Industry leaders launch HealthHub 21 to scale-up digital solutions for faster & more accessible care

• Applications are now open for the Novartis BIOME UK HealthHub 21 Challenge, in collaboration with KQ Labs and LifeArc.
• HealthHub 21 is available to start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) looking to scale-up solutions for digitising patient pathways and advancing remote care.
• Participants will receive extensive support, including mentoring, networking opportunities, access to commercial and healthcare masterclasses, and investor meetings, as well as £50,000 funding from LifeArc.

London, UK. April 21, 2021: Novartis UK has launched the Novartis BIOME UK HealthHub 21 Challenge, in collaboration with KQ Labs, the data-driven health accelerator of the Francis Crick Institute, and LifeArc, the charity helping to turn promising science into benefits for patients.

HealthHub 21 will provide mentoring advice, partnership opportunities and sustainable investments to data-driven start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with solutions for digitising patient pathways and advancing remote care in a COVID-19 era.

The Novartis BIOME is a digital innovation hub committed to partnering with the best in the ecosystem to combine its deep scientific experience with the expertise of the tech world to jointly innovate, co-develop and scale digital solutions.

COVID-19 represents a landmark moment in the utilisation of digital technologies across the NHS. The last year has seen a significant acceleration of uptake of data and digital driven solutions, and there remain huge opportunities to implement further innovations to improve patient experiences.

By combining world-leading scientific experience with the expertise of the data-driven health world, HealthHub 21 will develop and scale digital innovations that solve problems faced by the NHS and ultimately improve and extend patients’ lives.

In addition to support and investment from the Novartis BIOME, KQ Labs and LifeArc, participating companies will have the opportunity to establish ongoing relationships with the wider health-tech ecosystem, the NHS and Novartis.

HealthHub 21 is now formally open for submissions from eligible companies. Details on how to apply can be found here on the Novartis BIOME website.

Chinmay Bhatt, Country President of Novartis UK, comments: “We are delighted that the Novartis BIOME is collaborating with KQ Labs, the data-driven health accelerator of the Francis Crick Institute, and LifeArc for this year’s HealthHub programme.

“As a result of our combined expertise, successful health tech companies will receive expert support in scaling-up their organisations. Building on the success of our 2019 and 2020 HealthHubs, companies will be given the unrivalled opportunity to co-develop and deliver innovations that create real solutions for patients and the healthcare system. At Novartis, we are passionate about digital health innovation as we recognise it will allow us to unlock the potential of the UK life sciences sector - enabling us to reimagine medicine for the benefit of patients across the world.”

Barbara Domayne-Hayman, Entrepreneur in Residence and lead for KQ Labs at The Francis Crick Institute, said: “We are excited to be partnering with this year’s Novartis BIOME HealthHub. This Challenge is highly complementary to our core data-driven health accelerator programme, which will run later in the year. Through this opportunity, we will evolve our commitment to accelerating early-stage data-driven health companies to reach their full potential, using our networks and experience. We look forward to seeing innovative applications, underpinned by strong science, and to work with the winning companies, as well as the partners of this significant collaboration.”

Andrew Farquharson, Executive Director of LifeArc, comments: “LifeArc has over 25 years’ experience as a charity partner helping scientists and innovators progress early-stage ideas into tangible health benefits.  With digital and data-led solutions holding so many exciting new possibilities for improving health and healthcare systems, we are delighted to be part of HealthHub 21 and to fund early innovation in this space.”

Konrad Dobschuetz, Head of Digital Innovation and BIOME Lead at Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK, said: “It is an exciting collaboration and will help us to further the health tech agenda in the UK. By taking part in the HealthHub 21, start-ups can benefit from the BIOME UK’s enablement network of investors, mentors and innovation leaders across the health sector but also other industries such as finance, FMCG and data.”