Hi friends,
This week: The marvellous medical metaverse, Gen-Z healthcare, and what your breath says about you…
News Bites 🥪
💽 NHS England awards £25 million contract to Palantir to transition to FDP - Think of the Federated Data Platform contract like moving house, but for data. The NHS isn’t quite ready to say they’ve signed the lease, but they’ve already paid for the furniture to be delivered to the address.
🎓 Caraway, A Digital Health Startup Targeting College Women, Raises $16.75M in Series A Funding - How do Gen-Z women’s experiences of healthcare differ and could a specific virtual care platform targeted at them help to close the gap? Caraway think so, and they’ve closed a strong series A to help them build that platform.
😮💨 Owlstone Medical delivers breath biopsy test data - Is it possible to detect early signs of lung cancer on your breath? The evidence so far is promising, and while there’s still a few more steps before Owlstone can demonstrate it’s fully capable, this could be a breakthrough in non-invasive cancer diagnosis.
🫁 TidalSense AI device improves accuracy of COPD diagnoses - But it’s not just cancer: British startup Tidalsense is using breath analysis to diagnose COPD, and results from four clinical studies show 91% accuracy. Now they’re set to pilot the technology in clinical settings.
🤝 An EPR supplier duopoly in the UK would stifle future innovation - Pigeon thinks this article from Altera Digital Health’s Rachael Fox, which raises important questions about the importance of pluralism in healthtech, is great. It’s probably not going to make Altera any friends at EMIS.
🦵 Feature: the implications of the metaverse for future healthcare, treatment and medical education - Pigeon was quite happy to read a piece on the role of the metaverse in healthcare, not least because it made a change from talking about the role of generative AI in healthcare (variety is the spice of life.) That said, we’ll be holding off going to see a metaverse doctor about our dodgy leg until it becomes less of a novelty to actually have legs in the metaverse.
🦎 AI can make healthcare more accurate, accessible, and sustainable - Lots has been said on AI’s transformative potential in healthcare, but that’s not going to stop everyone sharing their two cents. From drug development and computational embryology, to cardiovascular research and diet, here’s a few more interesting perspectives from tech pioneers. (Yes, it’s from the World Economic Forum, but conspiracy theorists take note, Pigeon is 100% not one of the Lizard people.*)
❤️🩹 The Viability Of The Digital Healthcare Sector In 2023 - Yes, digital health has seen a few rocky quarters on the trot, especially when you compare it to the glory days of the pandemic (when we were all stuck indoors and VCs were handing out cash like it was smarties.) But what should you actually do about it? Vivalink founder Jiang Li has some thoughts in this pithy Forbes op-ed.
Time for some audience participation…
Survey: Share your experiences of the NHS Digital Technology Assessment Criteria - Healthtechs, did you breeze right through your DTAC certification, or is the very memory of your evidence file giving you flashbacks? The Acorn Compliance team want to hear about it.
PRIME newsletter material - Gut health company myota are looking for participants to take part in their metabolic health study, called PRIME. This study looks at the effects of a prebiotic fibre blend on inflammation, the gut microbiome, metabolic health, and mental wellbeing. To participate, you will need to meet the criteria for metabolic syndrome.
What to listen to 🔊
🐦 Healthtech Pigeon - Health, wealth, legs & lizards - Join James, Jess and Huw as they take a deep-dive into the week’s healthtech stories.
🔊 The Healthtech Podcast #308 From Uber to Healthtech VC: A Journey Through the Tech Industry, with Gemma Bloemen - James is joined by Gemma Bloemen, Principal at Creandum. Gemma was previously COO at home care marketplace, Elder and before that a Senior Manager at Uber. Gemma is a prominent angel investor and at Creandum focuses on healthtech, climate and consumer.
Events 📅
🤖 Helping patients feel seen and and teams feel heard: How can AI relieve the pressures on primary care? - Klinik
🕑 July 13, 12-1pm
📍 Online
Opportunities 🕵️♀️
🇬🇧 Head - Health & Social Care Programme, techUK - Want to rep the health and social care tech sector in the UK’s tech industry body? This is the role for you.
🔌 Head of Integrations, DrDoctor - Pigeon’s imagining a lot of exposed wires, tinkering and copious use of the phrase ‘patch updates’. If you know better, then go for it!
🤝 Director, Business Development, Lindus Health - If Peter Thiel’s involved, there’s a fair chance it’ll be successful. Step forward Lindus Health who are driving forward advancements in clinical trials and need someone to get some deals over the line.
👁️ Chief Technology Officer, Hypervision Surgical - Not long after a cool £6.5m raise, Surgical imaging rockstars are looking for a CTO. A great company to join at a rare moment.
🧾 Sales Development Representative, birdie - Pigeon and Birdie, together again. Go join an incredible team doing even better things.
*[That’s exactly what a lizard person would say - Ed.]
Got news, jobs or events you think is worth coo-ing over? Let us know! Email us: news@healthtechpigeon.com
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