EIT Health Ireland-UK, a Co-Location Centre of EIT Health, part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, has announced that the University of Oxford’s PINCH project has been selected as one of 17 projects to join the Deep Tech Venture Builder (DTVB) programme. EIT Health is Europe’s largest health innovation network, comprising over 100 member organisations across business, research, education, government, and healthcare delivery, working collaboratively to tackle Europe’s greatest health challenges through innovation and technology.

Designed to help academic teams bring deeptech innovations to market, EIT Health’s Deep Tech Venture Builder (DTVB) offers targeted support to overcome the biggest obstacles faced at this critical stage. Often referred to as the “Valley of Death,” this phase is where many promising research ideas struggle to survive due to challenges like bureaucratic hurdles, lack of funding, and the difficult leap from lab-based research to real-world application.

Graham Armitage, Managing Director, EIT Health Ireland-UK, said: “The PINCH project represents the kind of high-impact innovation we aim to support through EIT Health. By bridging the gap between academic research and real-world application, we are enabling ground-breaking technologies to reach the patients who need them most.”

The University of Oxford’s PINCH project, led by Professor Rebeccah Slater, is addressing a long-standing gap in paediatric care by developing a clinical tool that interprets brain and heart signals to objectively measure pain in infants, going beyond the traditional reliance on facial expressions or crying, which can often result in under- or over-treatment. 

“It is a privilege to be supported by EIT Health’s Deep Tech Venture Builder programme, and great to  have the opportunity to accelerate development of our technology so it can be used to measure pain in young hospitalised children,” said Prof Rebeccah Slater, Professor of Paediatric Neuroimaging, University of Oxford.

Every day, countless children experience pain in hospital settings, yet many receive inadequate treatment due to the limitations of current assessment tools. PINCH, in collaboration with Ship2B Ventures, will now benefit from the tailored support of EIT Health’s Deep Tech Venture Builder (DTVB) programme, gaining access to expert mentorship and leading innovation networks

“This project unites three essential pillars to bring deep tech solutions to market: world-class science from Oxford, strategic venture building led by Ship2B Ventures through the Montana Children’s Health initiative, and the robust ecosystem support of EIT Health. Together, we are shaping a transformative future for paediatric care,” Pilar Puig Sàrries, Venture Partner, Montana Children’s Health (Ship2B Ventures)

The PINCH project is a part of EIT Health’s broader mission to support deep tech ventures across Europe and help transform the future of healthcare. With over 2,998 start-ups supported to date and more than 140,000 citizens and patients directly impacted by its programmes in 2023, EIT Health continues to play a central role in Europe’s health innovation landscape.

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