ANDHealth, an Australian organisation dedicated to supporting digital health companies in their commercialisation journey, has partnered with a consortium of leading medical research institutes and universities in Western Australia (WA), led by the Telethon Kids Institute, as part of the State’s first Digital Health Accelerator Program.

Under the new partnership, ANDHealth will deliver its BRIGHT IDEATE and BRIGHT INNOVATE programs as part of the Digital Health Accelerator Program, which is due to commence later this year. The Digital Health Accelerator Program has been launched in Western Australia after the Program partners were awarded a State Government X-Tend WA Grant, a competitive grants program funded under the Western Australia Department of Jobs, Science, Innovation and Tourism’s New Industries Fund.

The Program partners are Telethon Kids Institute, ANDHealth, Curve Tomorrow, Linear Clinical Research Ltd, The University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Murdoch University, Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research, Inc., Ear Science Institute Australia, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research & Perron Institute.

THE LARGER TREND

In May this year, Sydney-based tech accelerator BlueChilli and Enterprise Singapore partnered to launch a Singapore-based health tech accelerator to spur innovation and build startups that address health challenges and opportunities in Southeast Asia.

BlueChilli has invested in eight health tech companies, including hardware startups BindiMaps.com and Talkiplay.com, mammography AI diagnostics service Alixir.ai, telemedicine platform VetChat.com and out-of-home patient care platform CTARS.com. 

ANDHealth was established in 2017 and since October of the same year, it has directly supported 10 digital health businesses with over A$3.5M of cash and in-kind services to create 88 new jobs, raise over A$15.8M in capital, commence 17 clinical studies, secure 133 new commercial customers, and serve over 28,500 patients, according to an official statement. 

ON THE RECORD

“Successfully taking a digital health product to market requires a non-traditional approach to that taken in the traditional biotechnology and medical devices sectors, in large part because the economic and commercial models are unclear and still evolving.”

“ANDHealth provides programs and support which specifically address the unique commercialisation challenges of digital health, and are proven to rapidly accelerate commercial and clinical outcomes.”

“I’m delighted that ANDHealth is partnering with these leading institutes in Western Australia, to enable more emerging digital health businesses succeed,” said Bronwyn Le Grice, CEO, ANDHealth in a statement.