During Zorg & ict, Ditto and Ambyon were named winners of the National Care Innovation Award 2026. Ditto, an app that helps patients better understand their medical conversations, received the jury prize. Ambyon's logistics care robot ran away with the audience award.
During Zorg & ict 2026, Zorginnovatie.nl presented the National Care Innovation Award for the eleventh time for the most innovative care innovation in the scale-up phase. Jet Bussemaker, chairman of the Council for Public Health & Society, together with Jan Willen Spijkman, chairman of the professional jury, presented the prizes to the lucky winners.
Better control of medical information
Ditto solves a problem many people experience after leaving the consulting room: what did the doctor actually say and what should I do now?
"About 60 percent of what people hear in the consulting room they forget. Especially if it's complicated or invasive. When someone is told they have cancer, the picture goes black," said Tobias Polak, who launched the app with Merlijn van Breugel and Bart Voorn in 2025.
An app allows patients to easily record conversation with the healthcare provider via their own phone. Then, with the help of AI, it is converted into an understandable summary within minutes.
>>> to the full interview with Tobias Polak
Smart logistics in healthcare
Ambyon ONE is an innovative healthcare robot on wheels that takes logistical tasks off the hands of healthcare professionals. Think of fetching and delivering medications, lab samples, food, disposables, small medical equipment, as well as beds (without a patient).
"These are all tasks that don't directly contribute to patient care. The more time you can spend with your patient, the better the quality of care," said Willem-Jan Lamers, CEO and founder of Ambyon.
>>> to the full interview with Willem-Jan Lamers
Care Innovation Startup Square
The finalists who had to pass up winning the National Healthcare Innovation Award 2026 are Phlecs, Bratelle, Incision Assist, Clef'r, Peyeoneer and Precision Cognition Labs.
All finalists were during Zorg & ict, together with other healthcare start-ups, at the Care Innovation Startup Square, an initiative of ROM Utrecht Region and Health Holland (video: Jos Hummelen).
