From the laboratory to the patient: the 'la Caixa' Foundation promotes 31 biomedical and health projects
The 'la Caixa' Foundation has decided on the 2025 call for proposals for the CaixaImpulse programme, through which it supports 31 biomedical projects from research centres, hospitals and universities in Spain and Portugal. In total, the organisation will allocate 3.8 million euros to this initiative, which aims to accelerate the arrival of these innovations on the market to bring them closer to patients who may need them. CaixaImpulse also promotes the creation of new products, services and companies related to life sciences and health.
The winning projects—chosen from among 428 applications received—were evaluated by six panels of international experts and professionals in this field. Among those selected this year are several projects that could transform cancer treatment: from non-invasive blood tests for advanced lung cancer to immunotherapies based on modified cells for aggressive childhood tumours. A new digital solution for the treatment of complex wounds has also been promoted, which will improve support for healthcare professionals. In women's health, an innovative mesh for pelvic organ prolapse is being presented; in the field of genetic diseases, progress is being made towards safer RNA-based therapies; and in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, towards the early detection of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
By business area, 14 of the selected projects belong to the field of therapies. These are followed by projects related to medical devices, 12 of which stand out for their potential to improve healthcare. In the field of diagnostics, four proposals have been identified with the capacity to transform the early detection of diseases and, finally, one project focused on digital health.
In terms of funding, depending on the maturity of the project, the winners receive between 50,000 and 500,000 euros to develop it over the following years. In this call for proposals, 17 projects have been accepted into phase 1 (up to 50,000 euros), 11 into phase 2 (up to 150,000 euros) and 3 into phase 3 (up to 500,000 euros). The programme allows projects, once they have reached specific development milestones and following an assessment by the evaluation committee, to move on to subsequent phases with greater funding.
Training and expert support for projects
CaixaImpulse supports biomedical projects in the field of innovation and transfer by helping researchers to validate their assets and define their exploitation and valorisation strategy in order to bring research results closer to the market. In addition to financial support, they also have access to mentoring, consulting and support from international experts in different areas of the innovation ecosystem.
In addition, researchers leading projects in phase 2 will receive four weeks of specialised training on technology transfer, intellectual property law, presentations to investors and closing commercial agreements.
In the words of Paola Isetta, deputy director of the Grants, Research and Innovation Area at the 'la Caixa' Foundation, 'the decision on the CaixaImpulse 2025 call for proposals reaffirms the Foundation's commitment to innovation in biomedicine and health. With an investment of 3.8 million euros, the development of 31 projects in Spain and Portugal is being promoted with the aim of accelerating their arrival on the market to improve patients' quality of life. In addition to financial support, researchers receive mentoring and expert guidance to bring their innovations to market with greater solidity.'
The call for proposals is being carried out in collaboration with Criteria Bio Ventures, CriteriaCaixa's venture capital investment fund specialising in biotechnology and health sciences. In Portugal, the call for proposals is being carried out in partnership with the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), part of the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, which in this edition is subsidising two of the Portuguese projects selected in phase 1.
The 'la Caixa' Foundation launched this programme to support innovation and transfer in biomedicine and health in 2015. Since then, the organisation has allocated 28.8 million euros to support 263 projects, which have led to the creation of 54 spin-offs, which in turn have obtained additional co-financing through other competitive calls or from private investors worth more than 180 million euros. These are some of the achievements of the first decade of CaixaImpulse, the call for grants for health innovation projects organised by the 'la Caixa' Foundation in collaboration with Criteria Bio Ventures.