Dusseldorf – November 03, 2026 -- More than 500 start-ups will exhibit among several thousand exhibitors at MEDICA 2026, held 16-19 November in Düsseldorf, and the 15th MEDICA START-UP COMPETITION will stage its pitch final on the new MEDICA MAIN STAGE in Hall 12 for the first time.
START-UP PARK in Hall 17 hosts more than 100 international companies
The MEDICA START-UP PARK sits inside the new Digital Health Hub, next to the new MEDICA DIGITAL HEALTH STAGE curated by Prof. Dr. David Matusiewicz. Exhibitors cover AI, digital health, medical technology, robotics and diagnostics.
Dortmund-based Tano Care works on digital delivery of lab results to patients in understandable form. Freiburg-based LABMaiTE combines AI algorithms with automated laboratory platforms to optimize biological processes in real experiments. Finland's MedicubeX presents the eHealth Station, a self-service health kiosk that records vital signs and risk factors and can then enable a telemedical consultation. Other exhibitors develop AI-assisted EEG analysis, digital offerings for people with panic disorders, multilingual AI avatars and automated material management systems to relieve nursing staff.
New START-UP STAGE adds investor roundtables and matchmaking
The English-language MEDICA START-UP STAGE, also in Hall 17, debuts in 2026 for start-ups and scale-ups. "Pitch & Connect Sessions" feature company presentations, while Knowledge Hubs address cybersecurity, clinical validation, certification, financing and growth. Digital health expert Inga Bergen is among the speakers.
Investor Roundtables, business matchmaking and the Investment & Growth Lounge are designed to connect founders with investors and potential cooperation partners, with a focus on market opportunities, scaling and financing.
Competition final is set for Tuesday, 17 November, at 3 p.m.
Finalists compete in four fields: AI in medicine, robotics, laboratory diagnostics, and resilience including cybersecurity. Carmen Berger, Director MEDICA & COMPAMED at Messe Düsseldorf, described the move to the main stage as a deliberate decision to put innovation at the center of the fair.
2025 winner SVAN Technologies found its contract manufacturer at MEDICA
Austrian start-up SVAN Technologies won in 2025 with an auto-stop technology for bone drilling. The system is designed to detect when the drill passes from the cortical bone into the medullary cavity and stop automatically.
By its own account, SVAN has since expanded its team and prepared further clinical and industrial development. Gunpreet Coudert Oberoi said the company found its contract manufacturer at MEDICA: a certified firm in India authorized to produce for Europe, the US and Asia.
Oberoi returns in 2026. On 17 November she speaks at "Women in Health - Closing Gender Gaps in Healthcare" at the MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM and takes part in the START-UP STAGE program.
INNOVATION FORUM in Hall 11 runs all four fair days
The MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM covers AI and big data, digital health models, robotics, wearables, cybersecurity, the European Health Data Space, diagnostics and personalized medicine. The parallel COMPAMED 2026 in Halls 8a and 8b covers the technology foundations and supplier expertise of medical technology.