Related news
Customization and precision. These are the two challenges that are pursued by applying different technologies and opting for digitalization in all sectors of health. “The confluence of new technologies such as internet of things [IoT por sus siglas en inglés], artificial intelligence, Data analysis or connectivity 5G is driving at high speed the digitization of the health sector “, assures in this interview to D + I Andrés Saborido, global director of Wayra, the hub of Telefónica’s open innovation, on the occasion of the World Health Day.
And it is that in the last 12 months the adoption of technology in this sector has accelerated with the change in our habits during the pandemic. However, Saborido points out that from Telefónica they take “many years investing in e-health given the importance it has for billions of people and the big ones digitization opportunities which presents “.
In fact, the head of this accelerator of the Spanish multinational recalls that one of the first investments made in Spain when launching Wayra in 2011 was Tedcas, a technology without touch (No contact) to improve the interfaces used by doctors and avoid risks of infection.
Thus, in this decade, Telefónica has invested, mainly through Wayra and the Telefónica Ventures fund network, more than five million euros in about 60 startups, With the aim of bringing its innovations closer to its customers, following “the model of what is today known as open innovation”.
In this sense, he predicts that the future, and the present, of this sector “will be driven by the data with solutions hosted in the cloud and the use of artificial intelligence will support clinical decisions, will help automate processes and will promote the participation of the patient “.
How to lead startups in health innovation
Saborido acknowledges that it is startups that are partly leading the development of innovation in the health sector, especially in these five areas: medical diagnostic technologies; remote medical consultations; search for physical and mental well-being; care for the elderly, and hospital management.
Advances in genetics and data analysis have favored the medical diagnostic technologies with solutions such as those of the startups MadeOfGenes (genetic analysis), TestCard (urine analysis), Loop medical (painless blood extraction), iGluco (glucose without puncture), Arkangel.ai (diagnosis based on artificial intelligence) or Idoven .ai (home cardiology study).
Perhaps one of the most impulsive trends during the pandemic has been that of remote medical consultations. “The recent launch of Movistar Salut here in Spain, in collaboration with Teladoc is a clear example,” says Saborido.
Also noteworthy in this field are companies invested in Latin America, such as in Colombia the investment in 1DOC3, a health platform that connects its users with doctors and that anonymously and via text chat offer them personalized care, or in Brazil BemCare, with strong growth.
Regarding the bsearch for physical and mental well-being, Wayra’s global director points to a phenomenon whereby “more and more people are using technology to control their health.” This demonstrates how it has gone from the goal of seeking disease treatment to research around patient well-being.
“More resources are beginning to be allocated from the end of the health care value chain (treatment and post-treatment) to the beginning,” says Saborido, adding that this is due to the fact that there is ” an increasing focus on healthy lifestyle and prevention “.
In this area, they stand out disruptive therapeutic solutions oriented to both mental and physical health. “Companies like Koa Foundations, Thrive Therapeutic Software, Vittude, Pzizz, Quit Genius help to best manage stress, sleep or addictions.”
This interview also highlights the technology of firms such as Second Nature, Baobab Circle, Albert Health and Vinehealth Digital Limited, which focus on physical health by addressing weight problems, diabetes and hypertension or even helping to monitor patients. with cancer.
In addition, within the field of physical and mental well-being, Saborido observes “a great growth of solutions oriented to the women’s health (Baby2body, She’s well, Chorus Health) and others aptitude (Fitco, Gympass, Volava) ”.
On the other hand, another subsector that is registering “great growth” in recent years is that of care of the elderly with monitoring solutions (Aerial, MySphera, Sensara); smart bands (Neki and Durcal); volunteering (Adopt a grandfather); virtual caregivers (TuCuVi), or education to increase healthy longevity (Rosita).
Finally, and more oriented to the B2B market (for the acronym of business to business), The head of Wayra indicates that many solutions have emerged that seek to improve the hospital management such as Visionable, Hospify, MySphera, Proradis or OssoVR.
For example, in Spain, MySphera and Telefónica work together in the Digital Hospital of the Future, In which they are “implementing a new system of identification, location and traceability of patients“, Which will” shorten emergency waiting times and improve efficiency in the use of hospital assets. ”
Another recent example is that of the British Visionable and its project Smart ambulance, Focused on assisting stroke patients. This is a connected ambulance allowing health emergency technicians to quickly assist patients by connecting with experts at the hospital.
“All this thanks to the collaboration with O2 and the 5G network, which allows the transfer of high-definition, high-speed images and video conferencing.”
Agreements with large companies in the sector
“Over the years, we have also been strongly committed to this sector by creating verticalized programs in the UK, partnering with Novartis or GE Healthcare”.
These are collaborative projects in which Wayra wants to enhance his “deep technological knowledge with the great knowledge of the sector owned by leading companies” such as these firms.
From these agreements, Saborido explains, startups in their ecosystem can access “to data and experience in healthcare, Which are harder to obtain than in other industries due to regulations “and, in addition, provide them with a faster way to reach markets.
For example, he points out that one of the differentiating elements of the program with GE Healthcare, launched in late 2020, is “the strong connection with industry“With customers and real problems”.
During the six months of acceleration, “the program works on three axes: innovation, adoption and integration of technology of startups through proof of concept that, if successful, should facilitate entrepreneurs’ access to GE’s global network with distribution partners in 160 countries. “