This week, Futurize and AstraZeneca announced the launch of Futurize’s healthtech incubator programme, FuturizeU.
The programme, a collaboration with AstraZeneca, through the A.Catalyst Network, and co-funded by Bristol Myers Squibb, will run from September 12 to November 17.
FuturizeU is dedicated to nurturing early-stage university start-ups in Africa’s health care sector. Its core mission is to equip the coming generation of health care entrepreneurs with the essential tools to navigate start-up complexities.
The programme aims to cultivate groundbreaking solutions that address critical health care equity and early non-communicable disease (NCD) diagnosis challenges across the African continent, harnessing the region’s abundant untapped potential.
It welcomes teams from partner universities across sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on university students, alumni, and groups from the previous two Fuel Africa cohorts, all with transformative health care start-up concepts.
Rhea Singhla, the CEO at Futurize, said: “Undoubtedly, incubator programmes hold paramount importance for African youth as they are not as readily accessible. These initiatives act as dynamic launchpads, igniting the latent potential of our young entrepreneurs and providing them with the essential tools, mentorship, and resources required to translate their innovative ideas into impactful solutions.”
Jonathan Calder, head of digital and IT for the African Cluster at AstraZeneca, said: “Our partnership with Futurize is integral to our unwavering commitment to improve health equity and create sustainable impact in Africa. I am thrilled that through the FuturizeU healthtech incubator programme we will now provide young innovators in Africa an excellent launchpad opportunity to join us in our ambition to deliver pioneering solutions to improve patient outcomes.”
BUSINESS REPORT