Healthcare Success Pathways: Insights from Healthcare Startup Founders

Navigating the unique challenges of healthcare entrepreneurship—from investor selection to clinical adoption barriers

The NUS Medicine Digital Advanced Technology Accelerator (DATA) and Alice Lee Innovation Centre of Excellence (A.L.I.C.E) convened healthcare startup founders who have successfully navigated the complex journey from concept to commercial deployment. The panel explored the strategic decisions and practical challenges that distinguish healthcare entrepreneurship from other sectors.

Critical Insights for Healthcare Founders

Product-Market-Payer Fit
Understanding who pays for healthcare solutions and how purchasing decisions are made—a fundamental challenge where the end user, decision-maker, and payer are often different stakeholders.

Investor Selection Strategy
Choosing investors who genuinely understand the problem being solved and the long validation timelines inherent to healthcare innovation, not just financial returns.

Funding Pathway Decisions
Strategic considerations between grant funding and private capital—each offering distinct advantages and constraints for healthcare startups at different stages.

Clinical Adoption Barriers
Navigating the unique challenges of healthcare organisation adoption, where risk aversion, regulatory complexity, and integration requirements create longer sales cycles than traditional technology sectors.

Panel Speakers

Sue-Anne Toh
CEO & Co-Founder, Novihealth

Prusothman Sina Raja
CEO, Hannah Life Tech

Wonjae Lee
CMO, Health on Cloud

Moderated by May Anne Cheong, Co-Director, A.L.I.C.E

The discussion provided actionable insights for healthcare entrepreneurs, investors, and innovation stakeholders navigating Singapore’s digital health ecosystem—addressing the specific challenges that make healthcare venture development fundamentally different from other technology sectors.