UNSW and The George Institute back entrepreneurs improving lives here and abroad
UNSW Founders and The George Institute for Global Health (TGI) announces the five teams to participate in this year’s Health 10x Accelerator program. Chosen for, among other criteria, their potential to improve healthcare in emerging markets, the five startups are:
Docterio: A platform to digitise healthcare in Bangladesh by providing seamless appointment booking and video consultation services.
Walking Tall Health: A technology and vision to help the 10 million people with Parkinson's disease and motor impairment walk.
MUVi: A mobile device to detect and disinfect germs and improve responses to infectious diseases management.
23Strands: Using AI to link complete patient DNA record with their other medical records for more personalised and effective healthcare.
4eyes: A kit that enables an untrained person to test for and dispense prescription spectacles to correct refractive error, the leading cause of blindness in the developing world.
“We had almost double the number of applications this year from last, with 37 teams participating in the prerequisite health stream of the UNSW Founders Pre-accelerator program,” says David Burt, Director of Entrepreneurship, UNSW. "After securing a competitive grant from the Commonwealth Government, in 2020 we extended eligibility for Health10x beyond UNSW enabling more startups to access the benefits of the program and are excited to have founders based in Melbourne and another in Bangladesh.”
Kicking off this week, Health 10x is designed to support health innovators to build successful social enterprises. The entrepreneurship education includes tailored health solution commercialisation tuition, regulatory compliance modules and other key topics ranging from health economics to clinical trials.
This year, due to physical distancing requirements, Health 10x will be delivered 100% online including providing founders with the important opportunity to validate their assumptions and offerings in India, an emerging market with vast healthcare needs. Accessing TGI’s strong presence in India and established relationships and networks with stakeholders in the healthcare sector, government and health innovation ecosystem, the digital India Market Deep Dive will include expert speakers, virtual tours, an Indian pitch night and even a cooking class.
“The impact of the coronavirus pandemic this year – particularly in countries with under-resourced health systems, and for people at higher risk, like those living with chronic diseases – has amplified the need for rapid and effective innovations in healthcare”, says Professor Stephen MacMahon, co-founder and Principal Director TGI. “Health10x is enabling researchers and founders to develop affordable and effective solutions for the biggest health challenges we face today, and for the communities who need them most.”
Health 10x is supported by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER) and the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) REDI initiative.