London’s Punto Health has made headlines this week after securing €2.3 million in a Seed funding round aimed at scaling its dementia care platform. As someone who has worked across multiple startup ecosystems, I see this as more than just another health-tech announcement. It feels like a moment of recognition for AI's role in reshaping elder care , a growing concern in a world with rapidly aging populations.
If you’re an entrepreneur or a founder considering breaking into health tech or AI-based caregiving solutions, this story warrants closer attention. Here’s why this funding milestone matters and what made investors confident in Punto Health's approach.
Why Dementia Care Needs Rethinking
Dementia impacts not just individuals but entire families and communities. There are an estimated 78 million people globally projected to live with dementia by 2030, and care infrastructure tends to be reactive, leaving gaps for families who feel caught off guard by the challenges.
Coming from Barcelona originally, CEO Anna Muñoz-Farré experienced these inadequacies when her grandfather was diagnosed. That personal encounter became the foundation for Punto Health. Her startup was launched to reimagine dementia care as a collaborative process between patients, caregivers, and clinicians , supported by data-driven decisions.
This isn’t just about early detection. It’s about building ongoing tools, such as their speech-based digital biomarker, that adapt alongside the patient and caregivers. It’s proactive, not reactive, and this positioning has caught the eye of stakeholders across Europe.
What Makes Punto Health’s Platform Stand Out
In a crowded market of cognitive apps, Punto Health differentiates itself with a full-stack offering designed to address every stage of the patient journey. While many startups might focus on one pain point, this three-part ecosystem is tailored for broad adoption.
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PuntoTest: A resource for evidence-based cognitive assessments, leveraging AI speech analysis to detect cognitive decline earlier than traditional observation methods. It’s the kind of tool that could find its way into GP offices or pharmacies for routine use.
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PuntoCare: An app designed for daily caregiver support. It offers activities for cognitive stimulation, care plans for patients, and even nutrition guidance. Patients can track their progress or symptoms without feeling pressured to master overly complicated tech.
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PuntoClinic: A dashboard for healthcare providers. It aggregates patient data for professionals in a seamless format, reducing guesswork and likely saving hours of labor. This feature is aimed at making professionals feel supported, not burdened, by adding another monitoring tool.
The platform is already in use in 10+ pilots across Spain and the UK, including partnerships with Barcelona’s Ace Alzheimer Centre. This early validation is essential for scaling, as health tech does not have the luxury of trial-and-error goodwill. Clinically validated pilots and partnerships are needed to convince buyers and stakeholders long before scaling operations.
The €2.3 Million Investment Breakdown
The funding itself comes from both early-stage and thematic investors. Alongside lead firms Shilling VC and Plus Partners, other names include Exceptional Ventures and ABAC Nest. What’s clear is that the decision-making likely hinged on consistent validation. Punto Health has already ticked crucial boxes for market readiness:
- Won €100,000 with the NN Social Innovation Startup Award, gaining both funding and mentorship.
- Completed early collaborations and validation through high-profile health institutions, including pilots with Oxleas NHS Trust.
- Show participation in global programs such as the Google AI-First Accelerator 2025, giving credibility to their technical edge.
Here’s a fascinating metric they shared: more than 30,000 activities have already been completed by users over 60+. 67% reported confidence in daily routine management after engaging with PuntoCare.
What Startups Can Learn from This
From my perspective, there are some straightforward takeaways for tech entrepreneurs thinking of targeting healthcare:
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Start Narrow, But Think Big: Punto Health began with localized pilots that were carefully structured for feedback. These collaborations don’t just validate the product , they make scaling smoother by cementing industry relationships early.
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Multilingual Platforms are Non-Negotiable: Many health solutions fail because they overlook the global need for access. By designing a bilingual platform from the start, Punto Health opens itself to aging populations in both English and Spanish-speaking markets immediately.
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Recognition is a Sign of Trust: Funding announcements tempered with real-world awards (like their spot in the Premios Discapnet) matter more than flashy PR launches. Recognition from established networks reinforces that a team understands its market and has earned the trust of stakeholders.
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Personal Stories Add Depth to Brand Identity: Investors don’t fund trends. They want teams they trust to make major decisions in high-pressure industries. Anna’s own story of navigating her grandfather’s care gives this company heart while reminding us of the importance of perspective in branding.
Common Missteps Health Startups Should Avoid
From what I’ve seen in over 20 years in business, too many health startups make these missteps when they attempt to scale:
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Neglecting Collaboration Early: If you don’t validate your solution through partnerships, your tools will feel disconnected from the day-to-day routines of clinicians.
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Over-Complicating Tech: Bells and whistles don't always translate to adoption. Simplicity is where Punto Health excels , AI-powered insights in tools that feel usable, not intimidating.
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Forgetting About Caregiver Burnout: Most dementia tech focuses directly on the patient. Ignoring the caregiver is a guaranteed way to lose loyalty or miss touchpoints for daily use.
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Underestimating Localization Needs: A one-language tool won’t cut it in Europe, let alone the global stage. Languages, device adaptability, and cultural nuances are key for senior adoption.
Closing Thoughts
This move by Punto Health represents a shift in the dementia care space , an indication that investors aren’t just chasing generalized AI ideas anymore. They’re looking for rigorously tested, critically necessary consumer applications.
For those of you building in health or deep tech, let this serve as a case study. Focus on identifying real gaps, build solutions with constant input loops, and ensure your product portfolio feels accessible. Also, never underestimate how tying first-hand experiences into your narrative strengthens your brand’s vision.
Dementia impacts us all, either directly or indirectly. With Punto Health shaping new norms for care, we might finally start transitioning elder care toward something capable of meeting future demand. It feels like the beginning of an overdue industry shift.
FAQ
1. What is Punto Health, and what does it aim to achieve?
Punto Health is a London-based startup dedicated to developing AI-powered tools for dementia care, focusing on early detection and personalized support for patients, caregivers, and clinicians. Discover Punto Health’s Mission
2. How much funding did Punto Health raise, and from whom?
Punto Health raised €2.3 million ($2.7 million) in a Seed funding round led by Shilling VC and Plus Partners, with contributions from Exceptional Ventures and others. Learn about Punto Health’s Seed Round
3. What makes Punto Health’s dementia care platform unique?
Its full-stack ecosystem includes tools for early cognitive assessment (PuntoTest), caregiver support (PuntoCare), and clinician dashboards (PuntoClinic), making it highly adaptable and usable at every care stage. Explore Punto Health’s Platform Features
4. What inspired the creation of Punto Health?
CEO Anna Muñoz-Farré founded Punto Health after witnessing care system gaps when her grandfather was diagnosed with dementia. Her personal experience highlighted the need for better support solutions. Read Anna Muñoz-Farré’s Story
5. How does Punto Health utilize AI in its products?
The platform uses AI speech analysis for early cognitive impairment detection and provides continuous, personalized guidance through digital biomarkers and user-friendly tools. Learn about AI in Punto Health
6. What clinical and pilot programs has Punto Health undertaken?
Punto Health is conducting pilots in the UK and Spain, including collaborations with Barcelona’s Ace Alzheimer Centre and Oxleas NHS Trust, to validate its speech-based digital biomarker and platform. Find Out About Clinical Pilots
7. What are the core products offered by Punto Health?
Punto Health offers three main solutions: PuntoTest for cognitive assessment, PuntoCare for caregiver and patient activities, and PuntoClinic for clinicians’ data aggregation and monitoring. Discover Punto Health’s Products
8. What recognition has Punto Health received for its innovations?
Punto Health has won multiple awards, including the NN Social Innovation Startup Award and was a finalist in the Premios Discapnet by Fundación ONCE. Explore Punto Health’s Achievements
9. What key advice can startups learn from Punto Health’s journey?
Startups should validate their products through pilots, design multilingual platforms for scalability, and balance personal narratives with technical innovation for investor trust. Learn Lessons from Punto Health
10. How is Punto Health addressing caregiver burnout?
By focusing on tools like PuntoCare, which offers strategies and resources to simplify caregiving, Punto Health ensures that caregivers feel supported alongside patients. Discover More About Caregiver Support Tools
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.