Key Takeaways
- • Future Health, a global initiative of Abu Dhabi, and Bridge for Billions will launch a new entrepreneurship program aimed at healthcare ventures in emerging markets, with an initial cohort of about 50 entrepreneurs leading late-incubation to early-acceleration startups in Africa and Asia.
- • The program responds to persistent gaps in capital and expert support for health innovation in emerging markets, citing WIPO's Global Innovation Index 2024, which reported that Latin America and Africa accounted for roughly 3% of global venture capital deals in the first half of 2024.
- • The program is structured in two phases: an initial selection of about 50 entrepreneurs, followed by a tailored online program covering regulatory navigation, health-system integration, business model validation and investor readiness, and a smaller group selected for an acceleration phase in Abu Dhabi.
- • Bridge for Billions works through Conecta Healthcare with entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs), and CEO Pablo Santaeufemia said the partnership aims to strengthen health entrepreneurship at scale, particularly in the Global South.
- • Application criteria, participation requirements and further program details have not yet been announced.
Summary
Future Health, a global initiative of Abu Dhabi, and Bridge for Billions have announced a new entrepreneurship program designed to support locally rooted health entrepreneurs in emerging markets. According to the announcement, the program is intended to help locally developed healthcare solutions reach more people by providing capital access, expert advice and connections to health systems that many promising ventures in emerging markets currently lack.
The initiative addresses a funding and support gap. The release cites the WIPO Global Innovation Index 2024, which reported that Latin America and Africa accounted for around 3% of global venture capital deals in the first half of 2024, while venture capital fell 19% in the Asia-Pacific region and 80% in Africa. The release also cites the World Bank Group's estimate that each health sector job in low-income countries is associated with an estimated 3.4 additional jobs in related industries.
In the first phase, the program will identify around 50 entrepreneurs in Africa and Asia who have moved beyond the initial idea stage but remain early enough to benefit from structured support. Companies will be assessed on quality, maturity, scalability, market need and relevance to health priorities. Selected entrepreneurs will receive tailored support, and the program is designed to combine structured capacity building with access to expertise, networks and health-system connections.
The second phase will offer a customized online program covering regulatory requirements, health-system integration, business model validation and investor readiness. A smaller group will then be selected for an acceleration phase in Abu Dhabi, providing contact with the emirate's regulators, healthcare providers, research institutions and investors. Over time, selected entrepreneurs may also take part in Abu Dhabi's health innovation ecosystem.
Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said locally rooted entrepreneurs can develop solutions aligned with genuine health needs and financial affordability, and that the collaboration can strengthen their impact at home while creating pathways for the most promising solutions to reach more people. Pablo Santaeufemia, CEO of Bridge for Billions, said entrepreneur support organizations are often the first to back founders, and that the partnership aims to provide tools, networks and visibility to founders and the organizations supporting them.
Future Health is organized by the Abu Dhabi Department of Health with founding partners PureHealth, M42, the Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi and Mubadala Bio. Application details will be announced at a later date.
The initiative addresses a funding and support gap. The release cites the WIPO Global Innovation Index 2024, which reported that Latin America and Africa accounted for around 3% of global venture capital deals in the first half of 2024, while venture capital fell 19% in the Asia-Pacific region and 80% in Africa. The release also cites the World Bank Group's estimate that each health sector job in low-income countries is associated with an estimated 3.4 additional jobs in related industries.
In the first phase, the program will identify around 50 entrepreneurs in Africa and Asia who have moved beyond the initial idea stage but remain early enough to benefit from structured support. Companies will be assessed on quality, maturity, scalability, market need and relevance to health priorities. Selected entrepreneurs will receive tailored support, and the program is designed to combine structured capacity building with access to expertise, networks and health-system connections.
The second phase will offer a customized online program covering regulatory requirements, health-system integration, business model validation and investor readiness. A smaller group will then be selected for an acceleration phase in Abu Dhabi, providing contact with the emirate's regulators, healthcare providers, research institutions and investors. Over time, selected entrepreneurs may also take part in Abu Dhabi's health innovation ecosystem.
Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said locally rooted entrepreneurs can develop solutions aligned with genuine health needs and financial affordability, and that the collaboration can strengthen their impact at home while creating pathways for the most promising solutions to reach more people. Pablo Santaeufemia, CEO of Bridge for Billions, said entrepreneur support organizations are often the first to back founders, and that the partnership aims to provide tools, networks and visibility to founders and the organizations supporting them.
Future Health is organized by the Abu Dhabi Department of Health with founding partners PureHealth, M42, the Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi and Mubadala Bio. Application details will be announced at a later date.
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