PBSF wins KPMG Global Innovation Award

The Brazilian healthtech Protecting Brains & Saving Futures (PBSF) was the winner of the 2024 Global Tech Innovator award by KPMG. The startup won the “People’s Choice” category with a tool that enables early diagnosis of brain injuries in newborns, the Digital Neonatal Neurological ICU (UTI Neon).

The solution, which is also present in India and the United States, uses advanced technologies such as edge computing and artificial intelligence to monitor at-risk babies and provide remote support to doctors in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

According to PBSF, the goal of the technology is to anticipate diagnoses by an average of eight hours, which can prevent deaths or sequelae in children. “We have been working hard to significantly reduce infant mortality, the occurrence of brain injuries, unnecessary medication use, and hospital stay duration, creating a profound and sustainable impact on neonatal health,” says Gabriel Variane, CEO and founder of PBSF.

The startup operates in 50 hospitals in Brazil and five international hospitals and has already monitored over 12,000 newborns, accumulating more than 720,000 hours of continuous brain monitoring data.

In the global final stage of the award, startups from 23 countries gave three-minute pitches to experts from the global innovation ecosystem and to a live and virtual audience.

“This vote highlighted the alignment of the purpose of the business presented by the Brazilian startup with current societal problems. Brazilians have the ability to solve global problems and create innovative businesses with creative, resilient entrepreneurs connected to new technologies,” said Diogo Garcia, KPMG partner and award leader in Brazil.