Healthcare funding, handled.
Devices, diagnostics, digital health and medical software carry deep R&D and long timelines. We secure the funding that de-risks the path from prototype to clinic.
Long development cycles, strong funding fit
Healthcare development is R&D-intensive by nature: devices, diagnostics, digital health, sensing, signal processing, software, validation and trials all qualify. Non-dilutive funding extends your runway through the parts that take the longest.
Why R&D funding fits Healthcare
Four reasons healthcare companies are well positioned for German R&D funding.
Long, fundable development cycles
The years of development and validation before market entry are exactly the period the Research Allowance is built to support.
Equipment counts too
Since 2024, depreciation on machines and equipment used directly in an R&D project can be included in the eligible base, which matters for device and lab-heavy work.
High-skill, high-cost teams
Funding is built around R&D wage costs, and healthcare teams are full of the engineers, scientists and specialists those costs cover.
Strong EU pull
The Horizon Europe health cluster (Cluster 1) and the EIC actively fund medical innovation, giving healthcare teams a route to larger grants on top of the national instruments.
What healthcare activities qualify
Four categories of healthcare R&D that consistently qualify. The common thread is technical uncertainty.
Medical devices
- New device development from concept through functional prototype
- Design and engineering to resolve a problem with no standard solution
- Verification and validation testing requiring systematic experimentation
Diagnostics and assays
- New in-vitro diagnostic methods, assays and biosensors
- Analytical method development and validation under uncertainty
- Sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility studies for a novel method
Digital health and SaMD
- Image analysis, signal processing or decision-support algorithms
- ML models for diagnosis or risk prediction developed from the ground up
- Software as a medical device carrying genuine technical risk
Lab and process development
- New laboratory methods, workflows and automation
- Scale-up of a process from bench to reproducible production
- Materials and biocompatibility development for a device or assay
The line that decides a claim
The line that decides a claim is technical uncertainty. A quick orientation for healthcare:
Usually qualifies
- Device, diagnostic or SaMD development resolving technical uncertainty
- Preclinical and bench work, including Class III clinical investigation
- Validation methods for a novel device or assay
Usually does not
- Clinical evaluation of Class I to IIb devices and IVD performance evaluation
- Regulatory approval, certification and DiGA listing on their own
- Routine medical care and standard quality control
How much healthcare companies typically receive
Indicative ranges based on R&D team size and intensity. Actual figures depend on eligible costs and the funder's decision.
Mostly the Research Allowance on a core development and validation team.
The Research Allowance stacked with a ZIM grant on a defined development project.
Toward the Research Allowance ceiling, plus stacked ZIM and Horizon Europe health funding.
* Indicative figures. The actual amount depends on company size, eligible costs and the programs you qualify for.
The kind of healthcare work that qualifies
If it carries genuine technical risk and novelty, it usually counts. A few examples:
Sensor fusion, signal processing and hardware prototyping for diagnostics or therapy.
Clinical decision support, imaging and AI models with technical novelty.
Bench testing and pre-clinical work that resolves technical uncertainty.
New production or quality methods for regulated medical products.
Best-fit funding for Healthcare
We usually combine two or three of these for the largest total.
Research Allowance
25-35% of R&D costs back as cash, retroactive to 2022.
Explore program →Grant + equityEIC Accelerator
EUR 2.5M grant + up to EUR 10M equity for deep tech.
Explore program →GrantEurostars
~50%, up to EUR 500k per partner for international R&D.
Explore program →GrantHorizon Europe
up to 100% for collaborative health R&I consortia.
Explore program →Healthcare funding, answered
The R&D and validation work that resolves genuine technical uncertainty can qualify. Pure regulatory administration does not, but the development and systematic testing behind it often does. We help you separate the two.
Yes. The Research Allowance is paid out even with no profit, which suits the long pre-market period typical in healthcare.
Since 2024, depreciation on machines and equipment used exclusively and directly in an R&D project can be included in the eligible base. We assess which of your equipment qualifies.
Yes. Contract research is eligible at 70% of the cost, so working with a university or institute does not exclude you, it adds to the eligible base.
The Research Allowance and ZIM cover the national base, while Horizon Europe (Cluster 1) and the EIC fund larger, more ambitious programmes. We design the stack so they reinforce each other.
Ask us anything
Tell us about your project and we'll assess your case by hand. No prep, no obligation. Prefer to talk?