The International Finance Corp (IFC) www.ifc.org, a member of the World Bank Group, has a global investment portfolio of more than $1.7 billion in the healthcare sector. IFC focuses on the private sector operating in emerging markets.
On February 5, 2018, the IFC launched “TechEmerge Health Brazil”, a matchmaking program offering market access and funding to global technology startups with proven health innovations relevant to Brazil.
Brazil is faced with a shortage of skilled doctors and nurses, variable quality of services, long wait times, high cost of care, and a growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Brazil’s healthcare market is the 8th largest in the world and is set to grow to $232 billion by 2021. Brazil seeks new technologies and innovative business practices to address these challenges.
The TechEmerge program seeks to identify top health technology innovators to match their services with interested healthcare providers in Brazil. The goal is for these companies to explore how technology can be used to benefit healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
TechEmerge will provide funding and guidance to help bring these new technologies to the Brazilian market. Brazil today has more than 20 large healthcare systems that have signed up for the program and are looking for new technologies in areas such as patient engagement, clinical data analytics, artificial intelligence, point-of care treatment, payment processing, and workflow issues.
The program is being implemented in partnership with the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Israel Ministry of Economy and Industry, It is supported by Bionexo, a Brazilian technology company offering digital solutions to the healthcare industry.
IFC will be hosting the TechEmerge Innovative Summit June 28, 29 2018 in Sao Paulo. The event with about 200 people scheduled to attend will feature live demos and in depth discussions of value to innovators in the healthcare field.
Applications can be submitted through March 10, 2018. To submit an application and for more information, go to www.echemergebrazil.org.