Future Health and Bridge for Billions to Launch Programme Strengthening Health Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets

New programme will support locally rooted health entrepreneurs to build stronger ventures and deepen their impact in the communities they serve The programme responds to persistent gaps in capital and specialist support for promising health innovation across emerging markets First phase will target around 50 entrepreneurs leading late-incubation to early-acceleration ventures in Africa and Asia Entrepreneurs will receive tailored support, with selected groups later having the opportunity to access Abu Dhabi’s health innovations ecosystem

Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi and Bridge for Billions will launch a new entrepreneurship programme designed to strengthen promising health ventures in emerging markets and help locally-developed solutions reach more people.

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The first phase of the programme will target around 50 entrepreneurs leading late-incubation to early-acceleration ventures in Africa and Asia.

Emerging markets are home to significant health needs and entrepreneurial potential, yet many promising ventures can struggle to access the capital, specialist guidance, and health-system connections required to grow. WIPO’s Global Innovation Index 2024 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 by 19% in Asia-Pacific and 80% in Africa.

At the same time, entrepreneurs rooted in the communities they serve can bring a close understanding of local health needs, affordability constraints, and the realities of delivering care. Strengthening these businesses has the potential to create wider benefits for their communities, according to the World Bank Group, each health-sector job in low-income countries is associated with an estimated 3.4 additional jobs across related industries.

The new programme will seek to address some of the barriers faced by entrepreneurs, combining structured capacity-building with access to expertise, networks, and health systems connections. Over time, selected entrepreneurs will also have opportunities to engage with Abu Dhabi’s health innovation ecosystem and explore pathways for wider growth.

Her Excellency Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said: “Entrepreneurs with a deep understanding of the communities they serve can develop solutions grounded in real health needs, local realities, and affordability and access to the right expertise, networks and investment can help turn that potential into lasting impact. Future Health’s collaboration with Bridge for Billions can help deepen their impact at home, while creating pathways for the most promising solutions to reach more people over time.”

“Entrepreneur support organizations are closest to health founders in emerging markets. They understand the local regulatory landscape, the health systems and the communities where these ventures operate, and they are often the first to back a founder long before capital arrives. Through Conecta Healthcare, Bridge for Billions advocates for ESOs and works alongside them, because strengthening these organisations is how we strengthen health entrepreneurship at scale. Together with Future Health, we want to give founders and the organisations that support them the tools, networks and visibility to shape the future of global health innovation, especially across the Global South,” said Pablo Santaeufemia, CEO of Bridge for Billions.

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. Following this, a smaller group will then be then selected for an acceleration phase in Abu Dhabi, creating opportunities to engage with the emirate's regulators, healthcare providers, research institutions and investors, and build longer-term relationships across its health innovation ecosystem.

The programme forms part of Future Health’s year-round work to create practical pathways for global health innovation to develop, scale, and reach the communities in need.

Applications, eligibility criteria and further programme details will be announced at a later stage.

About Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi

Future Health is a year-round platform for global collaboration and transformative health innovation, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

Bringing together health researchers, policymakers, business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs from across disciplines and geographies, Future Health drives collective action to strengthen health systems and unlock longer, healthier lives for all.

Through a year-round programme of research insights, publications, impact initiatives, Challenges, R&D funding, and cross-sector convenings, Future Health advances progress across four focus areas: longevity and precision medicine, health systems and sustainability, digital health and AI, and investment in life sciences.

Future Health is curated and convened by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and its Founding Partners PureHealth, M42, Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi, and Mubadala Bio. Mediclinic Middle East serves as Strategic Partner and Burjeel Holdings as Associate Partner.

For more information, visit www.futurehealthinitiative.ae⁠ and follow Future Health on: X, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

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