NUS Medicine DATA Accelerator Programme driving health innovations
Published: 08 Oct 2024
On 28 September 2024, the NUS Medicine Digital Advanced Technology Accelerator (DATA) officially launched its Digital Accelerator Programme for startups in the field of digital health innovation. The launch event, held at Lecture Theatre 36 at the Centre for Translational Medicine (MD6), saw 5 outstanding startups share their innovations, as they aspire to build globally competitive ventures.
Opening Address by Professor Chong Yap Seng at the DATA Accelerator Programme Launch, inspiring innovation in digital health.
In the opening address, Professor Chong Yap Seng, Dean of NUS Medicine highlighted the transformative potential of AI, digital technology, and data analytics in healthcare. He stressed that much of the world’s health data remains untapped, representing a missed opportunity to improve outcomes. The launch of DATA’s Digital Accelerator Programme aims to address this gap by fostering innovation in health tech.
One of the core issues Professor Chong addressed was the underutilisation of health data. , This, he said, represents a major missed opportunity to improve patient outcomes and overall health. To bridge this gap, NUS introduced a Minor Program in Bioinformatics & AI in Medicine for medical students in 2023, helping to ensure that future doctors are equipped with the skills to harness data effectively in healthcare.
In addition to building data literacy among medical professionals, DATA’s Digital Accelerator Programme was introduced as a platform to drive health-tech innovation. Professor Chong commended the participants of HealthHack 2024, an NUS Medicine hackathon focused on digital health tech, which drew over 1,200 participants and 117 innovative submissions. One of the winning teams, Marymount Labs, is now part of the accelerator’s inaugural cohort.
The DATA Accelerator Programme, developed in collaboration with 22Health Ventures, aims to cultivate the next generation of startups that will bring groundbreaking ideas to the global stage.
Introducing the Inaugural Cohort of Startups
The DATA Accelerator welcomed five promising startups, each addressing critical challenges in healthcare with innovative solutions:
2Strands is developing a ctDNA-based blood test for detecting cancer recurrence early, empowering oncologists and patients in the fight against aggressive recurrent cancers. The company has received support from the Illumina-for-Startups grant in Singapore.
Founder and Director of 2Strands Biosciences, Debleena Ray, delivering her pitch to an audience of mentors across the fields of healthcare, technology, business and entrepreneurship.
Health BETA aims to reduce the high recurrence of heart attacks among heart patients. They are collaborating with NUS and a local restructured hospital for clinical studies and have completed their pre-seed funding.
Co-Founder and Director of Health BETA, Tan Kae Yuan, delivering his pitch.
HealthBridge AI is reducing doctor burnout by 70% through their AI-driven solution that streamlines administrative tasks. The product is currently in testing and validation and is set to launch before the end of 2024.
Founder and CEO of HealthBridge AI, Dr Nelson Lau, delivering his pitch.
Marymount Labs is automating data-driven health campaigns to increase the uptake of preventive care services, contributing to more proactive healthcare management.
Co-Founders of Marymount Labs, Zacchaeus Chok (on left) and Lazarus Chok (on right), delivering their pitch
TenangAI offers a mental health solution aimed at helping Gen Z and Millennials manage daily stress through a culturally localized approach. They are currently collaborating with early adopters in Indonesia.
CEO and Co-founder of TenangAI, Salma Dias Saraswati, delivering her pitch.
