On 15 October 2026, the 4C Community came together in Tübingen for 4C Unplugged. Startups met companies, investors, health insurers, experts and service providers. They were united by the ambition to advance healthcare innovation together.

THE GUESTS
Startups from our 4C community, founders, investors, health insurers, and established companies gather to actively shape the future of healthcare.

4C UNPLUGGED 2026 
132 participants. 42 startups. 32 partners. 468 speed-dating conversations. Most importantly, one day filled with encounters, new perspectives and shared ideas.

In small, curated groups, the Satellite Events enable in-depth exchange, provide practical insights, and create space for individual questions. Participants can explore topics that are crucial to the development of MedTech companies in greater depth. This creates opportunities for meaningful conversations from the very start of the day, where experiences are shared, questions are sharpened, and new perspectives emerge.

KEYNOTE | COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN STARTUPS AND MEDTECH STRATEGISTS
In his keynote, Dr. Johannes Kindt explored how successful collaborations between startups and established MedTech companies can take shape. The focus was on which forms of collaboration are best suited to the different stages of a startup’s development and how both sides can effectively combine their respective strengths. One thing became clear: Successful partnerships require not only a strong technological foundation, but also a shared understanding of goals, expectations, and the right timing for collaboration.

PANEL | WHAT DOES INNOVATION NEED TO SCALE IN THE HEALTHCARE MARKET?
A successful market entry is often just the beginning for MedTech startups. The panel discussion “What Does Innovation Need to Scale in the Healthcare Market?” explored what it takes to turn initial market success into sustainable growth and broad adoption across healthcare.

Dr. Ramona Samba (sync2brain GmbH), Dr. phil. Michaela Kauer-Franz (Custom Medical), Farina Schurzfeld (AndRobin / Selfapy), Dr. Florian Brandt (IKK Südwest), and Justus Podlinski (Better Ventures) brought together perspectives from startups, industry, health insurers, and investors. The discussion focused on the challenges at the intersection of real-world healthcare delivery, regulation, and financing, and on the conditions MedTech innovations need to scale successfully in the long term.

Key takeaway: Innovative technology alone is not enough. Sustainable scaling in healthcare requires bringing together clinical value, regulatory requirements, financing, and the real needs of healthcare delivery.

SPEED DATING | 4 MINUTES · 12 ROUNDS · 468 CONVERSATIONS
Then came a program highlight that perfectly captured the spirit of 4C Unplugged: Speed Dating.

Over twelve rounds of four minutes each, startups were strategically matched with investors, established companies, service providers, and other stakeholders from the healthcare ecosystem. The idea behind it: Don’t leave networking to chance. Bring the right people together in a targeted way.

The short encounters were designed as conversation starters. An initial introduction could turn into a deeper conversation at the Get Together, a shared need could lead to a collaboration, and a first idea could even become the starting point for a joint project.

GET TOGETHER | WHEN NETWORKING BECOMES A REAL CONNECTION
After the structured conversation rounds, the networking continued at the open Get Together.

Over food, drinks, and music, participants had the opportunity to deepen conversations they had already started and make new connections. Because ultimately, the strength of a network is not measured by how many people are gathered in one room. What matters is whether people start talking to each other and whether those conversations turn into real connections.

THE ATMOSPHERE IS DIFFICULT TO EXPRESS IN NUMBERS. YET THE FEEDBACK SHOWS THAT IT RESONATES.
In 2022, 64 participants joined 4C Unplugged. By 2026, that number had grown to 132. At the same time, the number of partners increased from 13 to 32, while the number of startups grew from 25 to 42.

This means that the number of participants has more than doubled within four years. But for us, growth is not an end in itself. What truly matters is that as the network grows, so do the opportunities to bring the right people together and advance MedTech innovation collectively.

When first conversations lead to second meetings, startups connect with new partners, companies discover new innovations, and contacts turn into shared ideas, 4C Unplugged has achieved its goal.

Thank you to our startups for their ideas and openness. Thank you to our partners for their expertise, commitment, and continued support. Thank you to our speakers and panelists for bringing new perspectives. And thank you to everyone who joined us and made this day what 4C Unplugged is meant to be: a place where the people who are shaping the future of MedTech innovation come together.

32 PARTNERS. ONE NETWORK SHARING ITS EXPERTISE
4C Unplugged is shaped by partners who do more than talk about innovation. They share knowledge, contacts and experience with young MedTech companies. Corporates, investors, health insurers, service providers and other stakeholders contribute different perspectives and turn individual encounters into concrete opportunities for collaboration.

In 2026, 32 partner organisations participated. Seventeen were new, while 18 returned. This continuity is particularly valuable because an initial conversation can develop into a trusted network over time.

42 STARTUPS. 42 DIFFERENT WAYS TO ADVANCE MEDTECH
The startups are at the heart of the 4C Community. They bring new technologies, concrete ideas for healthcare and the courage to rethink existing solutions. At 4C Unplugged, they meet people who can support the next development step with experience, capital, infrastructure or specialised expertise.

In 2026, 42 startups participated. Twenty-three joined for the first time, while 19 returned. This mix introduces fresh impulses while allowing relationships to develop over several years.