Portfolio #AI
18 December 2020
Wayra UK and GE Healthcare launch accelerator programme for startups creating AI apps for healthcare
Unsplash © Daniel Sone

New Wayra UK accelerator targets AI apps for healthcare

In the hope of accelerating new solutions for the healthcare sector, Wayra UK and GE Healthcare have launched a regional programme that specifically supports digital health startups to develop AI apps.

The Edison Accelerator will welcome six startups to its first cohort in early 2021. The group will focus on applying artificial intelligence (AI) to medical imaging, operational AI in oncology, and the use of AI to improve the patient experience.

The startups will focus on innovation, adoption and integration, working towards getting their proof of concepts in place. If successful, they could gain access to GE Healthcare’s innovative Edison platform, which enables rapid and compliant design, development and deployment of various applications and could provide access to GE Healthcare’s clients. 

“MedTech is an area where we have been very active for several years and this partnership with GE Healthcare and the launching of the EMEA Edison Accelerator represents our strong belief on the impact innovation and digital transformation has in this sector. It is a great opportunity for the best scale-ups in Europe to further develop and expand their solutions.” – Bruno Moraes, Country Manager, Wayra UK

The new programme has been co-designed with healthcare providers to make it easier for digital health startups to bring innovative solutions to the market both quickly and cost-effectively. The cohort will have the support of mentors from backgrounds including healthcare technology, business development and investment throughout the programme.

Catherine Estrampes, President & CEO Europe, Middle East & Africa, GE Healthcare, said: “The healthcare industry produces substantial amounts of data and it is extremely difficult to bring this data together, convert it into meaningful insights and bring those insights to the point of care. The opportunities for healthcare with a truly intelligent connected digital enterprise are significant, but no one organisation can get there alone. 

“The future of innovation will be about working across silos and collaborating across the healthcare ecosystem, including startups, research centres, hospitals and clinicians. The Edison Accelerator brings together leading technology providers, developers and academic institutions under a single, connected ecosystem to create real impact from the bottom line to better patient outcomes.”

This is GE Healthcare’s first such initiative in EMEA, following two successful programmes in China and India.