Announcing the First Health Founders Estonia Cohort: 34 Startups Defining the Future of Healthtech

From AI-powered diagnostics to life sciences breakthroughs, 34 ambitious teams are joining the very first Health Founders Estonia (HFE) accelerator cohort. Spread across our three programs (DEFINE, DEVELOP, and GROW), these founders represent the boldest ideas in digital health and life sciences, ready to shape Estonia into a global launchpad for health tech innovation.

Why This Matters

The global health tech market is projected to reach $974.5 billion by 2030, growing at nearly a 20% annual rate. Rapid technological innovation and demand for more accessible, efficient, and personalized care make this the perfect moment for founders to act. There has never been a better time to launch a health tech startup! 

Estonia, with its digital-first identity and thriving startup culture, is uniquely positioned to become more than a testing ground—it can emerge as a global leader in health technology by 2035. Health Founders Estonia is here to make that leap possible.

From Applications to Acceptance

When applications opened for HFE Batch #1, the response was nothing short of inspiring: 47 companies stepped forward to take the leap with ideas ranging from AI-driven diagnostic tools to therapeutic platforms serving non-verbal children, postpartum women, and the elderly.

With a strong trend of software and hardware integration, the digital health and life science startups showcase a balanced and evolving ecosystem. In the DEFINE stage, applications were nearly evenly divided (54.8% digital, 45.2% life science), with accepted teams reflecting this mix, indicating that both digital solutions and research-driven ventures find success in Estonia. During the DEVELOP stage, digital health led with 64.3% of accepted teams, aligning with global trends favoring lower-capital digital solutions for faster development. Although fewer in number, life science startups make significant contributions to long-term scientific innovation. In GROW, the only accepted company was digital, consistent with Estonia’s digital-first identity. 

These figures demonstrate a vibrant ecosystem where digital health benefits from Estonia’s tech culture, and the life sciences gain momentum, striking a balance between speed and scientific depth. Many new players are now ready to plug into structured programs like ours. Even better, we’re observing a positive trend of growth within the six months of Health Founders Estonia, as several startups have already gone through our “chain of events,” moving from KIIP events to the DISCOVER Startup Bootcamp and then to the DEFINE program. If this trajectory continues, Estonia is well-positioned to become not just a testing ground but a global launchpad for healthtech innovations by 2035.

Through a rigorous multi-step selection process, including Dealum submissions, interviews, CIMIT self-assessments, and video pitches. Finally, decisions were made by an Assessment Committee composed of Health Founders Estonia consortium partners and ecosystem experts, including EIS | Enterprise Estonia (Kristiina Sepp), Tartu University Hospital (Katrin Kaarna), TalTech (Kadi Lubi), Tehnopol Science Park (Helen Staak), EstBAN (Jana Budkovskaja), and EstVCA (Madis Lehtmets). By opening up this process, we’re not just lifting the curtain; we’re demonstrating that the journey into HFE is fair and guided by some of the best minds in Estonia’s health tech and startup ecosystem. 

Spotlight on the Cohort

A green light was given for 34 teams, with 21 teams continuing their journey in the DEFINE program, 12 teams in the DEVELOP program, and one team in the GROW program. The themes shaping this year’s cohort include digital health and AI, women’s health and aging, life sciences and diagnostics, robotics, biotechnology, workforce management, and preventive health. 

The DEFINE program: 

  • AnESTesia: an app for anesthesia nurses that gathers and organizes information.
  • AURAGUARD: an AI-based home monitoring and communication device for elderly or chronically ill people.
  • CareBridge: a platform that connects people in need with trusted human helpers such as nurses, nannies, mentors, or coaches.
  • CareHand: robotic lateral transfer enhances patient safety and efficiency, alleviating caregiver strain and addressing key care challenges.
  • CogniFlow: a droplet biotech instrumentation to make strain engineering >3x faster and >100x cheaper
  • DOSEIT: a pre-portioned food supplement delivery system to help individuals with specific health issues.
  • Food Filter: a mobile app that gives full nutritional and ingredient information of a food by barcode scanning.
  • Glurry™: a diabetes app that helps patients manage their health with AI-tailored insights and goals.
  • Lunara: a smart app that supports women during menopause by tracking nutrition, mood, symptoms, and supplements.
  • Milo: an AI-powered speech therapy app to help children aged 3–10 improve their pronunciation. 
  • NeuralBiome: an AI-powered stool test and care platform for early cancer detection and personalised patient support.
  • NM Patsol: a low-cost noble metal nanoparticles to help health and high-tech companies.
  • Padakonn Pharma: monoclonal antibodies that target fibrosis in chronic kidney disease and preeclampsia. 
  • Pathogora: a platform that connects pathologists and healthcare providers globally. 
  • Priotech: our mission is to save more lives by improving the quality and efficiency of medical training through digital tools.
  • PropsAid: creating ultra-realistic fake wound training aids for medical and military simulation.
  • SkipEat: a wearable nutrient device to help frontline workers stay energized without food.
  • SPADAwaves: a low-cost, innovative device for malaria treatment using microwaves. 
  • Supercharger Labs: functional ingredients for organic sunscreens that help to prevent skin cancer.
  • Verdandi: an app to increase healthy lifespan by combining personalized lifestyle tracking with science-based recommendations. 
  • Vocametrix: Speech Analysis API & Interactive Games for Speech Therapy. 

The DEVELOP program: 

  • AVARA: a science-driven healthtech company enhancing the body’s natural recovery by improving microcirculation
  • Boundee: helping hospitals stabilize staffing by starting with nurse hiring and expanding into full workforce management. 
  • EdiLabs: the first edible immunotherapy drug designed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Evie: an AI-powered app for personalized pregnancy & postpartum pelvic floor care, with tailored workouts and expert support. 
  • Fysiolink: a web-based platform to help therapists and clients manage communication, share equipment, and videos. 
  • Helli: the AAC software to help non-verbal children express their needs and emotions through symbols and voice. 
  • Microplastic Diagnostics: Blood sample Microplastic detector. 
  • LS Medical: materials to help find methods for the early diagnosis and monitoring of diseases.
  • Lyfery: Next-Gen Life Insurance: Rewarding Prevention and a Healthy Lifestyle. 
  • Poshear: an innovative product with a new technical and design solution for people with mild hearing loss.
  • Soundfr: striving to give equal opportunities to hard-of-hearing people thanks to technology and AI. 
  • Vectiopep: enabling cancer vaccine delivery to the patients. 

The GROW program: 

  • Better Medicine: utilising AI to transform cancer diagnostics and radiology workflows for improved patient outcomes. 

What’s Next

On August 24 and 25, we organized a kick-off event for the first cohort of our accelerator programs. A bunch of excited and curious health tech founders joined us at Kääriku Sports Centre, a lively sports complex nestled beside Lake Kääriku in southern Estonia, surrounded by rolling hills and lush nature, with a glimmer in their eyes, eager to start and elevate their startup journeys. 

But that was just the beginning. Over the coming months, these 34 startups will receive mentorship and guidance from top ecosystem leaders and build their solutions through structured programs. The finale? A Demo Day on January 28, 2026, in Tartu, right before the sTARTUp Day 2026! 

Together, we’re building a globally competitive health tech ecosystem in Estonia! 

 

The HFE program is funded by the EU through Enterprise Estonia, in collaboration with Startup Estonia, to build a strong, globally competitive health tech ecosystem in Estonia.