27 Jun 10 innovative startups that will transform health will be presented on the AZ Lab stage.
The AZ Lab Demo Day, carried out in cooperation with ITU ARI Teknokent — an organisation that develops, disseminates and globalises technology entrepreneurship in Türkiye — and AstraZeneca, one of the world’s leading innovative, research-based pharmaceutical companies, took place. The ten innovative startups selected for the programme, which was implemented with the vision of ‘Shaping the Future of Health’, took to the stage on AZ Lab Demo Day to share their technologies with industry representatives and healthcare professionals. The selected startups are provided with comprehensive support ranging from product development and regulatory preparation to market access strategies, mentoring, and business development. This support is intended to produce sustainable, globally effective solutions in the field of health technologies.
ITU ARI Teknokent develops many programmes and support mechanisms to promote and grow technology-based entrepreneurship in Türkiye, making it competitive on a global scale. With the AZ Lab Programme, carried out in cooperation with AstraZeneca, one of the world’s leading innovative, research-based pharmaceutical companies, ITU ARI Teknokent aims to support the development of innovative startups in the field of health technologies.
The programme’s primary objective is to provide comprehensive and sustainable support infrastructure for entrepreneurs developing science-based, patient-oriented, technology-supported healthcare solutions in Türkiye. The programme attracted significant interest during the application process, with 10 pioneering startups being selected following a rigorous evaluation of hundreds of healthcare startups. These startups are supported by AstraZeneca’s international experience and ITU Çekirdek’s robust entrepreneurship ecosystem in critical areas such as product development, preparation for regulatory processes, market access strategies, and mentoring.
AZ Lab Demo Day, one of the most important stages of the programme, was hosted by ITU ARI Teknokent and attended by senior executives from AstraZeneca Türkiye. Ten startups accepted onto the programme took to the stage to share the advanced healthcare technologies they had developed with healthcare professionals, industry representatives, and members of the press. Following Demo Day, startups that have been matched with relevant AstraZeneca units will participate in a joint business development process.
The event inspired many institutions and stakeholders prioritising innovation in healthcare and demonstrated the valuable contribution of the AZ Lab Programme to Türkiye’s healthcare technology ecosystem.
“Support for health technologies is extremely important for the future of science and entrepreneurship.”
In his opening speech at the event, Prof. Dr. Attila Dikbaş, General Manager of ITU ARI Teknokent, said: ‘Hundreds of technology companies operating under the ITU ARI Teknokent umbrella and the thousands of startups we support are making significant contributions to Türkiye’s technology-based transformation through the solutions they are developing for various sectors. As a country, we have a great responsibility to be one of the leading contributors to global innovation, particularly in the field of health. For this reason, any support that fosters innovation in health technologies is crucial for the future of science and entrepreneurship. In line with our goal of growing science and technology-based entrepreneurship, we have joined forces with AstraZeneca, a global pioneer in health innovation. Thanks to the AZ Lab programme, AstraZeneca’s scientific expertise and patient-oriented approach, as well as ITU Çekirdek’s internationally proven entrepreneurship infrastructure, entrepreneurs working in the field of health now have a strong roadmap. This year, we have supported 10 startups, and our aim is to boost Türkiye’s global competitiveness in this area and encourage the development of effective, applicable and sustainable health technologies. I firmly believe that this cooperation will continue for many years and make significant contributions to the health sector.
‘With AZ Lab, we are working to unlock Türkiye’s potential in the field of health technologies.’
In his speech, Serkan Barış, Country President of AstraZeneca Türkiye, made the following statement: ‘In an era where healthcare services are being transformed by digitalisation, innovative technologies have the power to revolutionise both the early diagnosis of diseases and the development of drugs. At AstraZeneca, our goal is to enhance patients’ quality of life with digital solutions by being at the heart of this transformation. As in the rest of the world, strengthening healthcare entrepreneurship in Türkiye and utilising technology and scientific research for the benefit of patients are among our key goals. To realise this goal, we are working to reveal Türkiye’s potential in the field of health technologies with AZ Lab, powered by innovation and science. We are delighted to be organising the second AZ Lab Demo Day event, following the success of the inaugural event last year. Through this programme, implemented in collaboration with ITU ARI Teknokent, we are fostering the development of impactful solutions by combining AstraZeneca’s patient-centred approach, scientific expertise, and global experience with local startups.”
Global experience and international entrepreneurship infrastructure
The ten startups selected for the AZ Lab programme will have the opportunity to develop science-based, patient-focused solutions in priority treatment areas such as oncology, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory health and metabolism, supported by AstraZeneca’s expertise. The programme offers entrepreneurs comprehensive support in areas such as product development, regulatory processes, market access and mentoring. The programme aims to combine AstraZeneca’s global expertise in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology with the internationally proven entrepreneurship infrastructure of ITU Çekirdek to create effective and sustainable healthcare projects. AstraZeneca Türkiye and ITU ARI Teknokent will pave the way for projects that will not only shape today’s healthcare system, but also that of the future.
The 10 startups that presented at AZ Lab Demo Day are listed below:
1. Argeron NephroTest: a medical testing startup for kidney health. The startup aims to assess kidney function more precisely using biomarkers and genetic analyses to enable the early diagnosis of kidney disease.
2. bioDNAtech Biotechnology: This biotechnology startup develops innovative diagnostic systems for subtyping breast cancer using artificial intelligence-supported biomarker analyses and multimodal medical imaging.
3. Biovisio: An artificial intelligence application that performs highly accurate cancer screening using MRI and CT scans.
4. Corpowid: It is an artificial intelligence technology company that makes digital environments accessible for individuals with disabilities and users with various needs.
5. EyeCheckup: Early diagnosis of heart disease and chronic kidney disease using artificial intelligence and retinal images.
6. RadioLogics: AI software that improves diagnostic accuracy and speed by enabling radiologists to detect pulmonary nodules on thorax CT scans and bone age on hand radiographs more effectively.
7. RATIONE DIVIDE AI: Provides doctors with fast, accurate and explainable diagnostic support by developing artificial intelligence-supported diagnostic systems in the field of healthcare.
8. Traick: Thanks to AI-based software developed in radiology, it produces next-generation technologies that reduce evaluation time and increase diagnostic success.
9. VISEUR AI: It provides a software as a service (SaaS) ecosystem where users can develop their own artificial intelligence products for diagnosis and treatment in the fields of radiology and digital pathology, and use these products in their own business environments.
10. Nexgene AI Provides healthcare professionals with advanced artificial intelligence solutions for diagnostics and personalised treatment. Offers powerful digital tools to support clinical decision-making.
