Radboud University Investment Day Spotlights Healthcare Innovation
Nijmegen, Thursday, 9 October 2025.
Radboud University hosted its annual Investment Day on October 9, 2025, focusing on healthcare innovation. The event drew 241 stakeholders, highlighting successful public-private partnerships and award-winning ventures.
A Celebration of Innovation and Collaboration
The Radboud University Investment Day, held on October 8, 2025, at the university’s Experience Center in Nijmegen, was a vibrant celebration of healthcare innovation and collaboration. Co-organized by Briskr, Oost NL, Radboudumc, and Radboud University, the event brought together over 241 participants, including researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors, to foster connections and partnerships in the life sciences and health sector [1].
Keynote Insights and Challenges
The event featured a keynote speech by Rinke Zonneveld, CEO of Invest-NL, who addressed the significant hurdles faced by startups in transitioning to scale-up phases, emphasizing the necessity of strategic investments and partnerships [1]. Mayor Bruls of Nijmegen also highlighted the importance of creating new networks to facilitate market entry for innovative healthcare solutions [1].
Award-Winning Ventures
Highlighting the event’s success, the Radboudumc team ‘SAVE’, composed of Maroeska te Loo, Veroniek Harbers, Edith Klappe, and Carine van der Vleuten, won the Venture Challenge for their innovative plan to repurpose the drug Sirolimus for treating rare congenital vascular malformations, earning a €20,000 prize [1]. In addition, Angela Soares, a PhD student, received the Martijn Kriens Best Poster Award for her research on integrated sensing cell-signatures to detect infected joint prostheses, accompanied by a €2,500 prize [1].
The Role of Public-Private Partnerships
The event underscored the vital role of public-private partnerships in advancing healthcare innovations. By matching researchers and entrepreneurs with investors, the Investment Day facilitated the creation of impactful ventures poised to address critical healthcare challenges [2]. This collaborative approach is crucial for translating innovative ideas into practical healthcare solutions capable of transforming patient care [3].