From 0 to 1: A journey in HealthTech

The messy, uncertain early days of building healthcare ventures—founders share what actually happens between brilliant idea and first paying customer

The NUS Medicine Digital Advanced Technology Accelerator (DATA), NUS Enterprise, and 22Health Ventures hosted a candid fireside discussion on healthcare venture creation’s most challenging phase: going from zero to one. Two founders who successfully navigated this journey shared the unglamorous realities, critical decisions, and unexpected obstacles that define early-stage healthcare entrepreneurship.

The Foundational Challenges

• From Concept to Company
  The practical steps transforming healthcare ideas into operational ventures—from assembling founding teams and securing initial funding to building minimum viable products that clinicians will actually test.

• Finding Product-Market Fit
  Healthcare’s unique complexity in validating market need: the end user (clinician), decision-maker (administrator), and payer (insurer or government) are often different stakeholders with competing priorities.

• Early Customer Acquisition
  Convincing risk-averse healthcare organisations to pilot unproven technologies—overcoming the trust gap that kills most healthcare innovations before they demonstrate value.

• Ecosystem Navigation
  Engaging healthcare stakeholders, understanding regulatory requirements, and identifying early adopters willing to champion novel approaches within conservative healthcare systems.

Founder Perspectives

Dorothea Koh, CEO, BotMD
Shared experiences building AI-powered clinical tools and securing adoption within complex healthcare workflows.

Julian Koo, Former CEO, Jaga-Me
Discussed navigating Singapore’s home care market and building technology connecting caregivers with families.

Moderated by Dr. Zachery Yeo

Why These Stories Matter

Most healthcare startup narratives focus on success milestones—funding rounds, partnerships, clinical publications. This session explored the less glamorous reality: the pivots, false starts, and unglamorous problem-solving that actually characterise early-stage venture building.

For aspiring healthcare entrepreneurs, these honest conversations provide more value than polished success stories—revealing the persistence, adaptability, and strategic thinking required to survive healthcare innovation’s brutal early stages.

Event Details
Date: 12 April 2024
Time: 5:30 PM–8:00 PM SGT
Venue: BLOCK71 Singapore
Address: 71 Ayer Rajah Crescent, #02-01, Singapore 139951

Presented by: NUS Medicine DATA, NUS Enterprise Digital Accelerator, 22Health Ventures