On February 13th, the Werkgroep Cardiologische Centra Nederland (WCN) – a research network of cardiovascular investigators spanning 49 hospitals – and the Dutch CardioVascular Alliance (DCVA) hosted the third DCVA-WCN Pitch at the Holland Heart House in Utrecht. This inspiring event brought together experts and researchers to showcase groundbreaking ideas aimed at advancing cardiovascular research. Previous winning projects of the pitch include LoDoCo2, DUTCH-WAIST, and VeraPAF.
This year, five promising research projects competed for crucial start-up funding to support their initiatives. Following a thorough evaluation, the panel awarded two prizes:
Both prizes were funded by the Withering Stichting, a foundation closely associated with the WCN that actively promotes cardiovascular research. The DCVA extends heartfelt congratulations to the winners for their outstanding contributions to the field.
While these two projects received funding, all presentations demonstrated exceptional potential. The DCVA remains committed to collaborating with its partners to support these initiatives as they progress toward further development and clinical implementation.
Additionally, the event featured presentations from the DCVA’s funding partners, offering valuable insights into funding opportunities for clinical trials. This provided attending researchers with crucial information to help propel their projects forward.
We extend our gratitude to the panel members for their expert evaluations and to all candidates for their compelling pitches. The DCVA looks forward to witnessing the impact of these innovative projects on the future of cardiovascular care.
Candidates: Laura Meems | Mariëtte Boon | Vincent Van Driel
Panel Members: Jaco Houtgraaf | Jolien Roos-Hesselink | Astrid Schut | Wiek van Gilst | Ilse van Hensbeek | Saco de Visser | Merik Seven | Fabrice Martens | Jolande Zijlstra | Arthur Wilde | Margien Boels