The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (“NUS Medicine”), and 22Health Ventures, an early-stage healthtech investment firm (“22Health”), announce their joint accelerator programme, NUS Medicine Digital Advanced Technology Accelerator (DATA), an NUS Medicine – 22Health Ventures partnership (the “Accelerator”). Applications open today for the first cohort of early-stage start-up participants in the Accelerator, with the 11-week programme for the cohort launching in late-September 2024. Further details may be found at https://medicine.nus.edu.sg/digital-accelerator/.
The objective of the Accelerator is to promote the development of promising ideas in digital healthcare and translate these into thriving businesses that elevate personal health and well-being. The current scope of the Accelerator involves identifying and developing companies focused on digital health from Singapore and across Southeast Asia. NUS Medicine and 22Health Ventures are aligned on accelerating healthtech successes through digital empowerment, market access to achieve global competitiveness and opportunities for funding.
As Singapore’s first and largest medical school, NUS Medicine is uniquely positioned in Singapore to develop an ecosystem of healthcare professionals, software engineers and entrepreneurs to innovate technologies, while 22Health Ventures offers international expertise, value-add services and early-stage funding to accelerate U.S. market access and position startups for success.
Prof Chong Yap Seng, Dean of NUS Medicine, said, “Digital health innovation is the future of medicine. Artificial intelligence and digital technologies will create the next medical breakthrough and catalyse the growth of new therapeutics, treatments and vaccines. The NUS Medicine Digital Advanced Technology Accelerator (DATA) aims to encourage the growth of promising ideas in digital healthcare, bring them to fruition and make an impact on global healthcare. By partnering with 22Health, we aim to foster and support a culture of continuous healthtech innovation and enable a thriving digital healthcare ecosystem. The Accelerator is expected to have a significant and sustainable impact on the Singapore innovation community, and we are proud to be a leader in this objective.”
The Accelerator is focused on:
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- sourcing Singapore and Southeast Asian startups, including through hack-a-thons (such as NUS Medicine HealthHack)
- engaging with participants, in formal and informal sessions, over a 11-week period to allow entrepreneurs needed time to study, learn and evolve
- offering workshops and other programmes across a wide range of components, including global entrepreneurship and business building skills, intellectual property, fundraising, business and financial models, market education and legal and regulatory matters
- making introductions to clinicians, payor experts and other industry professionals for problem-solution fit, clinical validation and market viability in Singapore and the U.S.
- presenting proprietary content modules with a primary focus on innovating into the U.S. health market
- providing guidance on company and product roadmaps with milestones and timelines
- arranging and overseeing ongoing, multi-faceted mentorship leveraging a strong U.S. network to enhance founder development and enable global competitiveness
- hosting weekly “office hours” with access to expert guidance
- awarding launch capital to accelerator participants with the opportunity to earn full funding in one or more later rounds
- sponsoring community-facing activities, such as seminars and conferences
Paul Scibetta, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of 22Health, said, “At 22Health, we believe that investing in transformative healthtech companies is increasingly important for global health. The Accelerator is well-positioned to accelerate the transition to next-generation health and care and thereby to improve health and wellness for all people.” Mr. Scibetta added, “22Health is proud to collaborate with NUS Medicine. We appreciate that the leading scientific and technology research and academic capabilities of our partner will provide early-stage support and clinical validation to enable Singapore’s entrepreneurs to reach increasing levels of global competitiveness”.