We aim to catalyze a mindset shift among decision makers – fostering an understanding of how health technology innovation can change the way population health is improved, and how health and care are delivered. health tech offers numerous benefits to the health of people, and to name only one, it can bring health services closer to where people live, work and play, and as such reach larger numbers of people.

Meeting today’s growing health challenges requires a complete overhaul of health systems; and innovation in data, technology and AI is essential to realize this transformation.

HealthTech Hub Africa

Based in Kigali, Rwanda, the HealthTech Hub Africa is a pan-African health tech accelerator driving the development of health technologies in Africa and fast-tracking such innovations in public health systems with government partners. Founded in 2021 with the Norrsken Foundation, its initial focus is on technologies helping improve heart disease and breast cancer, and on virtual health and care.

In its first cohort, the hub hosted 30 startups from 10 African countries and onboarded several public and private partners. From January to July 2022, the people reached by the startups increased from 113,091 to 634,940. In addition, the startups raised more than USD 10.8 million and created over 300 full-time jobs across Africa. For the 2023 cohort, the hub received more than 200 applications from African startups and scale ups, and has selected 40.

Also in 2022, the Novartis Foundation partnered with the Rwandan Ministry of Health, the Rwanda Biomedical Center and the Rwandan NCD Alliance to run a Cardiovascular health tech Challenge for Kigali. The winning startup was awarded USD 250,000 to pilot a digital health companion supporting early diagnosis and promoting healthy lifestyles. 

We are currently exploring opportunities to establish a HealthTech Hub in Southeast Asia with regional partners.

Person taking photo with its mobile phone of a leprosy lesion for AI-enabled and accelerated leprosy detection

AI4Leprosy

The Foundation is working with partners to use the world’s latest technologies to speed-up elimination of one of the oldest diseases.

Image of scientists, wearing masks, discussing lung scans

Brazil COVID-19 Response

AI platform in São Paulo, Brazil helps diagnose COVID-19 patients faster
Image of patient in Ghana getting his blood pressure measured by a woman

HealthTech innovation: Digital health

For almost a decade, the Novartis Foundation has been using digital health technology, HealthTech, to power initiatives that are people-centered, integrated, scalable and sustainable.
Illustration of a smartphone with different health-relevant apps

Broadband Commission Working Group on Virtual Health and Care

The working groups convene global experts to develop recommendations on how policymakers and other stakeholders can develop sustainable digital and AI health strategies and solutions that address national health priorities.