BIH Digital Health Accelerator

Call for Applications

Program 2024

NEXT DEMO DAY 28.05.2024 NEXT DEMO DAY 28.05.2024

About

How to accelerate your idea?

Apply for the BIH Digital Health Accelerator Program 2024 to receive support in building your innovative digital health solution and bringing it to the healthcare system and into medical application for the benefit of patients and our society.

AIgnostics is building AI-powered precision diagnostics for pathology. Started in the BIH DHA program in 2018, the Charité collaboration project with TU Berlin spun off in 2020 and is now pioneering computational pathology for pharmaceutical research, clinical trials, and CDx development.
RecoveryCat has developed a therapy collaboration platform for patients with severe mental disorders, i.e., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and recurrent depression, and their psychiatrists. The BIH DHA-supported Charité project spun off in 2022 and is providing its certified software as a medical device as part of patients’ hospital release management.
DentalXr.ai drives the future of dentistry by providing AI-based detection and automated documentation of dental pathologies and restorations. The BIH DHA-supported Charité project spun off in 2021 and has since been adopted by dental professionals across Germany to save time and further improve patient communication.
mTOMADY connects patients, healthcare providers, and health financing. Initiated by Charité physicians to reduce pregnancy mortality in Madagscar by helping governments, donors, and insurers deliver universal health coverage equitably, efficiently, and transparently, the project spun off in 2021 as a not-for-profit and is scaling in the Global South.
X-cardiac is creating the next generation of digital biomarkers for the cardiac intensive care unit. The BIH DHA-supported Charité and DHZB/DHZC project developed an AI-based, CE-certified medical product targeting post-operative bleeding, a major cause of post-OP mortality. The project spun off in 2021 and is currently expanding its product portfolio.

Who can apply?

Eligible to apply are all employees of Charité including BIH from clinical, research and administrative departments, independent of their specialties and positions, e.g.:

Positions

Clinicians
Researchers
Nursing Staff
Midwives
Doctoral Students

BIH promotes equality and therefore especially encourages members of underrepresented groups to apply.

Objective of the BIH DHA program is to support innovators to develop digital health solutions, i.e., regulated medical products and health technology solutions based on technologies such as AI/ML, AR/VR, sensors, and software, to address unmet medical needs and/or to bring their research results to patients.

Fundable are Charité/BIH in-house projects and collaboration projects with other research or clinical institutions and the aim of joint development. Registered companies are not eligible to apply.

Overview

Program Elements

Structured Program

for the development and launch preparation of certified digital health solutions

Project Funding

DHA Stage 1: Up to 125k EUR per project
DHA Stage 2: Up to 1M EUR per project

Protected Time

off from clinical duty for project work

Expert Mentoring

by national and international experts, innovators, investors

Talent Pool

to help complete teams as needed

Industry and Investor Networks

to access potential development and commercialization partners

Innovation Community

of fellow Charité/BIH digitial health innovators and ecosystem partners

Co-Working Space

to enable interdisciplinary work near Charité Campus Mitte

Insights

Meet the teams

Listen what former and current participants say about the BIH DHA program. Experience the motivation of fellow innovators of Charité, BIH and MDC to start innovating digital health solutions

Phases

Program Structure

The BIH Digital Health Accelerator program is structured into two phases.

Stage 1: Prototype

Funded project teams validate the targeted medical and economic need need, and iteratively develop Digital Health prototypes (wireframe, proof-of-technology, proof-of-concept, etc.) from their ideas and concepts. Accompanying analyses and development include technology/data, competition, IP, regulatory and reimbursement, business models, market potential (monetary and non-monetary/societal benefits), and legal aspects.

Demo Day

At the conclusion of the program stage 1, the teams present their innovations to an interdisciplinary audience of researchers, clinicians, other healthcare system stakeholders and policy makers, industry representatives and investors at a Demo Day.

Demo Day Video

Stage 2: Product

Project teams selected for DHA Stage 2 (Product) develop digital health technologies and solutions and prepare their launch. The goal of this phase is the transfer to healthcare system or medical application, e.g., by licensing, industry collaboration or spin-off company formation. In the case of an intended start-up formation, the development of strategy, business model and the spin-off company, as well as launch preparation, including preparation for the acquisition of follow-up funding, take place in parallel. Depending on the progress of a funded development project along a milestone-based project plan, the program concludes successfully in case of transfer to healthcare system or into medical application.

Overview

Timeline

Overview of application process and program timing.

Step 1: Written Application

Complete and submit the application materials (signature page, application form, optional request for Protected Time off from clinic) prior to the application deadline via email to:

Application Deadline

Nov. 3, 2023 at 6pm (CET)

Step 2: Project Deep Dive with Interdisciplinary Experts

Nov. 22 - Nov. 30, 2023 (tentative)

Discussion (no slide presentation) with an interdisciplinary group of external experts on topics: Medical need, technology, evidence/data, and IP. At least one team member is required to participate.

Step 3: Pitch Day with External Selection Committee

Dec. 5 - Dec. 14, 2023 (tentative)

Selected projects will be invited to give a presentation to pitch their projects to a selection committee of external experts and answer questions (Q&A). At least one team member is required to attend. Selection criteria include team, product and market (see FAQ).

Project Cohort selected

Selection Process completed

Dec. 2023

Development of Project Plans

Dec. 2023 - Jan. 2024

Program Start (DHA Stage 1) incl. Preparatory Courses

Feb. 2024. Demo Day: late May 2024

Stage 1 Completion

Jul. 2024

Program Start (DHA Stage 2) for Selected Project Teams

Aug./Sep. 2024

Goal

Transfer of your project, e.g., by spin-off (for-profit or not-for-profit), license, or industry partnership

May 31, 2023

Impressions BIH
DHA Demo Day 2023

Download Brochure

Download here

Apply now

Application Form

Complete and send the completed application form to

Application Form

Protected Time Form

You need time for your project work? Download your Protected Time Form here.

PROTECTED TIME FORM

GOOD TO KNOW

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to apply?

Employees of Charité including BIH are eligible to apply. BIH-affiliated MDC employees, e.g. core facilities, are also eligible to apply. Collaboration projects with other research institutions and hospitals are eligible, subject to the existing funding situation, the IP situation, and reaching an agreement on contributions and joint commercialization. Critically, the Charité/BIH project lead (PI) needs to be (co-)inventor. Separate legal entities are not eligible.

What is funded?

BIH DHA funding can be used towards project-related services (Sachmittel) and work equipment (Investmittel) as to be detailed in a consented Milestone Plan as integral part of the Award Letter. For team members with clinical duties, Protected Time (zeitanteilige Umsetzung) can be granted up to 50% of the time for one team member and up to 30% of the time for a second team member. To date, no equivalent for researchers exists.

How mature does my project need to be?

The project needs to be a product/solution development project along the continuum between idea, concept, prototype, to mark-ready solution for transfer. As a heuristic, projects should have, or be able to establish, proof of concept/technology during BIH DHA Stage 1. Please note that DFG-like basic research project are not fundable by the BIH DHA program.

Can I apply on my own without a project team in place yet?

Yes, you can! The DHA team will support you to assemble a team with the complementary skill-sets for success.

Who is mentoring in the BIH DHA program?

The BIH DHA program regards mentoring as a key value-addition for participating teams. Therefore, mentors include high-profile subject matter experts, seasoned industry professionals, experienced healthcare entrepreneurs, active digital health investors, and members of the international mentor network of German Entrepreneurship (funded by BMWK), offering the corresponding quality and value of guidance.

Will participation in the program be disadvantageous to my career?

No. Generally, researchers and clinicians may want to continue in their current career trajectories. In the case of spin-off company formation, there is a variety of roles from co-founder to advisory board member that allow for continued work with the product and company, while also allowing to continue the career in academia and the clinic. There are concrete examples of successful product development supporting clinical and academic careers.

Do we need to create a spin-off company?

No. The combination of project team preference and market situation, e.g., presence of a cooperation partner or investor, determine the advisable type of commercialization, be it spin-off, license, or co-development with industry.

What are the selection criteria?

In addition to formal selection criteria regarding applicant’s employment status and project goal being an innovative digital health solution, advanced selection criteria include: Team (profiles and relevant expertise); Product (medical need, innovativeness of the proposed solution, technology, evidence/data, IP situation, project maturity, and development path); and Market (competitive situation, and monetary/societal impact potential).

Can I reapply with a project?

Yes. Reapplying with the same project is possible under the condition that that the project has developed further and that open questions from the prior application’s feedback have been addressed or solved. Applications identical to the prior application may not be considered.

Can my clinic or institute hand in more than one application?

Yes; multiple entries are possible and welcome to not put especially innovative institutes and clinics at a disadvantage.

What do you mean by talent pool and networks?

Teams can access a growing pool of talents to grow their project teams in complementary areas as needed, of service providers to help develop the product, and of industry and investors to help bring the solution to patients.

What are the commercialization terms of Charité including BIH?

Please refer to Verwertungsordnung (Amtliches Mitteilungsblatt Nr. 264, 06.05.2021 (Link). For any questions, please contact the technology transfer office Charité BIH Innovation.

What if we do not speak German all that well?

The working language at the DHA is English as we work with international teams, mentors, advisors, etc. In interactions with the BIH/Charité administrative bodies, the predominant language is German. If needed, the DHA team is happy to help overcome any language barriers.

Where is the Co-working Space located?

BIH Digital Labs, home of the BIH Digital Health Accelerator, is located at Am Zirkus / Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 3 near Charité Campus Mitte and S-Bhf. Friedrichstr. No matter where you need to hurry to when clinical obligations come up – this is a highly traffic-efficient location.

MORE INFORMATION

Overview of selected BIH funding instruments to support medical translation

Two of BIH’s areas of support for medical translation are the BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy (BIA) and Charité BIH Innovation (CBI).

The BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy (BIA) focuses on young scientists and acts as a think tank for strategic human resources development in biomedicine and for new models of academic innovation. Through early scouting of outstanding talents and target group-specific support programs, a new generation of translationally trained young clinical and scientific talent is being produced. The BIA focuses on individual support with the help of focused support programs for each career phase – from the PhD scholarship to the (Junior) (Digital) Clinician Scientist Program and the Advanced Clinician Scientist Program.

Charité BIH Innovation supports researchers and clinicians in the development and transfer of products into medical applications and the healthcare market, e.g. by licensing or founding a company.

In addition to consulting and support in the areas of IP, patenting, licensing and law, Charité BIH Innovation offers two funding programs. The SPARK-BIH program supports projects in the fields of phama, ATMP, biotech and medtech, e.g. for the validation of research results with the aim of therapy or product development. The BIH Digital Health Accelerator Program supports projects based on digital technologies in the development of market-ready digital health solutions in the field of digital health.

The BIA and CBI programs can generally be combined, as long as double funding is excluded. However, prior coordination with the respective program management is absolutely necessary for this. The aim is to open up excellent career paths for outstanding talents in research, clinical practice and entrepreneurship and to enable medical translation into application.