From labs to lives: Startups shoulder health tech advancements

From labs to lives: Startups shoulder health tech advancements

Startups are actually shouldering progressive options in healthcare, and even venerable corporations like Sanofi, boasting a scientific legacy of over 300 years, are acknowledging the contributions of ventures.

Cem Öztürk, president of Sanofi Türkiye and the top of Türkiye, Africa and the Middle East Essential Products, revealed that 65% of the 118 new drug licenses permitted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 2016 and 2018 belonged to startups.

“The new carriers of innovation are seen to be newly established ventures alongside major pharmaceutical companies. Due to their agile structures, these ventures have significant advantages in discovering and implementing innovations. Considering the talented Turkish entrepreneurs among globally successful healthcare initiatives, we can see the high potential in our country’s skilled human resources,” stated Öztürk.

However, he stated whereas Turkish startups in cellular gaming, monetary know-how, on-demand supply and different sectors make sturdy strides within the world market, the dearth of presentation of home healthcare initiatives on the world stage stems from the truth that the innovation-based healthcare ecosystem inside the nation will not be but structured with the required qualities.

81 million vaccine doses

Highlighting their dedication to Türkiye’s “healthy future” by way of an progressive method, Öztürk stated Sanofi carried out the primary know-how switch within the subject of vaccines within the nation 12 years in the past.

“Through this project, in collaboration with Birgi Mefar Group, we started producing childhood combination vaccines that protect against diseases within the national vaccine schedule. Thanks to this investment contributing to Türkiye’s first biotechnology production, we have produced 81 million doses of vaccines to date,” he famous.

Cem Öztürk, president of Sanofi Türkiye. (Courtesy of Sanofi)

Cem Öztürk, president of Sanofi Türkiye. (Courtesy of Sanofi)

“Our goal is to bring solutions and technologies that will ease patients’ lives to our country while also contributing to qualified local production.”

Innovative tasks

Öztürk additionally cited the PharmUp Entrepreneurship Program, launched in 2019 and collaboration with Endeavour, saying that they’ve efficiently introduced collectively entrepreneurs from varied fields and sectors who can develop options for the healthcare trade.

“The program aims to select about five startups every year. The selected ventures participating in the acceleration program benefit from workshops and mentorship support to enhance their skills and solutions. They also have the opportunity to develop collaborations with Sanofi and participate in Vivatech held in Paris,” he stated.

This 12 months, he added, entrepreneurs growing services in classes equivalent to sensible well being units and diagnostic options (wearable applied sciences and fast testing instruments), medical schooling and communication instruments, wholesome residing options, digital well being and telemedicine, knowledge administration and analytics and company digital transformation utilized to this system.

“To date, a total of 219 entrepreneurs have applied to the program, with 22 ventures being included,” stated Öztürk.

Multi-stakeholder platform

Öztürk highlighted that they’ve remodeled PharmUp right into a multi-stakeholder platform, producing options tailor-made to the wants of entrepreneurs all through their journey, from product improvement to market launch.

“PharmUp is a multi-stakeholder entrepreneurship platform based in Türkiye, contributing to global competitiveness and strengthening the innovation ecosystem in healthcare. In this context, we have achieved various collaborations with Başakşehir Living Lab, Teknopark Istanbul, Lokman Hekim University Health and Drug Technology Center (LHUSTEK), and TT Ventures,” he stated.

With the collaboration settlement signed with TT Ventures, the company enterprise capital firm of Türk Telekom, considered one of Türkiye’s main telecommunications and know-how corporations, Öztürk stated they intention to assist the event processes of ventures, create a scientific platform and make sure the transformation of value-added innovation and technology-based tasks into merchandise.

Groundbreaking partnership in fintech frontier

In the quickly evolving panorama of Turkish finance know-how, fintech initiatives have aggressively pursued formidable targets, notably within the realm of open banking and digital finance licenses.

In a strategic alignment that not solely displays the dynamism within the Turkish monetary know-how sector but additionally underlines the symbiotic relationship rising between conventional banking establishments and agile fintech ventures, İşbank and Figopara introduced a collaboration that may see the latter integrating Türkiye’s largest personal lender’s TekCep and TekPos merchandise for its clientele.

Figopara, a monetary know-how enterprise with a mission to achieve 100,000 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), envisions changing into considered one of Türkiye’s unicorn startups with a billion-dollar valuation.

The partnership signifies a milestone as Figopara invests in a product developed by a standard financial institution for the primary time. Iş Bankası’s open banking merchandise, TekCep and TekPOS, crafted by its subsidiary Softtech, will probably be accessible to Figopara clients.

Under the settlement, İşbank’s possession by way of Maxis Innovative Venture Capital Investment Fund has reached 3.42%. The strategic transfer displays the accelerating tempo of customer-centric digital transformation initiatives inside each banks and fintech corporations amid stringent regulatory oversight.

Koray Bahar (L), founder and CEO of Figopara, and İşbank General Manager Hakan Aran. (Courtesy of Figopara)

Koray Bahar (L), founder and CEO of Figopara, and İşbank General Manager Hakan Aran. (Courtesy of Figopara)

Figopara’s acquisition of İşbank subsidiary Softtech’s open banking merchandise, TekCep and TekPos, extends past mere know-how integration. The buy empowers Figopara’s industrial purchasers to handle bill knowledge and banking info, enabling exact management over money flows. Furthermore, it’s going to additionally enable real-time detection of credit score limits primarily based on the newest knowledge.

Customer-centric

Evaluating the settlement, İşbank General Manager Hakan Aran highlighted customer-centric decision-making.

“While developing TekCep and TekPos, I thoroughly read the Competition Authority’s decision. Reading the assessment of the value of customer data in that document made us realize once again the significance of customer data. We developed these products but believe a fintech initiative can scale them faster,” stated Aran.

“We think Figopara’s products, in which we have previously invested, can be offered to SMEs at a more affordable cost. By the end of this year, we believe Figopara will be one of the billion-dollar unicorn fintech initiatives. We think other banks like us can also invest. I believe a shareholding of up to 15% for banks is sufficient. If all banks extend their support, there is no reason for the unicorn goal not to be achieved.”

For their half, Koray Bahar, founder and CEO of Figopara, stated they’ve prioritized worthwhile traders like İşbank, noting that the corporate is confidently progressing towards its purpose of being a platform that meets all monetary wants of economic enterprises.

“With this acquisition, we are moving toward a structure where our customers can see all their cash flows. We aspire to be the ‘Financial Application’ where businesses can view their financial processes with forward-looking predictions, displaying daily and real-time financial data on a single platform. We currently serve over 10,000 businesses and aim to increase this number to 80,000-90,000 in 2024,” stated Bahar.

“Providing more value-added services to both existing and future customers is our sole purpose. To deliver all these services, we have applied for a license with Figo Payment Institution Inc. to the central bank. Until approval is granted by the central for our payment company application, we will offer open banking services to our customers through representation,” he famous.

CES 2024 to kick off

The CES hailed because the world’s largest client electronics present, is about to kick off subsequent week and as soon as once more deliver collectively startups and cutting-edge applied sciences from all corners of the globe.

With over 1,200 know-how corporations from 150 international locations anticipated to take part, Turkish entrepreneurs are set to exhibit a variety of progressive merchandise, from a sensible cane for visually impaired youngsters to a neighborhood initiative remodeling espresso waste into biomaterials to electrical car efficiency administration platforms and wearable applied sciences.

CES 2024, previously often called the Consumer Electronics Show, is scheduled to happen in Las Vegas between Jan. 9-12. It will function a devoted Türkiye Pavilion completely for Turkish know-how entrepreneurs.

Development companies be part of forces

This 12 months’s participation is being facilitated by way of the collaborative efforts of 5 improvement companies working below the coordination of the Industry and Technology Ministry.

Istanbul Development Agency (ISTKA), Ankara Development Agency (ANKARAKA), Izmir Development Agency (IZKA), Bursa Eskişehir Bilecik Development Agency (BEBKA), and West Mediterranean Development Agency (BAKA) are working in concord to open up world markets for greater than 100 Turkish know-how startups, escorting them to world occasions in Las Vegas, Lisbon, Helsinki and Doha.

Under the banner of the Global Entrepreneurship Events Participation Call, a delegation of 150 people, together with stakeholders and representatives, will accompany the 50 Turkish know-how startups granted the chance to take part within the CES 2024.

At CES 2024, Turkish startups will introduce a spectrum of progressive know-how merchandise for the primary time. These embrace a sensible cane for visually impaired youngsters, a neighborhood initiative changing espresso waste into biomaterials, the world’s first electrical youngsters’s bike, and the world’s first and solely conditional fan assist platform. Other improvements will span wearable applied sciences, industrial design, digital logistics, unmanned aerial autos, quick supply options for e-commerce, cellular video games, schooling applied sciences, and digital and automation options.

Under a sponsorship settlement, nationwide flag provider Turkish Airlines (THY) gives discounted tickets to facilitate startups’ participation, enabling them to showcase their merchandise and interact in buyer discussions through the four-day occasion.

The CES 2024 present will function a various array of initiatives from around the globe, representing totally different know-how classes, together with synthetic intelligence, sensible cities, cryptocurrency and NFTs, meals know-how, digital well being, augmented and digital actuality, robotics and drones, house know-how, gaming and e-sports, car know-how, and varied different industries.

TT Ventures continues to put money into startups

Investment in know-how startups is essential through the seed stage and as these ventures progress into the expansion section.

Despite many establishments supporting startups of their early phases, they usually discover themselves missing monetary backing in later phases of improvement and progress. Due to restricted entry to funding, quite a few startups choose to relocate their headquarters overseas.

This development is being reshaped by investments from main companies. TT Ventures, the enterprise capital arm of Türk Telekom, considered one of Türkiye’s main telecommunication and know-how corporations, continues to put money into startups in superior phases, offering a big enhance to the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

If a startup has initiated operations, is producing income, and is able to take flight, TT Ventures demonstrates its dedication by providing complete assist.

Established in 2018 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Türk Telekom Group, TT Ventures goals to assist the actions of high-growth potential startups within the early and center phases. The enterprise capital agency seeks to create worth by immediately investing in these startups, facilitating their progress.

To date, it has engaged with 1,500 startups, with investments made in 16 ventures, reaching a portfolio worth of $100 million.

TT Ventures’ strategic method not solely aids startups in securing the required monetary backing as they evolve but additionally contributes to retaining progressive enterprises inside the nation.

Source: www.dailysabah.com