BACKGROUND
To commemorate the 60 year anniversary of the Switzerland <> Philippines government relations, the Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines in cooperation with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and TechTalks.ph offers this competition and search for the best Health-Tech related solutions in the Philippines.
As a global leader in providing Universal Health Coverage to its citizens, Switzerland supports all initiatives to make UHC happen in the Philippines. It may be a long road to UHC but the HealthTech Challenge (HTC) is an opportunity to showcase existing solutions that we can use to improve healthcare today.
What is UHC?
As defined by the World Health Organization here, “Universal health coverage (UHC) means that all people and communities can use the promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services they need, of sufficient quality to be effective, while also ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the user to financial hardship.”
WHAT
HealthTech Challenge is a search for healthtech innovation or tech-based solutions that cover any stage of the healthcare process - from awareness, diagnosis, treatment, tracking and monitoring.
This one-day event aims to acknowledge local solutions that could improve access to Universal Healthcare Coverage for Filipinos. It may be a long road to UHC but the HealthTech Challenge is an opportunity to showcase existing solutions that we can use to improve healthcare today.
Solutions will include tech-based products including websites,, mobile apps, or hardware and software solutions.
WHO
The HealthTech Challenge is for any organization or individual or teams who have a working healthtech solution that contributes to Universal Healthcare Coverage. This is an open call for individuals, businesses, teams, startups, or organizations.
MECHANICS
-
The Contest is open to (1) individuals age eighteen (18) or older at time of registration (“Individual Participant”); and (2) legal business entities (“Business Entity Participant”), with existing healthtech solutions that address Universal Healthcare Coverage:
-
Entrants may submit more than one Entry using the Registration Form found in the Contest website.
-
The submission period begins on July 10, 2017 at 12:00 AM PH Time, and ends on September 15, 2017 at 23:59 PH Time.
-
The top 5-10 entries will be selected by the Sponsor and/or the Judging Panel based on judging criteria. The finalists will advance to the next phase
-
“Startup Clinic” - Mentoring opportunities where the finalists are introduced to industry leaders and subject matter experts for possible coaching to enhance the product, as necessary.
-
“Demo Day” - The Demo Day is a showcase of the Finalists products or solutions and a Pitching Competition.
-
The Demo day is planned for October 4, 2017 at the Asian Institute of Management.
CRITERIA
The solution must be workable and be able to be readily used within the Philippines. For those solutions from abroad, proof of actual usage of the product within the Philippines will be required.
Those startups with existing customers or revenue from said products will be given extra points.
We are seeking solutions that can be used today, therefore, the maturity of the product must be as close to “ready to use” as possible.
Details of Judging Criteria will be published separately and will follow industry standard requirements for similar competitions.
TIMELINE
July
|
10
|
-
Open online submissions
-
Announce of the Call for Applications
-
Online promotions: landing page, social media, newsletter, direct email
|
Sep
|
15
|
|
Sep
|
20
|
|
Sep
|
20-25
|
-
Online Intro with the Mentors
-
Introduction of confirmed finalists to the mentors and scheduling of the mentoring sessions
-
Organizers will provide a list of mentors and their availability and startups may apply to meet with specific mentor/s
|
Sep Oct
|
20- 3
|
|
Oct
|
4
|
|
SUMMARY
This initiative is designed to fulfill the following objectives. We are using the competition as a way to create more awareness of #HealthTech solutions and help promote affordable, quality healthcare.
While there are many “competitions” out there, this is a platform that is suitable for the Philippine market where pop-oriented activities are easily shared on social media and covered by the press allowing us to gain a wider audience to promulgate our advocacies. We are also using this competition as a spark to ignite further interest in this field.
Events like this are an investment in helping grow the #HealthTech ecosystem - the community of stakeholders that must work together and collaborate to solve complex issues in the health industry and eventually bring quality healthcare to Juan and Juana.
Short-term Success Indicators
-
Provide mentorship opportunities to the finalists to help improve their product or their business, as necessary
-
Showcase the innovative spirit of startup founders and healthcare professionals who are in this field to grow the community of experts tackling health-related issues
-
Provide an easy venue for healthcare professionals, academe, technology experts, business leaders, media and other HealthTech enthusiasts to celebrate the best in the industry and to promote fellowship and collaboration amongst each other
Mid-term / Long-term Objectives
-
Promote affordable, high quality healthcare in the Philippines
-
Encourage the growth of more UHC-friendly innovative solutions
-
Foster collaboration between stakeholders in the health, tech and business communities.
-
Create awareness of HealthTech solutions that other communities