From wearable medical devices and AI-driven communication tools to pulse-sensing devices and diagnostic innovations in women’s health, MedTech Actuator Accelerator’s latest cohort is proving that impact-driven innovation thrives where problem-solving and empathy intersect. 

Over the past six months, 19 teams across Australia have embraced an intensive, hands-on journey, dedicating over 90 hours to workshops and another 100 hours collaborating with expert mentors. They have transformed their vision into tangible progress; developing an investor-ready data room, securing funding, forming partnerships, and building technologies that promise to make healthcare more accessible, responsive, and effective for all. 

Pictured: MedTech Actuator Accelerator Cohort 10

Making every second count in the face of a cardiovascular emergency 

Every year in Australia, around 25,000 people suffer from cardiac arrest, with 90% of cases sadly ending in fatality. Pulse Tile is transforming resuscitation for first responders through innovative technology designed to enhance the rescuer experience and improve patient outcomes in cardiovascular emergencies. 

Founded by former paramedic and registered nurse, Elleesha King, Pulse Tile is a sensing device placed on the neck of a person in suspected cardiac arrest, informing rescuers quickly of the presence or absence of a pulse and the subsequent need for CPR. The device also provides real-time insights to the rescuer, medically trained or not, of the rate and depth of chest compressions needed to give the victim the best chance of survival. 

Throughout the MedTech Actuator Accelerator, Pulse Tile achieved several milestones, including securing $200K in pre-seed funding and enhancing its prototype. And their success hasn’t stopped there, with Founder and CEO, Elleesha King, winning awards at both The Startup Network Female Founders Pitch Night, and Swinburne Innovation Studio’s Venture Cup. As their next step, Pulse Tile are looking forward to the Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP), supported by Flinders University, where they’ll receive 280 hours of free R&D, to support the advancement of their Stage 2 prototype for Pulse Tile. 

“The MedTech Actuator program has facilitated significant progress for Pulsatile Innovations… We’ve been provided meaningful feedback along the way, ensuring that we have the opportunity to adjust our marketing campaign, pitch deck, presentations, and data room to give us the greatest chance for success. Staff ensured that the program was tailored to meet the needs of all kinds of founders, meaning that, as a female founder living regionally, I was still able to fully participate.” – Elleesha King, Founder and CEO.

Pictured: Elleesha King and Pulse Tile

Enhancing human performance with medical devices 

The Melbourne Bionics Company is enhancing the performance of body systems by replacing intermittent pneumatic compression, the gold standard in sports recovery and medical compression therapy. Due to the size of traditional pneumatic compression devices, therapy can only be delivered before and after physical activity. With their human-centered innovation and advanced medical technology, the device empowers patients to manage their symptoms and recovery more effectively, without sacrificing mobility. From the University of Melbourne, founders Samin Haque, Namtip Phongmekhin, and Senoli Sandanayake combine their expertise in engineering, clinical science, and biotechnology design to revolutionise patient recovery.

Throughout the MedTech Accelerator program, The Melbourne Bionics Company expanded the team to six, and drove fundraising initiatives which secured $15,000 of capital. They’ve also secured a place within the CoLabs Impact program, and an IGP Advisor to help with future commercialisation and growth opportunities. In addition, the team is trialing a new composite material production technique and hopes to take on pre-seed funding, supplier partnerships, and open registrations for their pilot program. 

“The Accelerator offered us a place to test our assumptions, to challenge our ability to communicate value, and see around corners… We don’t know what we don’t know. Our current style, polish, and robustness in our business model and pitching are all attributed to the Accelerator,” – Samin Haque, Co-founder and CEO. 

Pictured: The Melbourne Bionics Company

Removing language barriers to culturally-attuned healthcare

Healthcare that is responsive to patients’ cultural backgrounds, languages, and beliefs remains challenging to find, even in highly diverse and well-resourced environments. The Victorian Government has identified poor communication and cultural differences between clients and clinicians as major barriers to timely access to healthcare services for refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers. Meet the team addressing this challenge – AI Mily, a HealthTech SaaS company dedicated to breaking down the language barriers in healthcare.

Founded by Mily Lee, Manuel Becerra, and Song Wu, the team is building a platform that delivers real-time, medically and culturally attuned speech-to-speech translation that ensures patients receive equitable care and clinicians work more efficiently. Their shared mission is to make every healthcare interaction accurate, empathetic, and accessible, no matter the language. 

Over their time in the Accelerator, the team developed their Minimum Sellable Product, began conversations with major hospitals around the country, and landed themselves first place at the Wyndham City Council Innovation Pitch Competition. Looking forward, Mily and the team have their eyes on securing grant funding and are preparing their pilot programs with key partners and healthcare providers to strengthen AI Mily.

“Being part of the MedTech Actuator has been an incredible experience for us as an early-stage startup. The program helped us understand what it truly takes to build a health-tech company… The team provided valuable guidance and connections along the way, while encouraging us to take ownership and lead our own path.” – Mily Lee, Co-founder and CEO.

Empowering endometriosis diagnosis, without the delay 

Worldwide, over 400 million women are affected by endometriosis, and at present, there is no cure and no known cause, representing a significant unmet clinical need to support the experience of those affected by this chronic disease. On a mission to shorten the seven-year diagnostic journey faced by women with superficial peritoneal endometriosis, ELEN MedTech empowers clinicians with a non-invasive, early detection tool designed to transform the lives of millions worldwide. 

Founded by Fernando Gargollo, Charlotte Thomas, Jayde Wang, and Charlotte Jones, the team blends creativity, clinical understanding, and engineering excellence to transform women’s health. 

Their progress through the Accelerator has helped them enter the Blackbird Giants program, receive $10K in non-dilutive funding from Stephen Ho Accelerator grant, and win awards at both Startmate and The Startup Network Accelerator Pitch Nights.

“We felt understood in a way we hadn’t so far. In an age where AI companies can be built, scaled, and sold in months, having a program that understands the complexities and challenges of health and MedTech gave us the tools we needed to keep going,”  – Fernando Gargollo, Co-founder and CEO.

Pictured: ELEN MedTech

Driving the future of Australia’s healthcare innovation

Together, these ventures represent the future of MedTech innovation, where science, compassion, and collaboration intersect to create meaningful change. By nurturing visionary founders and empowering bold ideas, the MedTech Accelerator continues to drive Australia’s position as a global leader in human-centered healthcare technology.

Are you driving an early-stage MedTech, BioTech, or HealthTech venture and aiming to successfully bring your innovation to market? Read more about the MedTech Actuator Accelerator and how we can help founders like you navigate the complexities of healthcare commercialisation. Interested in taking part in Cohort 11? Register here to learn more.