Especially in the medical device or MedTech sector, the continuous development of products and services is essential to find even better, i.e., more needs-oriented solutions for users – doctors, nurses, therapists – and patients, thereby making an important contribution to healthcare. L&R's innovative strength ranges from product development and enhancement with a current portfolio of more than 60,000 products, to manufacturing at its own production sites and supplying customers, to service solutions in the area of process and product optimization (L&R OPTILINE) and digital offerings, such as webshops & logistics solutions. The innovation and idea management involves employees of the five in-house research & development centers, but also external stakeholders – users, scientists, and research institutions. In 2023, L&R expanded this circle of cooperation partners in the field of innovation and organized the first "L&R Accelerator Program". In 2024, the second edition of the program is being organized and again aims to start sustainable collaborations between the established company and the startups, thus further expanding L&R's innovative strength.
Two Focus Areas | Four Startups in the Final
This year, L&R focused on two areas of action for which it sought (and seeks) startups as partners. In the field of "Artificial Intelligence and Data Management," the primary goal is to find platform solutions for seamless data integration and real-time analyses, which enable data quality for precise AI insights and promote automated documentation. The second area of action encompasses "Digital Solutions for Outpatient Care"; that means the development and implementation of digital technologies to facilitate the shift of medical services from inpatient to outpatient facilities.
Following the external announcement of the program, more than 20 startups from 9 countries applied to L&R. Four of these startups are now participating in the "L&R Accelerator Program," whose kick-off took place on October 15 and 16 in Vienna.
AICU, a startup based in Heilbronn/Germany, develops innovative software solutions for data analysis in the medical field.
Picture: Julia Yukovich / AICU.
ZenZen, based in Berlin/Germany, offers an AI-powered app to support pregnant women with gestational diabetes.
Picture: Viktor Hodobay / ZenZen
Any-Edge from Tokyo/Japan focuses on the early detection and monitoring of periodontitis through non-invasive analyses of saliva and breath samples.
Picture: Daisuke Tanaka / Any-Edge
BestHealth4U, a startup from Braga/Portugal, has developed a wound dressing called Bio2Skin.
Picture: Sofia Esteves / BestHealth4U
Comprehensive Program Leading Up to the Finale in December
The "L&R Accelerator Program" start event in October provided participants with relevant information about L&R and the medical device industry, as well as its requirements. It explained the program's focus areas in detail, and included "masterclasses," i.e., workshops where in-depth product and industry knowledge was imparted. Now, all participating startups have time to specify and refine their product or service solutions, as well as their business strategies and use cases. During this time, L&R closely supports the startups through expert mentoring, networking opportunities, and pitch training. On December 3, the grand pitch event will take place at the L&R location in Rengsdorf, where the winning startup will be crowned
Thomas Menitz, currently COO and from December 1 the new CEO & President of L&R:
"The large number of startups from so many different countries that applied in 2024 has greatly exceeded our expectations. This shows that we are an interesting and enriching partner for young, innovative startups and that we offer a great program and relevant support. For this, I would like to thank project manager Laura Ihrlich and all the colleagues involved! And I want to emphasize: L&R is looking for long-term partners. We are still connected through joint projects with four of the six startups that participated in 2023 – so the 'L&R Accelerator Program' has a sustainable positive impact – for both sides!"
Cooperation in the Startup Area
In 2024, L&R is also collaborating with "Vision Health Pioneers Incubator," an external startup program from Berlin that supports healthcare entrepreneurs.
Laura Ihrlich, project manager of the "L&R Accelerator Program":
"The cooperation with 'Vision Health Pioneers' and the opportunity to present our program and its benefits to interested startups in their LinkedIn webinars has been very valuable for us. Thanks again to the startups Feeltect, our winner from 2023, and Physikit! With their support, we were able to convince many very different and very interesting startups to apply for our program. It was really not easy to select the four final startups in our program. Our finalists ultimately convinced us with their existing solutions, their business and funding strategy, but also due to other factors, such as AI expertise or team diversity. I am looking forward to the next weeks and an exciting finale."