Every stage pays off

APPLY

Every applicant

red arrow Your submission reviewed by Pitchfest judges including NHS tech leaders, innovation accelerators and VCs

red arrow £500 off an innovator pod at Rewired 2027, with an exhibitor listing on the website and event app

 

LIVE FINAL

On the Rewired stage

red arrow Pitch to NHS digital, data and technology leaders at the UK's largest digital health show

red arrow Place on the Rewired programme and speaker listing

red arrow Featured in a Digital Health News finalist story

red arrow Discounted ticket to Rewired 2027, which includes access to 4,500 professionals in-person and via the event app

WINNER

Scale with CW+

red arrow Access expert advice from CW+ and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS FT's CW innovation team, with the potential to run a project within the trust

red arrow Dedicated profile feature in Digital Health News

Judges

Chris Chaney
Hayley Grafton
Mindy Simon
Sara Nelson
Debbie Loke
Lloyd Price

Pitchfest is the UK’s most high-profile digital health start-up competition that provides a platform for innovators and founders to pitch their solutions to influential leaders across UK healthcare. Over 500 start-ups and scale ups from across the world have applied. Achievements since entering include growing their NHS footprint, attract funding, and expanding into new international markets.

Apply if you are looking to:

  • Get recognised by NHS leaders, investors and industry peers
  • Access expert advice from CW+ and Chelsea & Westminster NHS FT's innovation team
  • Earn media coverage and visibility
  • Connect with NHS prospects and partners 

Start your free Pitchfest entry here. NHS digital leaders and innovation accelerators are waiting for your application.   

Applications open 22 October 2026  

Applications close 31 December 2026 

Finalists announced 10 February 2027 

Pitch live at Digital Health Rewired 17 March 2027 

Our definition for this competition a start-up is a company in the early stages of its development – an entrepreneurial start-up venture focused on using digital and data tools in an innovative fashion to deliver improvements to health and care in the UK or internationally.

Typically, the start-up will be started by one or more founders who focus on addressing an identified market opportunity by developing an original health or innovative product, service, or platform with a strong digital and data component.  

You will be beyond ideas stage and have at least a minimum viable product or first iteration, and you should be self-funded, pre-seed, at seed round, or possibly series A or even beyond. 

The judges are looking for information and evidence about the following five key areas: 

  • Vision – how clear is the vision is for the start-up and what it is trying to achieve? 
  • Innovation and originality – how innovative and original is the start-up in its focus, service and use of technology? How differentiated is it from competitors in its chosen field? 
  • Impact – what is scale of the potential impact on health and care provision (in the UK or internationally)?
  • Business plan – how well defined and credible is the business plan?
  • Team – how knowledgeable and credible is the team?
Valentina Millanova

"In digital health, the constraint is almost never the technology. It's access to the people who can say yes. Pitchfest puts you in front of NHS CIOs, CCIOs, commissioners and investors in the same room. It's a set of conversations that would otherwise take you a year of cold outreach and a budget you don't have. Apply for the access, not the trophy."

Valentina Milanova, Founder and CEO, Daye


 

Previous winners & finalists

CW

Supported by

CW
NHS IA
DHL

Ready to pitch?

Start your free Pitchfest entry here. NHS digital leaders and innovation accelerators are waiting for your application.