The second edition of the week-long UK-India HealthTech Bootcamp began in the United Kingdom, on Sunday, November 24, featuring six Indian startups, which aims at furthering innovation and building business partnerships in the UK’s healthcare ecosystem.

Chosen from a competitive pool of 262 applicants, the participating startups—Backyard Creators, Onward Assist, Neodocs, Niramai Health Analytix, Ramja Genosensor, and Yostra Labs—are to developing solutions for some of the most pressing issues in healthcare, including AI-powered cancer diagnostics, antibiotic resistance detection tools, and non-surgical hearing aids.

The bootcamp, announced by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy during his New Delhi visit in July 2024, “builds on the success of its inaugural edition in 2023”. Last year’s program enabled startups like Larkai Healthcare to establish a corporate presence in London and an innovation campus in Huddersfield.

The Indian delegation, representing cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Madurai, and Hyderabad, will travel across key UK healthcare hubs, including London, Birmingham, Durham, Cardiff, and Glasgow. Their itinerary includes visits to premier institutions such as King’s College London, Cardiff University, and the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre at Strathclyde University. The startups will pitch their innovations to NHS stakeholders, venture capitalists, and healthcare professionals while exploring the UK’s regulatory frameworks and business landscape.

Chandru Iyer, His Majesty’s Deputy Trade Commissioner for South Asia, emphasized the UK’s potential as a launchpad for global HealthTech solutions. “With pioneering initiatives like the UK-India Health Tech Bootcamp, we’re deepening our partnership to co-create transformative solutions that address global healthcare challenges,” he said.

One of the key challenges Indian startups face is navigating the UK healthcare market and understanding the NHS ecosystem. A spokesperson from the British High Commission noted that Indian companies often struggle with understanding what the UK market demands, how to tweak products for the UK and European markets, and the pathways to sell their services or products within the NHS.

“The bootcamp provides a crash course on the UK’s health ecosystem and the prerequisites for doing business here,” the spokesperson told First Check. “It enables engagement with key organisations like the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and life science specialists. This helps startups bridge knowledge gaps and refine their solutions to meet local needs,” he added. 

The British High Commission also emphasized the comprehensive support available to Indian companies through the UK government’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT). This includes guidance on establishing a presence in the UK, navigating the market, identifying suitable locations, and understanding regulatory requirements.

Abhilash Chakraverty, Co-Founder of Larkai Healthcare and an alumnus of the first cohort, described the experience as transformative. “It opened doors to invaluable partnerships and provided insights into the UK’s HealthTech ecosystem, helping us refine our solutions to meet global standards,” he said.

This year’s participants are set to benefit from insights shared by healthcare experts, including Dr. Aphrodite Spanou, Managing Director of Healthcare UK, and Professor Michael Lewis, Scientific Director for the National Institute of Health Research.

The bootcamp is expected to strengthen UK-India ties in the HealthTech sector and drive collaborative solutions to address global healthcare challenges.