Xeltis named Medtech of the Year at European Lifestars Awards
The jury evaluated innovative approaches to unmet medical needs, clinical and pipeline progress, financing power, and novel technologies.
Published on November 22, 2025
Eliane Schutte at the ceremony
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Xeltis, the Eindhoven and Zurich-based medtech scale-up pioneering fully natural, regenerative heart valves and blood vessels, has been awarded Medtech of the Year at the European Lifestars Awards ceremony on November 17. CEO Eliane Schutte accepted the prize on behalf of the company, calling it “a milestone for our team and a strong signal for regenerative therapies in Europe.” Xeltis won a Gerard & Anton award in 2017.
The Lifestars jury honours companies that demonstrate outstanding strategy, execution, and impact across the life sciences sector. For the Medtech of the Year category, judges evaluated innovative approaches to unmet medical needs, clinical and pipeline progress, strategic partnerships, financing achievements, and the implementation of novel technologies.
Xeltis scored strongly across the board. Its technology - restorative implants that enable the body to regenerate natural tissue - targets a clear unmet need in cardiovascular care. Instead of relying on mechanical devices or animal-derived materials, Xeltis implants gradually dissolve as the patient’s own tissue grows, potentially reducing complications and avoiding repeat surgeries. “What we see in early clinical outcomes is transformative potential,” Schutte said. “Patients may one day receive cardiovascular implants that truly become part of their body.”
Over the past year, the company advanced multiple programmes through clinical development, including its aortic valve platform and vascular access grafts. Xeltis also secured new financing to accelerate trials and expand manufacturing, while establishing strategic partnerships with top clinical centres and investors across Europe and the US.
According to the jury, the company’s combination of scientific ambition, disciplined execution, and clear translational progress set it apart. “Xeltis is delivering on a vision that could reshape medtech,” one juror noted at the ceremony.
For Schutte, the award is both recognition and motivation. “This honour strengthens our belief that regenerative devices can redefine standards of care,” she said. “We’re only at the beginning of what’s possible.”