With such device we will help 180.000 affected individuals in Spain, 1.8 million in Europe and up to 28 million worldwide.

6. Vincer.ai

Artificial Intelligence is a deregulated field that is penetrating across industries. Lack of regulation poses risks to all stakeholders. The first draft on AI regulation from the EU launched in April 2021 indicates relevance and hotness of the field. Vincer.ai provides the first implementable risk assessment for AI in healthcare through an algorithm. Vincer.ai algorithm will enable organizations to mitigate their risks and to improve, monitor and certify their AI-powered solutions. Vincer.ai is a spin-off of Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and CREB (Research Centre for Biomedical Engineering).

From lab to market in 3-5 years

CRAASH Barcelona will develop these selected projects to bring their technology to the market in the next 3 to 5 years. Participants will be guided by expert mentors from CIMIT (Boston), the most experienced health accelerator in the world, and European sector experts. The program will be hybrid, combining face-to-face and virtual sessions.

The intensive 12-week program will be divided into three phases. The first phase will allow teams to validate whether their technology can meet a real need and find a place in the market. Teams will work with CIMIT experts in Boston, first through virtual meetings and then in person at an event in Barcelona.

The second and third phases of CRAASH Barcelona will allow teams to validate their project in some of the best healthcare ecosystems in the United States (Boston) and Europe (Barcelona and other major European cities).