HinnovaCare Business Advisory is your Premier Strategic Partner for Healthcare Innovation and venture development
Transforming healthcare through strategic advisory excellence.
We deliver actionable insights across the healthcare innovation spectrum, driving impactful change in healthcare systems and patient outcomes worldwide.
Nuno D. Afonso, PhD, MBA
Founding Partner
HinnovaCare Business Advisory
About
At HinnovaCare, we work with our partners and clients through:
Strategic Excellence
Premier strategic partner for life science and healthcare innovators, delivering actionable insights across investment, R&D, and commercial domains.
Proven Experience
Over 25 years of operating experience across biomedical research, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, venture capital, and medical technology sectors.
Global Network
Unparalleled insights and networks spanning Europe and beyond, enabling us to serve clients and partners with comprehensive market intelligence.
Strategic Excellence
Premier strategic partner for life science and healthcare innovators, delivering actionable insights across investment, R&D, and commercial domains.
Proven Experience
Over 25 years of operating experience across biomedical research, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, venture capital, and medical technology sectors.
Global Network
Unparalleled insights and networks spanning Europe and beyond, enabling us to serve clients and partners with comprehensive market intelligence.
Our impact-focused approach drives meaningful change in healthcare systems whilst improving patient outcomes through strategic innovation and implementation excellence.
Our Services
What we do
01
Non-Executive Advisory/Board
We provide expert healthcare innovation advisory services to senior leadership, including C-level executives and board members, leveraging our extensive global network and deep industry expertise.
02
Innovation Strategy Development
We develop comprehensive strategies for novel healthcare solutions spanning medicines, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health platforms, ensuring alignment with market needs and regulatory requirements.
03
Full-Lifecycle Support
We guide executive leadership through the complete innovation journey—from product development and regulatory approval to market introduction—whilst building strategic partnerships and securing funding to fuel sustainable growth.
HinnovaCare represents a unique convergence of academic rigor, entrepreneurial drive, corporate acumen, strategic investment expertise, and advisory leadership, all focused on fostering groundbreaking advancements in healthcare innovation that can scale to impact billions of lives globally.
Partners and Clients
How We Deliver Value
Case study highlights
Pan-European Ecosystem Support
Role: Mentor / Advisor
Location: Germany, Netherlands & Beyond
Active advisory and leadership roles in EIT Health, Fraunhofer, Portugal Ventures and other investors. Providing comprehensive investment insight, mentorship and advisory services to healthcare startups across Europe, with deep expertise in commercialisation strategies and technology transfer.
dEEGtal – AI-Powered Epilepsy Detection
Role: Board Advisor
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
We are supporting the development and accelerated growth of an innovative AI-powered software for early epilepsy detection, spun out from HUG Geneva under a partnership with the prestigious WYSS Centre, Geneva. Our strategic guidance to dEEGtal board facilitates global expansion initiatives and aids clinicians’ decision-making capabilities.
FASTinov – Sepsis Diagnostics
Role: President and CEO
Location: Porto, Portugal
Developed a partnership with Danaher, successfully CE-marked and commercially launched a rapid diagnostic system for sepsis management. This breakthrough solution enables targeted antibiotic use, significantly improving patient care whilst reducing hospital costs across European markets.
Academic-Industry Integration
Role: Advisor
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Leveraging our track record in biotech and pharmaceuticals, we led a transformative tech transfer oncology gene therapy project at IMM Lisboa (now GIMM), facilitating seamless transition from scientific concept to actionable development pathway whilst promoting long-term research sustainability and defining roadmap for success.
Leadership Excelence
Proven Track Record, Comprehensive Expertise and Operating Experience
Our seasoned leadership brings over 25 years of hands-on experience across the healthcare innovation spectrum, combining extensive operating experience with scientific knowledge and senior business leadership.
Nuno D. Afonso, PhD, MBA is a transformative healthcare innovation Senior leader with 25+ years of experience across biotech/medtech entrepreneurship, pharmaceuticals, venture capital, and strategic advisory in healthcare innovation across Europe, Asia and North America. Nuno has raised millions of euros from VC, corporate and investors and successfully led healthcare ventures and big pharma teams.
Academic Foundation
Nuno D. Afonso's journey began with a PhD from Pierre et Marie Curie University (Sorbonne) and an MBA from The Lisbon MBA (NOVA, Catolica). His early graduate and post-doctoral research focused on advanced medical fields of neurosciences, tissue regeneration and skeletal disorders at institutions like University Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, or Instituto Medicina Molecular and Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (now GIMM), laying a strong scientific groundwork.
Biotech Entrepreneurship
He co-founded TechnoZeb with TechnoPhage, where he spearheaded drug discovery programs targeting neurodegenerative and skeletal disorders, demonstrating his pioneering spirit in biotechnology. He also led Corporate Development at TechnoPhage.
Corporate Leadership
Nuno held senior leadership positions at Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Pharmaceuticals), driving product teams' strategic initiatives and fostering innovation within a major pharmaceutical corporation.
Venture Capital
As a key player at Portugal Ventures, he managed significant life sciences investments and guided multiple ventures through successful exits, showcasing his acumen in investment management and strategic growth.
Strategic Advisory
In 2019, he founded HinnovaCare Business Advisory. He served as CEO of FASTinov through 2024, achieving CE Mark approval and a partnership with Danaher. Currently, he is a Board Advisor at dEEGtal, contributing to AI neurotechnology advancements. Nuno D. Afonso's career is built upon a unique blend of academic rigour, entrepreneurial drive, corporate acumen, strategic investment, spin-out creation, and advisory leadership, all converging to foster groundbreaking advancements in healthcare.
"I am putting all my operating experience at the service of innovators and investors, helping them navigate complexity and build the right strategies to drive real impact in healthcare innovation."
Nuno D. Afonso, PhD, MBA
Founding Partner
HinnovaCare Business Advisory
Proven Track Record, Comprehensive Expertise and Operating Experience
Our seasoned leadership brings over 25 years of hands-on experience across the healthcare innovation spectrum, combining extensive operating experience with scientific knowledge and senior business leadership.
Nuno D. Afonso, PhD, MBA is a transformative healthcare innovation Senior leader with 25+ years of experience across biotech/medtech entrepreneurship, pharmaceuticals, venture capital, and strategic advisory in healthcare innovation across Europe, Asia and North America. Nuno has raised millions of euros from VC, corporate and investors and successfully led healthcare ventures and big pharma teams.
- In 2019, he founded HinnovaCare Business Advisory. He served as CEO of FASTinov through 2024, achieving CE Mark approval and a partnership with Danaher. Currently, he is a Board Advisor at dEEGtal, contributing to AI neurotechnology advancements. Nuno D. Afonso's career is built upon a unique blend of academic rigour, entrepreneurial drive, corporate acumen, strategic investment, spin-out creation, and advisory leadership, all converging to foster groundbreaking advancements in healthcare.
Academic Foundation
Nuno D. Afonso's journey began with a PhD from Pierre et Marie Curie University (Sorbonne) and an MBA from The Lisbon MBA (NOVA, Catolica). His early graduate and post-doctoral research focused on advanced medical fields of neurosciences, tissue regeneration and skeletal disorders at institutions like University Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, or Instituto Medicina Molecular and Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (now GIMM), laying a strong scientific groundwork.
Biotech Entrepreneurship
He co-founded TechnoZeb with TechnoPhage, where he spearheaded drug discovery programs targeting neurodegenerative and skeletal disorders, demonstrating his pioneering spirit in biotechnology. He also led Corporate Development at TechnoPhage.
Corporate Leadership
Nuno held senior leadership positions at Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Pharmaceuticals), driving product teams' strategic initiatives and fostering innovation within a major pharmaceutical corporation.
Venture Capital
As a key player at Portugal Ventures, he managed significant life sciences investments and guided multiple ventures through successful exits, showcasing his acumen in investment management and strategic growth.
Strategic Advisory
"I am putting all my operating experience at the service of innovators and investors, helping them navigate complexity and build the right strategies to drive real impact in healthcare innovation."
Nuno D. Afonso, PhD, MBA
Founding Partner
HinnovaCare Business Advisory
"I had the pleasure of working with Nuno in his role as CEO during which we successfully executed a market entry project together. Nuno is a focused and collaborative leader, combining strategic vision with hands-on execution. I truly appreciated his professionalism, clear communication, and ability to drive results."
Michal Kostka, CEO
BioVendor Group
"With Nuno’s guidance as a Board Advisor, our company strategy and governance have reached a new level of excellence. He provides unmatched advice in product development and commercialisation strategy, enabling dEEGtal to tackle obstacles with confidence and scale rapidly. His extensive operating experience, combined with a robust network of industry and investor relationships, has been a key driver in unlocking growth opportunities. Nuno’s deep knowledge and broad connections make him a highly valuable pillar supporting our continued success"
Eric Menetre, Co-Founder & CEO
dEEGtal Insights
"Nuno is a highly skilled person, especially when Healthcare is the topic. He has a deep knowledge and understanding of how to market biopharma/medical devices, deal with customers, and establish sales teams, but always with great willingness to learn and listen. It was a pleasure working with him and 100% sure he's a huge help to any team he might get in touch with in the future."
João Pedro Ribeiro, Co-Founder & CEO
PeekMed
"Nuno followed-up closely Stemmatters at Portugal Ventures, intervening in important decision-making at both strategic and operational levels. In all occasions, he was always very supportive and resourceful, helping the team in dissecting challenges and defining key steps for overcoming them. Nuno brings a rich experience in life sciences that addresses all stages of product development up to commercialisation. Nuno is an extremely valuable team player for any healthcare company seeking a competitive edge.”
Rui Sousa, Chairman & CEO
Stemmatters