Record attendance at the second edition of the Mental Health Investment Forum & Innovation Day of the TECSAM Network
The event is consolidated as a reference space for the connection between research, innovation and investment in mental health.
The second edition of the Investment Forum & Innovation Day (MHIF-D), organized by the TECSAM Network, has brought together more than 150 participants at the UPF Barcelona School of Management, including professionals, researchers and investors interested in the intersection between mental health and impact investment, consolidating its trajectory as a reference space for promoting innovation and transfer in this area.
The opening of the Conference was given by Dr. Judit López , Head of Innovation at the Sant Joan de Déu Health Park and Promoter of the TECSAM Network, Dr. Josep Maria Haro , Director of Teaching, Research and Innovation at the Sant Joan de Déu Health Park and Coordinator of the TECSAM Network, and Ms. Lourdes Puigbarraca , Deputy Director General of Knowledge Transfer and Society of the Generalitat de Catalunya. Dr. Josep Maria Haro recalled that almost 50% of people with mental health problems are not diagnosed correctly due to the lack of approach by the health system, and placed special emphasis on children and young people. In addition, the drugs used in the treatments still require significant improvement, as they have many side effects and are not effective for everyone. “That is why we are here today, to be able to improve mental health through innovation ,” he said.
Brief presentations of five innovative start-ups
The attendees of the event learned about the experience of five start-ups: Aima Beyond AI, Neuhera, 3Dthinks, Mential and Bitsphi Diagnosis . In this space, moderated by Gemma Hernández from the TECSAM Network, the five start-ups presented their projects and showed innovative solutions that combine technology and science to address different challenges in mental health. Such as the proposal of Aima Beyond AI that uses artificial intelligence to detect moods and offer support, the project of Neuhera that creates neurotechnological devices in a combined way to stimulate the brain in children with ADHD, and 3Dthinks that applies advanced technology to improve accessibility and the detection of stress in a precise way. The Mential initiative that promotes emotional well-being with a personalized application and the proposal of Bitsphi Diagnosis that develops early digital diagnoses in mental health were also presented.
Success of the relational space and the TECSAM project exhibition
In the relational space, 26 projects from the TECSAM Network were presented, which currently brings together more than 400 innovative solutions aimed at improving mental health. Among the proposals, more advanced solutions were presented, such as Avatar-VR, Andy’s Mind, Econos and Muvity , which exemplify the transformative potential of applied research in this area.
The different projects that have participated in this space are from very diverse areas, from digital solutions for the evaluation and monitoring of disorders to virtual reality applications, artificial intelligence, personalized therapies and biomarkers. Some of the proposals have been: Among the projects present there are: FibroVR + , ECONOS, PRESTO, BEAT, MUVITY , PICOFON, JEPMEN , EVIMATIC, ADAPTEA, EvalDepApps , IMPROVA, PERMANENS, IConnecta’t , Andy’s Mind, MOVERE, AVATAR-VR, Co-Elna , MESTRAL, NEURALLY, PERMEPSY, SMARTomics, TOBBSTOP, Biomarkers for Dementias, Flavii Therapeutics, OPADE and ABCD. All these initiatives have been able to present their innovative technologies and solutions with a presence in the relational space with a stand or poster, with the aim of establishing contacts with investors and professionals, and strengthening collaboration with other key players in the mental health innovation ecosystem.
Roundtable on impact investing
During the roundtable on impact investment in mental health and well-being, with the participation of Laia Pascual Ponce (Ship2B Ventures), Sara Leander-Pehrson (Heka VR), Anna Bellmunt (Asabys Partners) and moderated by Cinta Díez (Invivo Partners) , it was highlighted that the pandemic has increased awareness and the budget dedicated to mental health, but there are still a lack of success stories and clinical validation has been a challenge, especially in prevention and monitoring. To attract investments, a clear strategy must have been established, efficiency and scalability must have been demonstrated, and they must have been adapted to the regulations and healthcare systems of each country. It was also highlighted that investment in mental health is just beginning, it was an unexplored path and now it is a reality.
The event concluded with speeches by Judit López and Nadal Bayà , head of the Knowledge Transfer Area at AGAUR, who highlighted the need to continue promoting collaboration between research, entrepreneurship and investment to continue developing innovative solutions in mental health. Bayà highlighted the importance of the TECSAM Network for the Catalan ecosystem and Judit López invited attendees to continue working on innovation in mental health, inviting them to attend the next edition of the Mental Investment Forum & Innovation Day.
