Can you tell us a bit more about what HSBC Innovation Banking is, and what the organisation is aiming to bring to the health tech space?

HSBC Innovation Banking is a commercial bank that provides flexible banking solutions designed specifically for start-ups, scale-ups, investors. We bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the table, and thanks to our position as part of HSBC, we remain committed to supporting innovation and driving growth in sectors that are shaping our future, including health technology (HealthTech), around the world.

Within the health tech arena, HSBC Innovation Banking aspires to provide holistic financial solutions tailored to the distinctive challenges faced by companies navigating this innovative field. Recognising the nuanced needs of HealthTech enterprises at various stages of development, from inception to maturity, HSBC Innovation Banking endeavors to streamline access to capital, offer customised financing options, and facilitate connections within global networks. This commitment ensures seamless growth opportunities for HealthTech visionaries.

HSBC Innovation Banking has a wide perspective across the innovation economy. What do you think are the key trends or technologies reshaping the health tech space?

The health tech landscape is evolving rapidly, and we at HSBC recognise the key trends and technologies that are reshaping this dynamic sector. AI, Big Data and Analytics will enable the digital transformation of healthcare. By staying abreast of these innovations, we aim to provide unwavering financial support to HealthTech companies propelling positive change in the industry.

Over the past few years, Europe has been “catching up” to the US in terms of activity, if not scale. Do you see that trend continuing?

Maybe. Europe is a region with a diverse economic landscape, comprising advanced economies at the forefront of competitiveness, innovation, and productivity, as well as economies that are still in the process of catching up.

There are a few challenges for the European pre-seed companies, that are related solely to the traction they have in their countries so scaling to the US may prove to be difficult. What makes scaling to the US complicated is the lack of consistent transatlantic investors between US and Europe, which contributes to Europe’s post-Series A chasm.

What’s the reality to work with Pharma?

Drawing from my background in the pharmaceutical industry, I want to shed light on the challenges of navigating procurement processes within large enterprises. It’s crucial to understand that having just one primary source of revenue, especially from pharmaceutical giants, can pose significant risks. The multifaceted nature of how pharmaceutical companies operate, along with the potential challenges in payment dynamics, adds a layer of complexity that necessitates a thoughtful approach.
From a banking standpoint, a healthcare company with fluctuating revenues from a government might be perceived differently than a consumer-focused company with more predictable metrics.

What are the key criteria applying when you evaluate digital health companies?

When evaluating digital health companies for financing, I apply several essential criteria, with one prominent factor being the presence of multiple revenue sources. This criterion plays a crucial role in reducing risk and promoting the development of resilient revenue models.
Diversifying revenue sources is strategically important for digital health companies due to the industry’s ongoing evolution. Understanding diverse several revenue streams and actively mitigating risks through diversification becomes vital for long-term success. Encouraging companies in the digital health space to explore and establish multiple revenue streams not only enhances their appeal for financing but also fosters the growth of robust businesses capable of thriving in a dynamic and ever-changing landscape.
When digital health companies  demonstrate at least three distinct revenue sources, HSBC Innovation Banking is likely more able to support these potentially more resilient business models. This criterion may act as a de-risking lever, helping companies fortify their revenue models and build stability in their operations. By encouraging the establishment of multiple revenue streams, we aim to improve the attractiveness and resilience of these companies, enabling them to navigate the evolving landscape of the digital health industry successfully.

What do you think “health” will mean 10 years from now?

In the next 10 years, the concept of health will undergo a transformation, encompassing more than just the absence of disease. While the fundamental definition of health will remain the same, there will be a shift towards a more holistic approach.

I firmly believe that health extends beyond medical diagnoses and treatments. It will be seen as an integral part of everyday life and decision-making processes. To achieve this, we need to work towards an integrated care model where individuals receive information about their health rather than simply providing it. This approach goes beyond the traditional “patient-centric” model and embraces a proactive and participatory approach to overall well-being.

In this future vision of health, individuals will have access to a wealth of information, tools, and technologies that empower them to make informed decisions about their own health. It will involve a collaborative effort between healthcare providers, technology innovators, and individuals, working together to optimise health outcomes.

The iconic Start-Up Discovery segment of the conference is designed and structured to give visibility to emerging start-ups with established and scalable solutions, offer an opportunity to connect with companies, investors and stakeholders from the international digital health ecosystem.

Why send your application?

Frontiers Health has demonstrated over the past seven editions that start-ups are a key catalyst for the development of a better healthcare experience. Precisely for this reason, their collaboration with key players in the digital health ecosystem can have an even more significant impact. In addition, there is the opportunity to present a start-up during Start-up Discovery sessions in front of representatives of leading investment funds and digital health experts. Start-ups will also benefit from participating in events and competitions organised by leading pharmaceutical companies during the conference.

The call, open until September 6^th, is open to Seed to Series B start-ups with innovative solutions in the health sector.

As always, participation in Start-up Discovery is free of charge and this year all applicants will receive a free pass to attend the conference and an exclusive discount on additional passes.

How to apply

To streamline the application process, Frontiers Health has partnered with Accelerace, one of the leading investors in the Nordic countries. Through this partnership, Accelerace has made its highly intuitive application platform available for the Frontiers Health team.

Be sure to submit your application for a chance to present your company to over 100 investors and players in the digital health sector!

You have until September 6^th to submit your free application by clicking here.

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Steering Committee

This success was made possible thanks to the significant contribution of the Steering Committee, composed of key players in the digital innovation in healthcare. The Steering Committee will bring its experience and expertise to make Frontiers Health 2023 an even more remarkable event than previous editions.

From 8 to 10 November, Rome will become the stage for innovation, bringing together brilliant minds and revolutionary ideas.

Roberto Ascione, CEO and Founder of Healthware Group, will lead the Steering Committee for the eighth consecutive year as Conference Chair. We will also meet other leading figures in Digital Health such as Eugene Borukhovich, CEO and COO of YourCoach.Health; Megan Coder, Chief Policy Officer of the Digital Therapeutics Alliance; Jessica DaMassa, Executive Producer & Host for WTF Health; Fredrik Debong, Co-Founder and CPO of hi.health; Tony Estrella, Managing Director of Taliossa; Monique Levy, Chief Business Officer of Woebot Health; Min-Sung Sean Kim, Managing Partner of Digital Health Ventures (DHV); Marc Sluijs, Managing Partner of digitalhealth.network; and Paul Tunnah, Chief Content Officer and Managing Director of Healthware International.

Frontiers Health 2023’s Steering Committee defines the general themes of the conference program and brings well-known international experiences. Frontiers Health is not only an event for sharing innovative content, but also a platform for establishing relationships in the vast ecosystem of digital health. Frontiers Health has created over the years a network of experts and professionals who share the passion for innovation in healthcare and the search for sustainable solutions for human health’s future.

FH23 Ambassadors

The FH23 Ambassadors are enthusiastic professionals passionate about Digital Health. They spread the message of innovation and promote the conference program. This group of professionals shares the common goal of improving healthcare through digital innovation.

Frontiers Health 2023 is the perfect opportunity to exchange ideas, create new connections and discover the latest trends and innovations in digital health.

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Frontiers Health 2023 will last three days, one longer than the last edition. Participants will have more time to share information and knowledge. They will also have the opportunity to attend a large number of side events, organised in collaboration with international partners and stakeholders.

This year, on November 9, there will also be the Italian Summit – a forum open to all the main actors in Italian life science – which for the first time will take place in the framework of the Global Conference.

During the Summit all the main actors will be able to discuss how digital innovation has become a determining factor for the progress of the Italian life science industry and how it has outlined useful paths to accelerate innovation in healthcare, thus further promoting the digitalization of the Italian Health Service.

As a Media Partner of the event we offer you a 20% discount to get your pass!

Frontiers Health 2023 will take place a few kilometres from the centre of Rome, in the EUR district, the economic and business heart of the city. Frontiers Health is moving to Italy’s capital after being hosted for two years in Milan, the strategic hub of the Italian economy. Rome is an innovative centre that fosters collaboration between universities, institutes, and health accelerators.

A crucial part of the conference’s mission is to bring together the different players in the innovation ecosystem, and this will also be facilitated by this year’s venue: Confindustria’s Auditorium della Tecnica (the largest association in Italy that represents manufacturing and service companies).

‘Architecture within Architecture’

The Auditorium was designed by architect Pier Luigi Spadolini. Its renovation was conceived to perfectly match the original building by architect Edoardo Monaco. It is for that reason that the Auditorium has earned the title ‘Architecture within Architecture’.

The design of this location combines modern structures, technology, and functional elements. The latest renovation has amplified this remarkable architectural heritage by creating a continuous flow of design elements.  This will create an immersive experience through multifunctional spaces.

This location will foster innovative ideas and be the perfect place to develop cutting-edge strategies aimed at life sciences advancement. The magic of the conference venue can be felt at the foyer entrance, with its sinuous geometries symbolising the ideal combination of versatility and luminosity.

The plenary sessions of Frontiers Health 2023 will be held in a space that combines innovation and elegance in which it will welcome the main international leaders in the field of digital health.

The Congress Centre will dedicate space to numerous initiatives, working sessions and networking activities tailored to the needs and objectives of the more than 1,000 expected guests.

The Auditorium della Tecnica is connected to Rome’s Termini station and Fiumicino airport via metro lines and motorways. It is an ideal and quiet place to enjoy the global conference.

More information on the Frontiers Health conference can be found on the website.

Get your FH23 pass by using our exclusive promo code FH23DHB20!

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With so many brave innovators pitching on stage at the 2022 edition, the presentations were stretched over 5 separate sessions. Matthew Holt, Founder of The Health Care Blog, led the first session and was joined by an expert panel of investors and corporate innovation managers that went in depth with each start-up, posing tough questions following their pitch: Fabrizio Conicella, Life Science District; Maria Grazia Mazzone, SIFI SpA; Lucanus Polagnoli, Calm/Storm Ventures; Alessandro Porcu, OpenZone – Zcube; Jordi Ferrer Rende, Ship2B Ventures SGEIC, S.A; Elia Stupka, Angelini Ventures; Gabriele Tundo, Plexus Ventures; and Aline Vedder, Lakestar.

The Innovative Startups

During session 1, six innovators took the stage to present their novel solutions and address questions from investors giving the audience further insights into their market focus, company dynamics, and the road ahead.

• Salvatore Albani, Ananda
• Reinhard Stary, Biospectal
• Davide Dettori, Health Triage
• Ozge Karakas, Hi-D Imaging
• Katrina Laks, Migrevention
• Adonica Shaw, Wingwomen

As official Media Partner of the global conference, we were onsite at the Frontiers Health Media Centre and chatted with some of them, as they walked off the Start-up Discovery stage.

Ticket holders can view the full session on-demand here. Didn’t make it to Frontiers Health 2022? Playback passes are available now. GET YOUR PLAYBACK PASS

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Over our past six global editions, we at Frontiers Health have been striving to help put emerging and established startups on the map with their proven and scalable solutions.

As we have proudly witnessed, startups represent a key catalyzer to build the foundations of a new healthcare experience and can deliver an even more profound impact when collaborating with top global players in health and care.

We’re humbled to have supported thousands of new healthcare ventures over the course of our journey as an ecosystem, shedding light on their promising solutions, connecting them with investors and key stakeholders, and nurturing their ingenuity with insightful know-how.

To fuel the multifaceted and complex health innovation scenario again this year, we are inviting start-ups on any continent to apply with products already launched in the market and that have some initial traction, preferably in the process of raising their Series A or B funding rounds.

Top companies and investors from a range of health verticals will be in attendance giving the selected start-ups global visibility. All this plus exclusive access to conference activities led by the top companies in the pharmaceutical and medical industries. This year we will further expand the networking segments as more leading companies from across the world come to Frontiers Health seeking trailblazing start-ups to meet their innovation goals.

Applications are simple to complete and free of charge and will entitle for exclusive discount on tickets, so be sure to complete yours by September 6th!

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The committee assembles Eugene Borukhovich, Chairman and COO at YourCoach.Health; Megan Coder, Vice President of Global Policy at Digital Therapeutics Alliance; Fredrik Debong, Cofounder and CPO at hi.health; Tony Estrella, Managing Director at Taliossa; Monique Levy, Chief Commercial Officer at Woebot Health; Min-Sung Sean Kim, Managing Partner at Digital Health Ventures (DHV); Marc Sluijs, Managing Partner at digitalhealth.network; and Paul Tunnah, Chief Content Officer and Managing Director UK at Healthware Group.

In addition, CEO and Founder of Healthware Group Roberto Ascione will return for his seventh consecutive year leading the Steering Committee as conference chair. Such group of globally recognized experts will commit to onboarding top-notch speakers, exploring strategic and groundbreaking topics, and shaping an exceptional program that will deliver a unique experience to conference attendees.

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Navigating and shaping the next era of healthcare. That’s the reason why Frontiers Conferences and Healthware Group have been joining forces over the years, conceiving and delivering a completely novel and disruptive conference fruition.

Healthware Group enhances its commitment as a global player in the health innovation space by renewing the foundational alliance with Frontiers Health, for its seventh edition, taking place in person in the ingenious and resourceful city of Milan, Italy, and virtually on October 20-21, 2022.

As conference global co-host and main sponsor, working at the intersection of technology, life sciences, and communications, Healthware Group has been tapping into its truly transformational attitude and global reach to leverage Frontiers Health among one of the leading global health innovation events, shaping an evolving, committed, responsible and forward-looking ecosystem, that performs and delivers well beyond their periodic global gatherings.

Frontiers Health brings together international thought leaders, policymakers, key industry players, and companies at the epicenter of it all for a two-day deep dive into the ongoing challenges, strategic trends, and scalable solutions likely to impact healthcare.

In its third year as a hybrid physical-virtual conference, Frontiers Health will be striving to produce a highly refined and curated learning and networking experience for like-minded delegates coming together from across the world, while continuing to level up our partnership opportunities, which include customized breakout sessions, corporate events, discussion panels, innovation challenges, and more.

This year’s conference will explore guiding themes inspired by the most compelling topics, including digital therapeutics & medicine, digital care delivery, telehealth, digital transformation, cross-industry innovations, funding & scaling, health equity and access.

In this Spotlight on Frontiers Health 2021, we present notable highlights and discussions from the conference, including resources from pharmaphorum and Frontiers Health and expert insight and analysis from those driving digital health adoption in life sciences.

With no precedent set for such a dramatic transformation, the acceleration of digital health adoption during the Covid-19 pandemic has driven creative thinking across the life science industry. As part of this spotlight, we get an insider look at the future of innovation in digital health and why companies are moving away from siloed development strategies in favour of cross-department collaboration.

Discover more at pharmaphorum.com

Thanks to the support of Healthware Group as global co-host and main sponsor, and to the conference chairman, Roberto Ascione, Frontiers Health is recognised as one of the leading global health innovation events and has become the epicentre of the digital health ecosystem.

The conference agenda, in its second year as a hybrid physical-virtual experience, will feature partnership opportunities to run custom breakout sessions, corporate events, keynote speakers, discussion panels, plenary sessions, challenges, breakout sessions and more.

Themes

This year’s conference will explore topics inspired by healthcare, including:

Digital Therapeutics
Patent protections, regulatory developments, reimbursement strategies, data protection, open-sourcing healthcare

Digital Transformation
R&D transformation, health insurance trends, consumerization of healthcare, mjedical on-demand models, the connected patient

Telehealth
Patient centricity, remote monitoring, beyond episodic care, mental telehealth, big data & AI

Funding & Scaling
SPAC strategies, digital health IPOs, investments

Tickets

Take advantage of the Early Bird discount to get your ticket – digital or in-person – to attend the most important global event dedicated to digital health innovation!

Buy your pass to keep up to date with the global conference