€30 million investment in the Montana Children’s Health fund for paediatric health innovation

The European paediatric innovation ecosystem has taken a decisive step forward with the announcement of a joint investment of €30 million by the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) in the Montana Children’s Health fund, managed by Ship2B Ventures.

The operation, formalised in Madrid on 16 January and officially announced on 23 January, represents the first investment under the Innvierte Technology Transfer & Deep‑Tech financial instrument, created by both institutions to drive high‑impact deep‑tech projects. This programme has a total budget of €353 million aimed at supporting early‑stage technology transfer and deep‑tech initiatives in the paediatric, fetal and maternal health sectors.

The first European fund exclusively focused on children’s health

Montana Children’s Health is positioned as the first European venture capital fund dedicated exclusively to transforming deep‑tech research into clinical and commercial solutions for children’s health. The fund is expected to make around 15 investments in early‑stage European startups applying science and technology to prevent disease, develop new therapies, and improve the quality of life of children.

The fund’s strategy addresses critical areas such as mental health, rare diseases, nutrition, and other unmet clinical needs, responding to a long‑standing funding gap affecting paediatric innovation within the healthcare sector.

An initiative driven from within the paediatric ecosystem

From the outset, the project has counted on the active participation of i4KIDS, the paediatric innovation hub coordinated by Sant Joan de Déu Children’s Hospital and the Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute. The platform has worked alongside Ship2B Ventures in shaping the fund, with the aim of accelerating innovative solutions focused on preventing childhood diseases, developing personalised treatments, and improving the quality of life of paediatric patients.

As i4KIDS highlights, the creation of Montana responds to the need to strengthen every stage of the paediatric innovation value chain — from research to market translation — an area where significant funding and knowledge‑transfer barriers still persist.

Impact on the European ecosystem

With a target size of €50 million, Montana Children’s Health aims to reinforce the European innovation ecosystem in children’s health by connecting clinicians, researchers, entrepreneurs and investors to generate solutions with long‑term clinical, social and economic impact.

The investment from CDTI and EIF will help accelerate the validation of new technologies, foster the creation of spin‑offs, and facilitate startups’ access to growth rounds, thereby contributing to strengthening Europe’s competitiveness in paediatric and deep‑tech innovation.