Pitchfest 2022 applications are now open and we are delighted to once again be providing a real-world test bed for this year’s Pitchfest winner. The winner will join our flagship CW Innovation programme, which tests and scales new technologies and innovations to transform patient care and the way we run our hospitals.

The competition takes place annually as part of Digital Health Rewired, where healthcare start ups showcase their product to a panel of experts, as well as NHS IT leaders and the wider Rewired audience.

The COVID-19 outbreak has catalysed a surge in new thinking and innovation, which we’ve been able to utilise with our partners such as Peppy Health, last year’s winner of Pitchfest. We have innovated at pace to harness digital healthcare, AI and machine learning to deliver patient-centred care and create environments to improve care, recovery and wellbeing.

Last year, a record 120 startups entered the competition hoping to be crowned the winner and to gain the chance to test and scale their innovations across Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as part of the CW Innovation programme, which is run in partnership with CW+.

Chris Chaney, Chief Executive of CW+ says: “We are delighted to be providing a real-world test bed for this year’s PitchFest winner again. The pandemic continues to put enormous pressure on the NHS. Now, more than ever, we need to embrace the power of technology to find new ways to treat patients as efficiently as possible. We are excited to meet this year’s PitchFest cohort of entrants and explore potential solutions to some of the unprecedented challenges healthcare organisations face today.”

The event will take place on Wednesday 16 March. The deadline for applications is on 10 December at 5pm, with the shortlisted finalists due to be announced the week beginning 10 January, 2022.

You can find out more and apply here.