Culminating a year of jam-packed roadshows across the world, The Malta Med-Tech World Summit aims to connect the global digital health and med-tech industries, nurturing an impeccable environment for sharing of knowledge, opportunities and new business relations.

The show is characterised by multiple main-stages stages running in parallel, a start-up pitching competition, awards ceremony, buzzing exhibition floor and several networking events spread across multiple days in some of the island's top venues. This year, it was attended by more than 3000 attendees from across the world and the show certainly lived up to its expectations. 

Dr. Dylan Attard, Med-Tech World Summit CEO. “This year, we’ve had over 100 applications from across the world, all super eager to pitch live on stage, infront of a panel of judges and a crowd filled with investors, all eyeing their next investment. The top 30 applicants were given a free start-up booth at our start-up village, next to a jam-packed filled floor of exhibitors and the top 10 were allowed to pitch on stage during our pitching competition on the second day. Judges included Giovanni Lauricella from Lifeblood Capital, Shamik J Patel from Octopus Ventures and Julia Prakapovich from the Interface Fund. Implandata from the Netherlands were crowned champions, represented by Max G. Ostermeier.”

Implandata are digitalisting glaucoma pateint monitoring for ease of treatment 

Well, first of all, congratulations on winning the Med-Tech Pitch. It was known there was going to be tough competition this year. How are you feeling?

Very excited. I think it’s really a new source of confirmation for us that we’ on the right track. It’s always great to get this kind of encouragement from an experienced and competent jury.

You’ve come here with lots of experience, but can you tell me a little bit about the hype around your company, why have people been talking about it?

Actually, at Implandata we are bringing management for glaucoma patients into the digital age.

Basically, glaucoma is an IDC by which patients run the risk to lose eyesight and eventually go blind. It’s an incurable disease and the patients suffer excruciating pain. Our efforts are intended to help eye doctors as right now, management of the disease is only office-based.

We are introducing home monitoring and home management for glaucoma patients. Part of this includes bringing in a sense certainty for patients as well as eye doctors, thanks to the ability of remotely monitoring and managing the patients. Said eye doctors are also able to provide more effective treatments to the patients.

At the same time, patients can perform self-monitoring, which empowers them when treating any disease. As a patient, you want to know what’s going on. You want to know if your therapy is working for you.

Right now, we are preparing our first launch for the European Market next year. We are seeing that patients and their doctors are eagerly waiting for the solution we are offering.

And what’s the long-term goal for your company?

The long-term goal is to eventually bring our technology to the global market.

We have the green light to start in Europe. We have obtained the FDA Device Classification, which means FDA approval is now easier to achieve. There’s also a huge demand in the Asian markets like China and India. Glaucoma is a chronic, global disease, and so our long-term goal is surely to bring our technology to every patient in the world, improving patient care as far as eye-health is concerned.

Has this been your first Med-Tech conference?

Actually, this is the first time I’ve been in Malta! As for the conference, I’m really overwhelmed by the quality of the companies presenting and exhibiting here, and the highly competent people I’m happy to have met so far! I’m intrigued and ecstatic to be here and it certainly won’t be the last time I visit.

Startups play a crucial part in healthcare innovations and should be a big part of the conversation. What do you think of the support startups see from the healthcare sector in general?

In healthcare in general, but especially for eye doctors, innovation is the primary driving force. Of course, everyone is looking for the best solution to improving patient care. It’s true of the cardiovascular and oncology spaces as well, for instance. There are still so many things which can be improved. As I said, remote patient care is still critical because patient management has yet to be as effective as possible.

As someone who has just won the pitch, what advice would you give to others who might want to put their name forward next year for something similar?

In my 20 years of being in the healthcare industry, I have learned it is crucial to believe in what you’re working on. This is my third ongoing startup. It has always been important to look for endorsement from your potential customers. Once you are there, keep going. There are so many challenges you have to face and sometimes you may feel overwhelmed and want to give up. Don’t! Keep pushing forward.