With 65% of Step 1 applications rejected for insufficient proof of “breakthrough innovation,” the EIC Accelerator’s Excellence criterion is a rigorous, evidence-based standard. Success hinges on three pillars:

• Technological novelty – a fundamentally new approach
• Quantified competitive advantage – typically 10× better than existing standards
• Transformative impact – the potential to reshape care or create new markets

Evidence quality is key. Funded champions like Panntherapi and Mode Sensors succeed by presenting regulatory-grade proof and avoiding common red flags like unsupported claims or regulatory naivety. Evaluators focus on credible, independently validated data, not aspirations.

At Strategic Healthcare Advisors, we help innovators turn technical ambition into concrete, fundable proof.

In this episode, Dr Caroline Chauché reveals how to demonstrate breakthrough status and navigate the main Step 1 pitfalls.

Deeper dive: See how Panntherapi and Mode Sensors quantified their breakthrough advantage — comparison table available on demand [contact@strategic-healthcare.eu].