Image credit: IHH Healthcare
Image Caption: (From left) :: Ashok Pandit, Group Chief Corporate Officer, IHH Healthcare | Dr Prem Kumar Nair, Group Chief Executive Officer, IHH Healthcare | Elizabeth Han, Group Head of Innovation & Transformation, IHH Healthcare
IHH Healthcare (IHH), a leading multinational healthcare provider, launched its new Global Incubator Programme to empower promising "early-stage startups" in developing transformative healthcare solutions.
Unveiled by its Group Chief Corporate Officer Ashok Pandit at the Group’s 3rd Annual ‘Igniting Innovation in Healthcare’ Conference in Hong Kong, the programme seeks to nurture early stage companies who are working on breakthrough technologies and ideas that can materially improve patient care and outcomes and tackle critical healthcare challenges of today.
Held annually since 2023, the flagship event explores how innovation can address the healthcare challenges of today and tomorrow. By bringing together global leaders and stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem, including providers, payers, start-ups, investors and policymakers, the Conference aims to foster collaboration and development of innovative solutions that elevate patient care.
“Through this Global Incubator Programme, we are expanding our innovation drive to support early-stage healthcare innovators, empowering them to develop solutions that can transform patient care.
At IHH Healthcare, we catalyse next-level care through meaningful innovation, strategic partnerships and powerful synergies. By providing access to our extensive network, clinical expertise, and resources, we are helping early-stage startups turn their bold ideas into real-world outcomes that can be scaled across our network. We continue to collaborate with partners to advance solutions that can truly make a difference in people's lives" said, Ashok Pandit, Group Chief Corporate Officer, IHH Healthcare
Igniting Innovation in Healthcare:
Opening with the theme, “Healthcare Reimagined”, spotlighted the intersection of technology and empathy in delivering patient care. From designing AI that complements care to rethinking patient experiences, the Conference showcased bold ideas that are shaping the next decade of healthcare through a dynamic mix of keynotes, fireside chats, panel discussions, lightning talks and live pitches designed to inspire fresh thinking and practical action among the 150 attendees.
Some of the key speakers this year included: John Gillman, Head of APAC Strategic Health Solutions, Google; Dr NT Cheung, Head of Information Technology and Health Informatics, Hong Kong Hospital Authority and CEO of EHealth Plus Digital (a wholly owned subsidiary of Hospital Authority); Dr Alex Ng, President of Tencent Healthcare, Head of Tencent AI for Life Sciences Lab and Head of Tencent Inclusive Health Lab; and Ali Hashemi, Co-founder of Meta[bolic] and Glucare.Health. Past editions were held in Mumbai, India (2024) and Singapore (2023).
IHH Healthcare unites medical excellence with innovation through trusted brands such as Acibadem, Gleneagles, and Fortis that are deployed across the healthcare continuum, ranging from primary to quaternary care, and enhanced by advanced diagnostics, telehealth and home care. With a focus on advancing value-based care and building a sustainable healthcare ecosystem, IHH is committed to advancing healthcare. By partnering with startups and leveraging AI-driven solutions, IHH enhances patient outcomes and operational efficiency. Through innovation and collaboration, IHH aims to redefine healthcare.
Innovation Fund | Research Grant | Innovation Sandbox programme
IHH Healthcare has launched a Global Incubator to drive game-changing innovation in the healthcare sector. The initiative aims to empower early-stage start-ups by bringing breakthrough ideas to life, fostering next-level care, and creating a lasting impact across the healthcare ecosystem.
IHH held its 3rd Igniting Innovation in Healthcare Conference on 8 October in Hong Kong unveiling the incubator program.
IHH will work with selected healthcare startups from around the world in three-month cycles that offer:
Mentorship from IHH leadership and clinicians
Collaboration opportunities to co-develop, test, and refine solutions in real-world settings
Resources and infrastructure including access to IHH’s facilities
Scaling pathways through potential partnerships across IHH’s global network
Successful startups may also qualify for funding through IHH’s Innovation Fund, Research Grant and Innovation Sandbox.
SGD 80 Million Innovation Fund & SGD 5 Million Research Grant & Innovation Sandbox programme
IHH’s innovation drive began in 2018, with an SGD80 million Innovation Fund to invest in and partner with startups developing novel and cutting-edge healthcare technologies. Through strategic investments in promising startups such as Leo Cancer Care, Belun Technology, Doctor Anywhere, and Us2.ai, the fund has enabled IHH to expand its capabilities and service offerings across its healthcare network.
To further cultivate innovation from within, IHH launched a SGD5 million Research Grants & Innovation Sandbox programme in March 2025, to accelerate clinical research and innovation across its global network. Disbursed over five years, the fund empowers IHH clinicians and employees to pursue impactful clinical research and pilot ground-up, innovative ideas that address critical health issues, driving advancements that improve patient experiences and outcomes.
The first grant call focused on oncology and chronic diseases saw seven Research Grant projects and eight Innovation Sandbox applications shortlisted from 55 submissions.
Under the Clinical Research track, each project is expected to publish its findings and outcomes as part of its contribution to the wider healthcare literature. The projects under the Innovation Sandbox track will test ideas that demonstrate clear impact such as scalability, cost savings, improved patient outcomes and a better patient compliance.
Spotlight on notable innovations
Malaysia: Premier Integrated Labs introduced PathoInsight-T, an AI tool for cervical cancer screening, enabling fast, consistent analysis of digitised cytology images while reducing the workload of cytoscreeners and cytopathologists. Gleneagles Hospital Johor became the first in Malaysia to use AI for detecting anomalies in chest and brain imaging, with Annalise.ai detecting up to 124 abnormalities in chest X-rays and 130 in brain CT scans in under two minutes. IHH Malaysia is piloting an AI solution to automate cancer grading and predict BRCA mutation status, promising faster, cost-effective precision oncology.
Singapore: IHH invested in start-ups like Lucence, Intellect, Doctor Anywhere, and US2.ai, enhancing patient care through early cancer screening, maternity support, and advanced therapy technologies. NurseShift.ai, an AI-powered nurse rostering tool, reduced roster management time by over 50% and improved flexibility for nurses. Through the Innovation Sandbox, an AI-powered fall prevention system enhances patient safety, while Parkway Shenton trials a health app offering AI-guided support for chronic disease management.
Turkiye: Acibadem Healthcare developed AI-powered solutions, including Speech to Text (STT) for accurate transcription of medical terms. Another in-house solution, SepsisAI for predicting sepsis risk in ICU patients, enabling early diagnosis and improved safety. Similarly, FaturaAI developed by Acibadem, predicts refund risks and reduces manual invoice reviews, fostering data-driven decision-making.
India: Fortis Healthcare collaborates with Virtuleap to deploy virtual reality for cognitive therapy and rehabilitation. Gleneagles Hospital Chennai partners with VIT University to pioneer AI-led neuroscience applications, while Fortis Memorial Research Institute pilots FortisTR, a mobile app acting as a virtual caregiver to reduce unplanned readmissions.
Hong Kong: IHH invested in Belun Technology, introducing home-based sleep disorder diagnostics across multiple markets. Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong integrated PanopticAI’s contactless vital signs scanning into its patient app, supporting real-time consultations. An AI-driven pilot identifies sleep apnea risks and offers in-home testing with telecare follow-up.
Brunei: Gleneagles JPMC uses US2.ai’s echo analysis to reduce heart disease detection time by 30-50%.
