An exoskeleton that allows people with spinal cord injuries to stand and walk, a headband to monitor brain electrical activity, tablets to improve the implantation of fetuses in the mother's uterus... are some of the "tangible" advances that are being developed with excellent results for companies in the Health vertical of Banco Sabadell's BStartup.
Often, emerging health and biotechnology companies feel like outsiders at eminently technological events like the MWC, since they have some particularities and different tempos compared to other types of startups. However, they are highly valued, since they can have a direct impact on improving people's quality of life.
The fact that 4YFN dedicates a space to digital health this year gives a good idea of the interest that this sector generates in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In fact, for some editions of the event, BStartup has given it great prominence and this year even more so. In addition to hosting four contents by Barcelona Health Hub on its stage, six of the 16 startups in its Health portfolio presented their projects and had the opportunity to create synergies with other related projects.
Equipped with an exoskeleton from the startup Able Human Motion, Ricard, who 24 years ago suffered a work accident that caused a spinal cord injury, took a good walk yesterday at 4YFN. Four years ago he began testing a prototype, at the proposal of its founder and CEO, Alfons Carnicero. That model did not work, but Ricard has continued to collaborate with the company to help improve the exoskeleton technology, which next month will obtain its certification as a medical device for clinical use.
Alfons Carnicero explains that “it is the lightest, quickest to adjust and most accessible exoskeleton for neurorehabilitation in the world. Our clients will be rehabilitation centers, clinics or hospitals, which will use it to train standing and walking with their patients.” In addition, this Catalan startup is working hard to launch another exoskeleton for personal use on the market in 2026 that can be used two hours a day for daily trips. "It will weigh 14 kilos and will have the price of a low-end car, about 30,000 euros."
With a team of around twenty people, their project has accumulated awards and recognitions, and has achieved funding of 5.7 million euros. Once implemented in the Spanish market, its expansion to different European countries is planned.
Their participation for the first time in 4YFN with BStartup allowed them, according to Carnicero, “to connect with the entire entrepreneurship ecosystem of Barcelona, our investors and others that we are analyzing for the next round, and make the product known.”
The result of hopeful research to effectively combat bladder cancer and other diseases is the solution proposed by Nanobots Therapeutix, based on a therapy in motion. It consists of introducing vehicles (nanorobots) propelled by physiological fluids (for example, urine) capable of penetrating tumor tissue and delivering almost any drug at concentrations high enough to eliminate cancer cells. With a single dose, tumor volume can be reduced by more than 95%.
Of its premiere at 4YFN with BStartup, its CEO, Samuel Sánchez, professor at the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), valued that “it is a place where you have to be present to have visibility, because the world of biotech is there, technology, investors... Everything is very active and intense, at times it even becomes overwhelming for so many people.”
The company is a spin-off of ICREA and IBEC created in 2023 by Sánchez and five other co-founders. It currently has five people in management and seven in research, as well as international advisors. “We have closed a first round of almost half a million with different investors led by BStartup. In 2027 we will begin clinical trials for bladder cancer and the next round, which we are already preparing, will help us get there,” he said.
Another technology that aroused great interest was the medical diagnosis device from the Barcelona startup Time is Brain, in the form of a headband and capable of monitoring brain electrical activity in real time in people suffering from an acute ischemic stroke, from the beginning of symptoms and throughout the care process. Although it was physically exposed, as the company's CTO, Gisela Ruiz, explained, “we do not put it into operation here because it requires a conductive gel that makes the hair very dirty.”
In any case, the prototype of the device - named braiN20 - is already validated to advance in the clinical study in three Catalan hospitals and in parallel, an improved version is being developed that will incorporate connectivity, IOT, data transfer from patients to the cloud and machine learning in the algorithm to improve the prognosis and diagnosis of patients who have had a stroke with the detection of the N20 biomarker. The goal is to market it next year. Time is Brain was created in 2020, its team consists of ten people and BStartup has been investing in it since 2021.
Ruiz highlighted that “we are a spinoff, we need to establish ground as soon as possible and visibility is essential. Thanks to BStartup we have a privileged location in 4YFN that helps us enhance networking with suppliers, investors and even clients, such as hospital innovation departments and doctors in clinical centers. The atmosphere has been very warm, it helps a lot to feel part of the ecosystem.” Furthermore, for the CTO of Time is Brain it was important to exchange ideas with the health sector, “which is somehow a bit behind and needs a boost.”
She also did not miss her usual appointment with 4YFN Oxolife, which is developing a new treatment to improve the female fertility rate, acting specifically on embryo implantation. Its CEO, Dr. Agnès Arbat, assured that “we really like being here to meet other startups and see how we evolve and grow together for health, which is our focus. You can talk to entrepreneurs and investors and share experiences, explain where you are, what your journey is and your next steps, never lose this link. It is inspiring and opens your mind a lot.”
This Barcelona biotechnology company is developing the world's first oral drug that increases embryo implantation in the endometrium and pregnancy rates. Although it has a history of 11 years and is achieving great interest from scientists, doctors, the pharmaceutical industry and investors, it maintains its startup spirit intact. Currently the permanent team is made up of only four people, although the forecast is to grow soon, and they are in a series B round, to raise 45 million euros.
Another promising project is the one promoted by Sycai Medical, a medical assistant that helps radiologists detect pancreatic cystic lesions, presenting similar cases to help confirm their early diagnosis and predicting the probability of their malignancy.
This technology startup founded in Barcelona in 2020, develops algorithms based on artificial intelligence. The software, still in the development and certification phase, automates the detection and surveillance of precancerous lesions in the abdomen, which can develop pancreatic cancer, currently without an efficient early diagnosis method.
Improfit is a platform that provides interactive tools aimed at rehabilitation and training to improve people's quality of life and avoid injuries. It is based on artificial vision to recognize specific movements of the human body in real time and subsequently evaluate them. The company has attracted the attention of important corporations, for which it has designed very versatile gamified projects.
The company was founded in 2021 with an initial capital of 100,000 euros and in rounds it has obtained 565,000 euros. Currently, it is present in Spain, Mexico and Italy and has a multidisciplinary team made up of 13 people and several advisors.
This is the second time they have participated in 4YFN with BStartup. “It is a key meeting point, from which to attract investors for our bridge round, which we have quite on track, and show the product we are making to scale it,” according to the founder of Improfit, the entrepreneur and business angel Andreu Casadellà.
Regarding artificial intelligence, omnipresent in the contest, he points out that “the first thing to understand is that AI is stupid and the models must be trained and polished. You have to know very well when to use it, although you will discover that it is very generic and that each one has to go to their niche.”
