ANDHealth

We are proud to announce that eight Australian startups developing innovations with the potential to save lives and improve wellbeing will receive grants totalling $18.5 million thanks to the first CUREator+ funding round 🎉 Delivered in partnership with Brandon BioCatalyst (Brandon Capital) and ANDHealth, CUREator+ is a national program focused on accelerating the research translation and commercialisation of preclinical and clinical early-stage Australian medical research and medical innovations with commercial potential. These innovations include drugs (novel and repurposed), devices, diagnostics and digital technologies that address unmet needs. The first-round recipients are: ⭐️ Amplificare: Enabling rapid assessment of the efficacy of cancer treatments ⭐️ Baymatob: AI-powered platform providing early warning for treatable pregnancy and labour complications ⭐️ Currus Biologics Pty Ltd: Technology to develop CAR T-cell Therapy in tumours ⭐️ Kinoxis Therapeutics Pty Ltd: An alternative to antipsychotics for managing agitation and aggression in dementia ⭐️ Micromune Therapeutics: A therapy for treating inflammatory bowel disease ⭐️ Mirugen: Utilising gene therapy to restore vision in patients with ‘incurable’ blindness ⭐️ OncoRes Medical: Imaging technology which differentiates cancer from healthy tissue ⭐️ SeeTreat Medical: Software to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of radiation therapy for breast cancer The Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, said, “Turning new research into medicines and tools which can be used to treat patients is often a long and costly process. Our support will ensure innovative research can become life changing and lifesaving treatments.” ANDHealth CEO Bronwyn Le Grice said, “In the current market, substantive equity-free funding such as provided under CUREator+ and access to global industry leaders with proven track records, can make a material difference to the speed and success of commercialising these exciting new technologies.” 👉 Learn more: https://loom.ly/pUOUliw CUREator+ is supported by funding from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) BioMedTech Incubator (BMTI) program.

✨ Happy holidays from ANDHealth ✨ After another big year, the team will be taking a well-deserved break. Our office is now closed and will reopen at 9:00 am Thursday 2 January. ANDHealth is grateful for the ongoing support of our core partners and members, cohort companies, and industry partners who work with us to grow a world-class digital and connected health sector here in Australia. Wishing you and yours a fabulous, fun and festive holiday season! Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care | Medical Research Future Fund | RMIT University | Telstra Health | Planet Innovation | Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) | The Royal Melbourne Hospital | Curve Tomorrow | HPM Executive | HLTH Community | Brandon Capital | Therapeutic Goods Administration | MTPConnect | Amazon Web Services (AWS) | Victorian Government | LaunchVic | NSW Health | Cicada Innovations | Government of Western Australia| AusBiotech | MedTech Actuator | Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH) | Health Roundtable | Modern Risk Solutions | Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA) | BioMelbourne Network | IntelliHQ | Medical Software Industry Association | Talking HealthTech | Australian Society for Medical Entrepreneurship & Innovation (ASME) | Elevance Health | HEI Partners | Digital Therapeutics Alliance | Digital Medicine Society (DiME)

🌏 Each year, our CHICC Innovation Hub welcomes world-class leaders into Australia's vibrant digital health ecosystem, providing tailored support, coaching and expanding global horizons for local innovators. This wonderful reflection from CHICC's latest IEIR, Liz Ashall-Payne (Founding CEO, ORCHA UK), highlights the remarkable passion, collaboration and resounding impact that sets the Australian digital health landscape apart. 🛫 “From my first day, it was clear that Australia's digital health sector is driven by a passion to make a real difference in people's lives,” “In Australia, it's not just about talking the talk – it's about walking the walk,” As she returns home to the UK, Liz is filled with excitement for the future of digital health: “Here’s to a future full of collaboration, innovation and action. Thank you Australia for an unforgettable experience!” Read the full article here: https://loom.ly/QXOgb84 👈 CHICC is supported by the Australian Medtech Manufacturing Centre (AMMC) and the Victorian Government Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions.

The year may be coming to an end but we're still thinking about HLTH USA 🥹 Shout-out to Peter Birch and the team at Talking HealthTech for capturing some of the magic we made at the ANDHealth Australia Pavilion! Thanks again to MTPConnect, Global Victoria and Investment NSW for supporting our 2024 delegation. 👀 PS. EOIs for next year's delegation to HLTH Europe are now open: https://loom.ly/bFGZHXc

The ANDHealth ACTIVATE 2024 program has officially concluded and what an unforgettable day it was celebrating this group of promising Victorian digital health innovators! Check out the photo gallery to relive some of the special moments from the event: https://loom.ly/HhmeVOA 📸 We’re excited about the promising future ahead for these startups and look forward to seeing how they continue to shape the digital health landscape. Could this be you? Keep an eye out for our 2025 ACTIVATE applications opening in the new year 👀 A special thank you to our program supporter LaunchVic for their ongoing support of ACTIVATE and Victorian digital health innovation.

Wondering which NSW Health Commercialisation Training Program is right for you? 🤔 Join Cicada Innovations for an upcoming information session to have your questions answered by program manager Alex Vellere. The online session will cover: – The different programs on offer – Who the workshops are for and prerequisites – How to apply – An overview of the content that you will learn The NSW Health Commercialisation Training Program, run by Cicada Innovations, has been designed by industry experts to help you maximise the impact of your health innovation and successfully commercialise your technology. Register: https://loom.ly/mijAW-w Learn more about the program: https://loom.ly/z7C1W_A

Micro-X has achieved a significant milestone in developing a revolutionary mobile Head CT scanner, marking a major advancement in stroke diagnosis and treatment. 🧠 This portable CT scanner has the potential to revolutionise stroke care by enabling rapid diagnosis in ambulances and remote locations, significantly improving patient outcomes. The Micro-X Head CT scanner, weighing less than 70kg compared to 500kg for conventional CTs, consists of proprietary mini tubes, a curved detector and advanced high-voltage switching electronics, enabling rapid, high-quality 3D imaging with lower radiation doses. Importantly, it represents a significant step towards more accessible and efficient CT imaging, with potential applications in emergency response vehicles, Emergency Departments and neurological operating rooms. The device is funded by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and has successfully generated its first 3D CT images using a world-first miniature carbon fibre X-ray nanotube array. Micro-X is now preparing an ethics approval application for The Royal Melbourne Hospital to commence human clinical trials. The success of this project also underpins Micro-X's recent $25 million contract with the US Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) for Health (ARPA-H) to develop Full Body CT technology, further expanding the applications of their innovative X-ray imaging solutions. Read more: https://loom.ly/O2JiCpA

Our first Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) webinar of 2025 is already almost sold out 🔥 Come along to hear an overview of the updated SaMD regulations and have your questions answered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Act swiftly, only two spots remain: https://loom.ly/5QOPWgU ✳️ An Overview: SaMD Regulation by the TGA Date: Wednesday 22 January 2025 Time: 10:30 am – 11:30 am (AEDT) Location: Virtual via Zoom

🚀 We well and truly put digital health innovation into action last week at the ANDHealth Digital Health Summit! The future of healthcare is digital and each session emphasised how we can unlock Australia's full potential to transform healthcare systems, improve patient outcomes and bridge the health equity gap. Leaders from every facet of the healthcare system joined forces with pioneers innovating new digital health technologies to envision the future of healthcare and pave a clearer path toward its realisation. We'll be carrying the energy and insights from the day into the new year as we reflect on the profound discussions and fresh perspectives we explored throughout the day. This full-day event wrapped up with a celebration featuring delicious food and drinks, fostering insightful conversations and building meaningful connections to solidify the critical collaboration needed to move these ideas forward. 📸 Check out the photo gallery: https://loom.ly/Aa9WT-Q A huge thank you again to all of our speakers, attendees and event partners, we couldn't have done it without you! ANDHealth's Digital Health Summit was kindly supported by Host Partner Amazon Web Services, Major Event Partner EVERSANA and Media Partner Talking HealthTech. ANDHealth is supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

Did you know just 4% of Australia's venture funding went to women-led startups in 2023? 👎 Despite dominating consumer spending and representing large market opportunities, female founders continue to be underrepresented in Australia's venture capital landscape. Research highlights the compelling investment case for female-founded startups, generating 10% more revenue and earning 35% higher returns for every dollar invested. Despite this, in 2023 teams with at least one female founder managed just 26% of funding deals, while all-male teams secured 62%. Women-led fund Scale Investors Pty Ltd is stepping up to address the gender funding gap through a $100 million fund aimed at backing women-led startups, particularly those using their lived experiences to meaningfully innovate. ANDHealth+ cohort company Baymatob has been identified by the fund as showing particular promise. Their AI-driven platform 'Oli' is designed to detect postpartum hemorrhage, a leading cause of maternal death, leveraging women’s lived experiences to drive breakthrough innovations. By backing companies like Baymatob, Scale Investors is not only addressing the gender funding gap but also promoting innovations that directly impact women's health and well-being. 📸 Scale Investors' new partnership team: Samar Mcheileh, Roo Harris, Solai Valliappan and Chelsea Newell.