i4KIDS Acceleration Programme selects seven projects for its 2025 edition

The i4KIDS Acceleration Programme has selected the seven projects that will participate in its 2025 edition, highlighting their high potential for clinical and social impact in the field of fetal, paediatric and maternal health.

Over the coming months, these teams will take part in a training and mentoring programme divided into two phases, designed to help them advance their solutions towards clinical validation and market readiness.

Selected projects

Five of the projects are led by teams belonging to i4KIDS member organisations, selected under the call funded by the Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR – Generalitat de Catalunya), as set out in the published call. The remaining two projects come from the ITEMAS network (Platform for the Dynamisation and Innovation of the Industrial Capacities of the Spanish National Health System), which is also managed by the i4KIDS innovation unit and coordinated by the Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital.

1.”Insula”

Software for the early diagnosis of fetal brain disorders using ultrasound, which automatically identifies and analyses key brain structures at different gestational weeks.

• Entities and team: Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Girona Dr. Josep Trueta (IDIGBI), Hospital Universitari Dr. Josep Trueta, Universitat de Girona and Yamagata University. Led by Anna Maroto, Dr Cabezas, Dr Diez and Dr Martínez.

2. “Fetal Sealing”

A self-expanding bioadhesive patch to seal defects in the amniotic membrane following foetoscopic surgery, reducing the risk of preterm birth.

• Entities and team: BCNatal (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu) and IQS. Led by Dr Eduard Gratacós, Dr Elisenda Eixarch, Prof Salvador Borrós, Dr. Talita Micheletti, Germán Febas, Dr. Izzat Hafifie Elisenda Bonet-Carne and Laura Sánchez Benito.

3. “Relapse Prevention”

A personalised vaccine to prevent relapses in childhood leukaemia, targeting fusion genes specific to cancer cells.

• Entities and team: Spes Immunotherapeutics, IQS Barcelona, BCN Peptides, CNAG, BIOCAT and PRUAB. Led by Dr Ricky Tirtakusuma and Gioele Stoffel. Advisors: Dr Cristina Fornaguera, Dr Ángel Montero and Josep Ballesté.

4. “CET-VAPP”

An antibacterial coating for ventilator tubes to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia in paediatric patients.

• Entities and team: Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital – Fundació Sant Joan de Déu (FSJD) and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). Led by Dr Iolanda Jordan and Carmina Guitart, with Sara Bobillo,  Mònica Balaguer and Roger Fadurdo.

5. “HIP-CARE”

A personalised 3D splint for treating hip dysplasia in newborns, safer and more comfortable than traditional plaster casts.

• Entities and team: ELISAVA and Hospital Clínic Barcelona. Led by Eva Vera García, María Paula Rodríguez Garavito, Lucía Solinís, Júlia Robledo, Arsenio Andrea and María Songel.

6. “DARApp” (ITEMAS)

A mobile app to support children with recurrent abdominal pain and their families, offering information and coping strategies.

• Entities and team: Fundació Salut Empordà (FSE) and Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). Led by Dr Núria Roig, Dr Pere Plaja and Dr Rubén Nieto.

7. “MIP – Micro Intelligent Port” (ITEMAS)

An implantable intelligent venous access device for paediatric oncology patients, with sensors and LED lights, enhancing safety and comfort.

• Entities and team: Anima Design, Inar Technologies, CMG MedDev, Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital and Acció. Led by Lucas Krauel, Pamela Lustig, Alejandro Lago, Mathieu de Rooij and Petra Duran.

A two-phase training and mentoring programme

The i4KIDS Acceleration Programme offers six months of specialised training, mentoring and expert consultancy to early-stage projects (TRL 2–4) in the field of paediatric and maternal health. It is structured into two phases:

• Validation Phase (June-July 2025): sessions covering regulation, business models, intellectual property and clinical validation, as well as a GAPs analysis to plan tailored actions.

• Valorisation Phase (September-December 2025): interviews with clinicians, individual mentoring and impact workshops to prepare project pitches for investors and key stakeholders.

The programme will culminate on 20 November 2025 during the Pediatric Innovation Day in Barcelona, where the projects will showcase their progress to the international paediatric innovation community.

Driving knowledge transfer

With the launch of this new edition, i4KIDS reinforces its commitment to supporting teams from research to knowledge transfer through innovation, driving real solutions to improve the health of children and their families.