Key Takeaways
- • Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi and Bridge for Billions will launch a new entrepreneurship programme to strengthen health ventures in emerging markets, according to a BUSINESS WIRE release.
- • The first phase will identify around 50 entrepreneurs across Africa and Asia whose ventures have moved beyond the idea stage into late-incubation to early-acceleration.
- • The programme responds to capital and specialist-support gaps: WIPO's Global Innovation Index 2024 reported Latin America and Africa together accounted for around 3% of global venture-capital deals in H1 2024, with VC values down 19% in Asia-Pacific and 80% in Africa.
- • The programme includes a tailored online curriculum on regulatory navigation, health-system integration, business-model validation and investor readiness, followed by an acceleration phase in Abu Dhabi for a smaller group.
- • Application criteria and eligibility details have not yet been announced.
Summary
Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi and Bridge for Billions will launch an entrepreneurship programme aimed at strengthening promising health ventures in emerging markets and helping locally developed solutions reach more people. The initiative is designed to address persistent barriers, as many promising ventures struggle to access the capital, specialist guidance and health-system connections needed to grow.
The release cites WIPO's Global Innovation Index 2024, which reported that Latin America and Africa together accounted for around 3% of global venture-capital deals in the first half of 2024, while venture-capital values fell 19% in Asia-Pacific and 80% in Africa. It also cites the World Bank Group, which estimates that each health-sector job in low-income countries is associated with about 3.4 additional jobs across related industries.
The first phase will focus on identifying around 50 entrepreneurs across Africa and Asia who have progressed beyond the initial idea stage but remain early enough to benefit from structured support. Ventures will be assessed on quality, maturity, scalability, market needs and relevance to health priorities. The second phase will deliver a tailored online programme covering regulatory navigation, health-system integration, business-model validation and investor readiness. A smaller group will then be selected for an acceleration phase in Abu Dhabi, where they can engage with regulators, healthcare providers, research institutions and investors.
Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said that access to the right expertise, networks and investment can turn local potential into lasting impact. Pablo Santaeufemia, CEO of Bridge for Billions, said entrepreneur support organisations are closest to health founders in emerging markets and that the initiative, delivered through Conecta Healthcare, aims to strengthen these organisations as a route to scaling health entrepreneurship.
The programme forms part of Future Health's year-round work across four focus areas: longevity and precision medicine, health systems and sustainability, digital health and AI, and investment in life sciences. Applications, eligibility criteria and further programme details will be announced at a later stage.
The release cites WIPO's Global Innovation Index 2024, which reported that Latin America and Africa together accounted for around 3% of global venture-capital deals in the first half of 2024, while venture-capital values fell 19% in Asia-Pacific and 80% in Africa. It also cites the World Bank Group, which estimates that each health-sector job in low-income countries is associated with about 3.4 additional jobs across related industries.
The first phase will focus on identifying around 50 entrepreneurs across Africa and Asia who have progressed beyond the initial idea stage but remain early enough to benefit from structured support. Ventures will be assessed on quality, maturity, scalability, market needs and relevance to health priorities. The second phase will deliver a tailored online programme covering regulatory navigation, health-system integration, business-model validation and investor readiness. A smaller group will then be selected for an acceleration phase in Abu Dhabi, where they can engage with regulators, healthcare providers, research institutions and investors.
Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said that access to the right expertise, networks and investment can turn local potential into lasting impact. Pablo Santaeufemia, CEO of Bridge for Billions, said entrepreneur support organisations are closest to health founders in emerging markets and that the initiative, delivered through Conecta Healthcare, aims to strengthen these organisations as a route to scaling health entrepreneurship.
The programme forms part of Future Health's year-round work across four focus areas: longevity and precision medicine, health systems and sustainability, digital health and AI, and investment in life sciences. Applications, eligibility criteria and further programme details will be announced at a later stage.
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