Deadline: September 29, 2025
The Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst Accelerator MedTech Venture Kickstarter is a structured 4-month programme designed to support UK-based MedTech ventures in accelerating their innovation to market.
The programme specifically focuses on Cancer, Regulated Women’s Health, and Surgery.
The programme, delivered by the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering (LIHE) on behalf of the Health Innovation Network South London (HIN), runs from November 2025 to February 2026 and is fully funded by Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst, making it free for selected ventures. Ventures commercialising a medical device are encouraged to apply.
The MedTech Venture Kickstarter aims to de-risk and accelerate the commercial readiness of medical devices by stress-testing and validating the venture’s commercialisation roadmap. Selected ventures will become embedded in the LIHE ecosystem, participating in weekly masterclasses, workshops, and bespoke guidance from in-house translation experts in regulatory and quality management, health technology assessment, clinical translation, and more. Each venture is matched with an Expert-in-Residence who provides strategic support and MedTech expertise.
Participants will have access to LIHE’s facilities, with desk space available for up to two team members for one day per week throughout the programme. They will also engage in industry-specific events, funding opportunities, workshops, and interactive sessions that complement topic-based tasks to actively apply the learning.
The programme provides expert guidance for validating commercial plans and accessing a Health Technology Assessment platform, including gap analysis for the NHS and personalised evidence generation reports. Completion of the programme positions ventures strongly for fundraising and eligibility for a closed Innovate UK feasibility grant competition.
Eligible applicants include UK-based registered companies commercialising medical devices with early market validation, institutional or non-institutional IP, and technologies at proof-of-concept stage (TRL ≥4). A cross-functional leadership team with complementary skills is required, and at least one member must attend in-person sessions at LIHE in London. Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) companies are particularly encouraged to apply. In-vitro diagnostics and unregulated digital health technologies are not eligible.
For more information, visit LIHE.
