Labworx

May witnessed the landmark event of the Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week (ADGHW), a major government initiative which aims to promote forward-thinking technologies and raise awareness in prioritising prevention over treatment. It attracted 200 expert speakers and over 5,000 attendees, with the launch of HealthX one of its most groundbreaking moments.

HealthX is a startup platform which will help to onboard 30 of the best and brightest global life science startups into the Emirati healthcare system across the next two years. It is the brainchild of startAD, an Abu Dhabi-based startup accelerator, and the Department of Health (DoH) Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi as a healthcare hub

The agreement to bring HealthX into being was signed by Ramesh Jagannathan, managing director of startAD, and Dr Asma Ibrahim al Mannaei, who currently serves as the executive director of the DoH’s Research and Innovation Centre. One of its chief aims is to transform the UAE capital into a hub for biotech and life sciences, attracting the top talent and forging new paths in the industry.

To do so, HealthX will facilitate the integration of 30 cutting-edge startups into the Emirati healthcare system. These startups can be national enterprises or from other parts of the globe – the only requirement is that they are pre-seed Series B startups which place an emphasis on innovative technologies in the healthcare sector.

The inaugural HealthX cohort is now open to applications. This particular cohort is open exclusively to startups focused on using generative AI in the life sciences and healthcare spheres, but others will soon follow. These will include such disciplines as advanced therapeutics, drug discovery, genomics, mental health, neurodegenerative diseases and precision medicine, among others.

A wealth of support

Upon selection for the programme and induction into the HealthX platform, the startups will benefit from six weeks of intensive training and education, during which time they will gain access to a tailored support service. They will receive assistance in crafting customised pilot proposals and can gain an insight into how the Emirati healthcare market works, thus facilitating access to potential customers in the future.

What’s more, they will have full access to the DoH’s regulatory sandbox, ensuring compliance with the latest national and international standards and best practices. And as well as being legislatively compatible with their target markets, the HealthX programme will also enable access to a plethora of anonymous user data, allowing the developers of these products and services to refine and improve them.

What’s more, it’s not just at the DoH that the startups will benefit. They will also be able to develop cross-institutional relationships with other education centres overseas, sharing knowledge and experiences. And they will also receive support in a number of other areas, too, such as finance, intellectual property (IP) law and licensing regulations. Cumulatively, the experience and expertise provided through the HealthX platform will give them all the tools they need to integrate and excel within the UAE healthcare community

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