- The Demo Day, held in collaboration with Flat6Labs, marked the closing of the second edition of the Women’s Health Accelerator Program
- Eight start-ups from the UAE, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Poland presented their women’s health solutions to a panel of industry experts
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 16 October 2024: Eight pioneering start-ups who participated in the second edition of the Women’s Health Accelerator Program, attended Organon’s Demo Day during the ‘Expand North Star’ event at Dubai Harbour, hosted by GITEX Global. This initiative, a collaboration between Organon, a leading global healthcare company dedicated to improving women’s health, and Flat6Labs, MENA’s premier seed and early-stage venture capital firm, aims to address unmet women’s healthcare needs across the region. This year’s edition was launched on March 8, in celebration of International Women’s Day.
The Demo Day saw shortlisted startups from the UAE, Lebanon, Egypt, Poland and Tunisia pitch solutions that exemplify the remarkable innovation and potential impact on women’s health that the accelerator program aims to foster. Over the course of the program, these start-ups have benefitted from an array of resources provided by the program, including strategic mentorship, entrepreneurship-focused business training, subject matter one-to-one sessions, and a multitude of services from partners.
In the session, the shortlisted start-ups pitched their innovations to an esteemed judging panel comprising Dina El Shenoufy, Chief Investment Officer at Flat6Labs; Ramy Koussa, Associate Vice President of META at Organon; Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director of the Research and Innovation Centre at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi; and Lyndal Cordaro, Head of Nursing at King’s College Hospital London – UAE.
iYoni, an innovative mobile app offering precise AI-based fertility predictions, automated lab test assessments, and advice from fertility experts, took first-place and received a prize of USD 15,000. In her pitch, Katarzyna Goch, CEO of iYoni, outlined her ambitious plans to expand to the UAE market.
Taking the second-place prize of USD 10,000 was Noor Jaber, CEO of Nawat from Lebanon, a digital platform offering holistic reproductive health education and breaking the taboo around women’s health issues in the region. In third place and receiving a USD 5,000 prize was Banet from Tunisia, an app that empowers women with reliable health information and provides women with direct access to healthcare professionals for their health and wellness needs.
Among the other innovative projects presented at the event was Yotto from the UAE, a platform optimizing female athletes’ performance through hormonal monitoring, addressing a significant gap in sports science. Another UAE-based startup, Mamahood, introduced a comprehensive support system for women during fertility, pregnancy, and motherhood, offering a 24/7 live chat with doctors and a supportive community. Me-Now, also from the UAE, aims to guide women through perimenopause and menopause, ensuring they receive the necessary support and understanding during these transitions.
In addition, several other startups showcased their groundbreaking solutions, addressing critical subjects in women’s health in the region. InBalance, an initiative from Lebanon, outlined their app that offers personalized AI-powered treatments for PCOS patients, aiming to naturally improve health outcomes. The Aziza App from Egypt, tailored specifically for Egyptian women, was also presented, providing meaningful menstrual health tracking and management.
Speaking at the opening session of the Demo Day, Ramy Koussa, Associate Vice President of META at Organon, said, “The Women’s Health Accelerator Program has been a remarkable journey of innovation and collaboration. We are incredibly proud of the startups that participated and the groundbreaking solutions they have developed. Inspired by the success of this program, we were thrilled to launch the second edition, aiming to enhance our support by empowering women economically and fostering new ideas that enhance women’s health. At Organon, we believe that addressing women’s health needs is essential for building resilient and thriving communities. This program is a testament to our commitment to fostering innovation that directly impacts women’s lives.”
Dina El Shenoufy, Chief Investment Officer at Flat6Labs, said, “Supporting founders in the Femtech industry is critical to advancing -not only women’s healthcare- but also driving broader economic growth. Through programs like Women’s Health Accelerator, we ensure that female founders receive the tools and resources they need to succeed and make a meaningful impact on women’s lives. We are proud of all the startups who participated in this program; they showed us how the next generation of female leaders are focused on addressing the unmet needs in women’s health.”
Katarzyna Goch, CEO of the winning start-up iYoni, commented, “Participating in the women’s health accelerator program was an outstanding experience. From the very beginning, we connected with experts who provided invaluable advice that I can implement both now and in the future.”
The accelerator program, initiated shortly after Organon’s expansion into the region, represents a pioneering ESG initiative that underscores Organon’s dedication to addressing women’s health needs. This program, aligned with Organon’s mission to enhance the lives of women and girls through improved health outcomes, was meticulously crafted to bolster female entrepreneurship and support digital health startups.
Ends
About Organon:
Organon is a global healthcare company formed to focus on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Organon offers more than 60 medicines and products in women’s health in addition to a growing biosimilars business and a large franchise of established medicines across a range of therapeutic areas. Organon’s existing products produce strong cash flows that support investments in innovation and future growth opportunities in women’s health and biosimilars. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.
Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 10,000 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey.
For more information, visit http://www.organon.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Facebook.
About Flat6Labs:
Flat6Labs is the MENA region’s leading seed and early-stage venture capital firm, currently running the most renowned startup programs in the region. Annually, Flat6Labs invests in more than 100 innovative and technology-driven startups enabling thousands of passionate entrepreneurs to achieve their daring ambitions and ultimately becoming their institutional co-founders.
Flat6Labs manages a number of seed funds with a total AUM in excess of $85M. More than 25 leading institutions have invested into the Flat6Labs managed funds: believing in the asset class and Flat6Labs’ proven track record as the market leader. Flat6Labs provides a wide range of investment ticket sizes ranging from $50K to $500k, supporting startups through their early journeys from Pre-Seed all the way to Pre-Series A stages. Alongside to the investments, Flat6Labs’ exceptional startup programs, executed to cater specifically for the needs of the innovative entrepreneurs, helps them accelerate their growth by providing them with a plethora of support services and connecting them to unparalleled opportunities with an expansive network comprising hundreds of business mentors, investors and corporates.
Launched and headquartered in Cairo since 2011, Flat6Labs has multiple offices across the region with ongoing plans to expand into other emerging markets.
Did you find this helpful? Check out our other helpful articles on our website.
Read Also
- Entrepreneurs Triumph at Organon and Flat6Lab’s Women’s Health Accelerator Demo Day
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 16 October 2024: Eight pioneering start-ups who participated in the second edition of the Women’s Health Accelerator Program, attended Organon’s Demo Day during the ‘Expand North Star’ event at Dubai Harbour, hosted by GITEX Global. This initiative, a collaboration between Organon, a leading global healthcare company dedicated to improving women’s… Read more: Entrepreneurs Triumph at Organon and Flat6Lab’s Women’s Health Accelerator Demo Day - Dubai Health showcases Digital Health Solutions at GITEX GLOBAL 2024Dubai, UAE, October 15, 2024 – Dubai Health showcased its latest advancements in healthcare technology and innovation at GITEX, the biggest tech and startup show in the world. This year’s event theme centers on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) across various sectors, with a particular focus on AI in health. Teaming up with the… Read more: Dubai Health showcases Digital Health Solutions at GITEX GLOBAL 2024
- Anavex Life Sciences Presents 2024 Q3 Clinical Results and Business UpdateAnavex Life Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company at the forefront of developing innovative treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and other central nervous system (CNS) diseases, recently released its financial results for the quarter ending June 30, 2024. Alongside these results, the company highlighted significant progress in its clinical trials, which aim to deliver transformative… Read more: Anavex Life Sciences Presents 2024 Q3 Clinical Results and Business Update
- First Fully AI-Developed Drug Enters Clinical Trials for Deadly Lung DiseaseAn experimental drug designed using artificial intelligence (AI) to target an aggressive and often fatal lung disease has entered phase 2 clinical trials in China and the United States. Source: World’s first AI-developed drug for deadly lung disease enters landmark clinical trials in China, US The fight against a debilitating lung disease has received a… Read more: First Fully AI-Developed Drug Enters Clinical Trials for Deadly Lung Disease
- Dedalus Recognized Among the Top EMR Software Providers in KLAS Global (Non-US) Market Share ReportMilan, Italy – Dedalus Group, a leading global health software (or health tech) company, have been recognized as the leading EMR supplier outside of the US for the third year in a row. The report highlights global (Non-US) market trends and current data on EMR market share. Over 5 years from 2018-2022, Dedalus added a… Read more: Dedalus Recognized Among the Top EMR Software Providers in KLAS Global (Non-US) Market Share Report
- Shorooq Partners invests in Gulf Capital’s SANTECHTURE, the Leading HealthTech AI Based Revenue Cycle Management Software Company in Saudi Arabia and the UAE(Dubai – February 14th, 2023) – Gulf Capital (“GC”), one of the largest and most active private equity firms investing from the GCC to Southeast Asia and Shorooq Partners, the leading seed stage venture capital firm in the MENAP region with over 60 portfolio companies across Fintech, Software, Platform, and Blockchain, have formed a pioneering… Read more: <strong>Shorooq Partners invests in Gulf Capital’s SANTECHTURE, the Leading HealthTech AI Based Revenue Cycle Management Software Company in Saudi Arabia and the UAE</strong>
- RIX Industries Life-saving Booster Technology Supplements Medical Oxygen Supply in Low- and Middle-income RegionsBenicia, CALIF – January 25, 2023 – RIX Industries, a leading developer of gas generation systems and energy technologies, today shared how its premium oxygen boosters are being leveraged in medical facilities that may not currently have the ability to invest in or maintain sophisticated and costly large-scale oxygen delivery systems. This can be particularly true… Read more: <strong>RIX Industries Life-saving Booster Technology Supplements Medical Oxygen Supply in Low- and Middle-income Regions </strong>
- Vezeeta Reaches Profitability Milestone and Closes a New Growth Capital Funding Round, led by Gulf Capital with Participation from VNV GlobalHighlights: The new funding comes after Vezeeta reached its profitability milestone and is set to accelerate Vezeeta’s organic growth as well as fund acquisitions and expansions across MEA. Despite the current global and regional economic challenges, Vezeeta remains well positioned with over 10 million patients across 80 cities and continues to unlock value for all… Read more: Vezeeta Reaches Profitability Milestone and Closes a New Growth Capital Funding Round, led by Gulf Capital with Participation from VNV Global
