A group of four companies including operator Orange unveiled start-up accelerator programme Future4care, a scheme designed to support the development of e-health systems.

Alongside Orange, backers for the joint venture are pharmaceutical giant Sanofi, consultants Capgemini and insurance company Generali. The quarted first announced they were to team on a large e-health start-up project in January, though with limited detail.

Future4care aims to drive the development and deployment of new e-health applications with plans to open its first call for projects in September. It is initially targeting start-ups related to provision of virtual care using digital tools.

A 6,000 square metre facility in central Paris is scheduled to open in December to host projects and provide backing in key areas including creativity, regulatory and medical matters, business and ethics, and data and AI.

The venture aims for the BioPark facility to become “the European hub that encapsulates progress in digital health.”

In a statement, the organisation noted the accelerator would bring together 100 start-ups with a diverse support base including the four members of the JV, 15 other corporate partners, regulators, health sector players, educational institutions and other technology experts.

Future4care chairman Philippe Peyre said “France, and more broadly Europe, have the assets needed to develop the e-health solutions of tomorrow”.

“We are convinced that combining the resources of large companies with the agility of start-ups will lead to the emergence of digital solutions that will create value for patients and to the healthcare ecosystem as a whole.”