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expressTEC and Metablue Solution win Global Health Accelerator
- Beyond Borders Award by 929 Challenge — expressTEC
- IP Award by Patentree — Metablue Solution (Otitest)
- Dr. Pitch Award by Startup Braga — expressTEC
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Braga was the setting for the future of One Health. This Thursday, the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) hosted the Demo Day of the Global Health Accelerator (GHA) Programme, in which expressTEC and Metablue Solution (Otitest) were named winners of the 2025 edition.
In front of an audience of investors, researchers, clinicians, students and industry leaders, the event marked the culmination of six intense months of acceleration involving 11 projects in digital health, biotechnology and nanotechnology.
At the opening ceremony, Ado Jório, INL's Deputy Director General, emphasised the spirit of the programme: 'Startup Braga is the brain, INL is the body, and 2CA-Braga is the environment.' All three are international in nature and aim to facilitate international collaborations. Internationalising a startup is difficult in the early and intermediate stages, so I hope that the GHA has been a valuable experience for all entrepreneurs."
Jorge Pedrosa, President of 2CA-Braga, explained why the organisation had decided to participate in the programme: ‘To help bridge the gap between start-ups and the end result, i.e. clinical validation and application.’ He also spoke about the enthusiasm experienced throughout the programme: ‘We have all learned from each other, and we are confident that the collaborations formed here will continue in the future.’
Luís Rodrigues, Director of Startup Braga, emphasised the transformative impact of GHA: ‘Together, we forged a connection between research, entrepreneurship, and the healthcare and biotechnology sectors.’ Our mission was clear: to equip startups with the tools, knowledge and connections they needed to transform promising ideas into tangible, effective solutions. Together, we proved that innovation, collaboration, and courage are the key to a healthier future.'
Apollo Medica, BestHealth4U, BloodFlow, DocBay, Enhanced Fertility, expressTEC, Fetalix, Medgical, MetaBlue Solution (Otitest), OmniumAI and SafeCaring then took to the stage to present their projects to a captivated audience. Ultimately, two start-ups were honoured:
Demo Day ended with a talk entitled 'The Longest Run: Why Health is a CEO-Level Strategy’, presented by Miguel Damas, Founder of Prime Human Performance. This was followed by speeches from Ricardo Simões (Director of Innovation at CCDR-N), Rui Ferreira (Managing Partner at Nascente Value) and Bruno Almeida (Co-founder and CEO of IPLEXMED, winner of the 2024 929 Challenge), who shared his experience of the soft-landing programme.
The future of research and entrepreneurship will be shaped by Bio-MedTechHub
The Global Health Accelerator has once again demonstrated Braga's ability to attract and retain companies specialising in health, biotechnology and nanotechnology that are just starting out. This initiative cements Braga's reputation as an innovative city, providing these companies with the conditions they need to flourish. The future Bio-MedTech Hub will build on this success.
The centre will provide these companies with the physical space, advanced equipment, and specialised services they require to transform innovation into sustainable impact. This will include technical support in areas such as regulation, intellectual property and prototyping, as well as access to international networks and partners for conducting clinical trials. In this way, Braga will participate in, and lead, the cutting-edge technology revolution.
New edition of GHA on the horizon
Last week, the application submitted by Startup Braga and 2CA-Braga was one of ten chosen by a panel of experts to take part in the EIT Health DRIVE training programme. The five most promising projects at the end of the programme will receive co-financing of up to €25,000 to implement their development programme. This approval also marks the first step towards the second edition of GHA.