Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship Podcasts
The Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship podcast series provides a platform for entrepreneurs to share their vision of how innovation can help solve global health problems and what lessons these entrepreneurs have learnt during their journey. In the first six episodes, we discuss what drives entrepreneurs in health and we talk about the challenges of attracting funding, the need to think about regulation early and how to drive adoption in complex health systems.
The series is aimed at students and faculty in global health, as well as policy makers, investors, and entrepreneurs in health who believe that innovation can increase the number of healthy life years for the populations they serve.
During the IHTM Master's at the University of Oxford, we teach students quantitative and qualitative research methods, and how to use the evidence base from peer reviewed and grey literature to design, implement and monitor health interventions. The IHTM Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIE) module focuses on how to create sustainable business models for innovative products or services that support these health interventions.
In subsequent episodes we will discuss topics such as the importance of regulation, expectations of investors, and different business models in global health.
Integrating Artificial Intelligence in medical imaging for increased accuracy, accessibility, and affordability.
Prashant Warier is co-founder and CEO at Qure.ai. With a career spanning over two decades, Prashant has successfully developed and commercialized various data science applications across multiple industries such as trucking, fashion and now healthcare.
More than ten products in Qure.ai’s portfolio have MDR and FDA clearances and these products are being adopted in the screening and diagnosis of diseases such as Lung Cancer, Tuberculosis and Cerebral Stroke in over 90 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Its mission is to make diagnostic imaging, such as X-rays and CTs, not only more precise but also widely accessible and affordable.
Offering a 10$ DNA based diagnostic test for blood disorders and cancer.
Anna Shuh is a medical doctor, an academic researcher, and a healthcare entrepreneur. She is Professor of Molecular Diagnostics at the University of Oxford. More recently, Anna joined the Muhimbili University for Health and Allied Sciences faculty in Tanzania and co-founded a social enterprise, Seren.
Seren aims to promote and support diagnostics in low- and middle-income countries with an initial focus on DNA based tests for blood disorders and cancers. The first facility in Dar-es-Salaam has now opened and will offer DNA tests for as little as $10 using low cost and low maintenance equipment, while cloud-based data systems allow remote analysis by experts so that samples do not need to be sent abroad.
Implementing a digital platform for essential health packages and universal health coverage.
Bahbak is the co-founder and CEO of Elephant. He trained and worked as a psychiatrist in the National Health Service (NHS). From 2009 to 2016, he was co-founder and director of a business providing health, social care, and housing solutions for people with dementia. After a brief return to the NHS as a psychiatrist he launched Elephant Healthcare in the Summer of 2018.
Elephant Healthcare is a global health technology business, headquartered in the UK with operations in Africa and Asia. The first countries adopting Elephant Health’s solutions are Nigeria, Kenya, and Pakistan. Elephant Health has developed several modules that can assist primary health care centres or hospitals with patient scheduling, inventory management, invoicing, and referral management.
Developing a franchise offering for primary health centres in Kenya.
Maximilian is one of the co-founders and Co-CEO at Ilara Health. After working for the investment bank Lazard, he made an unconventional career change to become an entrepreneur in Africa. He was drawn to Kenya and wanted to strengthen the healthcare system in that country.
Ilara Health digitizes primary healthcare clinics across Kenya, and they provide a range of financial products that help these clinics to purchase point of care diagnostic tools, consumables, and medicines. They are currently serving over 2,500 clinics across Kenya and to support further growth, Ilara Health has been able to raise about $10 million in funding, from a range of equity, debt and grant investors that include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the French development finance institution Proparco.
Using tampons for STI diagnosis and period pain treatment.
Valentina is founder and CEO of Daye. Prior to founding Daye, Valentina managed the artificial intelligence and machine learning portfolio at the Founders Factory, a start-up accelerator in London, and was a Venture Associate at the global investment company Techstars.
In 2018, after about 180 pitches to investors, Valentina raised £4 million in seed funding and launched its first consumer product: a pain-relieving tampon to help around 90% of women who experience period pain. In 2023, Valentina raised another £10 million in series A funding for Daye. And Daye is now introducing its Diagnostic Tampon, aimed at the detection of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Use of smart speculum device to screen and diagnose cervical cancer in Cameroon.
Conrad is a medical doctor and entrepreneur from Cameroon who passionately believes that technology solutions tailored to the African context can help solve many of the continent's health challenges. GICMED has developed a smart speculum device that integrates the concept of a speculum and a colposcope into a single portable device, which can be manipulated by a frontline nurse and enables medical experts to receive and review data for remote diagnosis. The device is designed to work in rural areas that don’t have reliable electricity supply or internet connectivity.