Healthcare x Digital 2021
ACCJ drives innovation by bringing together startups and big pharma
By C Bryan Jones
Last August, the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) announced Healthcare x Digital, an XPRIZE-style competition meant to spur industry-changing technologies and connect Japan-based startups with major pharmaceutical companies and public officials.
Driven by the ACCJ Healthcare Committee—with support from the chamber’s Kansai Chapter—the initiative is led by ACCJ Corporate Sustaining Members AstraZeneca K.K., Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd., Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC, and President’s Circle Member Eli Lilly Japan K.K.
The inaugural event was a huge success, with 28 companies submitting proposals. Three finalists were selected from this pool, and each emerged from the December 1 Pitch Event with awards and prize money to help them continue development of their ideas. Honors went to:
Bisu, Inc.: Best Innovation; the Moonshot Prize
MediFrame, Inc.: Best Value Proposition
MICIN, Inc.: Best Product
Great Opportunity
In a follow-up interview, Bisu Chief Executive Officer Daniel Maggs told The ACCJ Journal that participation in the Healthcare x Digital competition was important to them because “it matters for us to have validation and recognition from the medical industry, because we care very deeply about quality.”
Ryoichi Kusama, co-founder and senior vice president of MICIN, said that his company wants to help the medical industry change from within and become a player that can be trusted. Therefore, “the biggest plus is that it has expanded the collaboration with major pharmaceutical companies.”
And Mediframe CEO Atsushi Wada said that it meant a lot to him to be recognized by AstraZeneca, Bayer, and Lilly. “For them to see the potential in my company made me feel very pleased and encouraged.”
This year’s competition will once again bring together global healthcare leaders with top and emerging tech companies, entrepreneurs, and innovators in the search for new ideas.
Three Challenges
Healthcare x Digital 2021 will carry forth the goal of forging new partnerships and creating new solutions to solve Japan’s most critical community healthcare and individual patient challenges by focusing on three areas:
Overcoming the urban vs. rural healthcare divide
Reimagining the hospital of the future
Empowering patients to own their healthcare
These areas tie into the digital transformation of society and can help Japan continue to take care of—and provide even better care for—all its citizens. Demographic and economic trends are creating a strong contrast between rural and urban regions, and these shifts will require Japan to adopt new healthcare approaches and solutions. One question being asked in this year’s competition is how digital technology can break down the boundaries of distance to provide great and uniform care for everyone, no matter where they live.
Everyone who participates in Healthcare x Digital will benefit from having their ideas reviewed by top executives from leading international healthcare and technology companies.
Of course, reform of the healthcare system puts great pressure on hospitals to transform themselves and make better use of tools and resources. Technology is certainly key to that makeover, but what are the most innovative digital levers that can open up those paths to greater efficiency?
Another important part of ensuring that the healthcare system remains sustainable is empowering individuals to monitor their own health. A great example of such a tool is Bisu’s home health lab, for which the startup won ¥1 million in funding at last year’s competition. The elegant and easy-to-use system supports a range of tests that anyone can perform at home, allowing early disease detection and providing a way for individuals to track their health and adjust their daily lifestyle habits and decisions.
Joining Forces
At the core of Healthcare x Digital is the goal of bringing together emerging players—who have healthcare ideas, but require partners—with established players looking for innovative ideas to solve healthcare challenges.
This is made possible through the Healthcare x Digital ecosystem, which comprises four groups:
Innovators and startups
Established companies
Government organizations
Academic and non-profit institutions
These public, private, and non-profit sector players join forces to deliver all the pieces required to envision and execute groundbreaking solutions.
In the private sector, startups often have innovative digital healthcare ideas, but they lack the partnerships to evolve them. Teaming up with established companies that have the resources to develop an idea and bring it to market can allow the startup not only to grow as a company, but to change the course of future healthcare.
In the public and non-profit sectors, government bodies are searching for solutions to long-term healthcare challenges, such as cost, quality, and access. They want to drive innovation, which can lead to economic growth, but how to drive that change is not always clear. Academics and research institutions have insights that can help effect change, and they need a way to translate this into real-impact non-profit organizations.
Pitch Your Idea
Healthcare x Digital 2021 began accepting submissions on July 1 and the deadline is October 1. Evaluation of submissions is set to start on October 5. Pitches will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
Focus on patient and community needs
Healthcare x Digital value proposition
Need for an ecosystem to flourish
Everyone who participates in Healthcare x Digital will benefit from having their ideas reviewed by top executives from leading international healthcare and technology companies.
Those selected to participate in the Pitch Day will be invited to the full-day virtual event on October 14. Finalists will then take part in the HxD Ideas Day on November 11, a hybrid in-person and virtual event at which they will present to a panel of leading healthcare and pharmaceutical executives—all empowered to initiate business deals and new relationships on behalf of their global brands.
Monetary prizes will also be awarded, and the finalists will meet with senior executives from the organizing sponsors. Winning companies will receive mentoring and support from healthcare professionals and executives from organizing sponsors.
Join us to discover Japan’s most innovative healthcare ideas and develop partnerships to make them a reality.
HxD 2021 Sponsors
President’s Circle Sponsor
Cisco Systems G.K.
Eli Lilly Japan K.K.
Google Japan G.K.
Organizing Sponsors
AstraZeneca K.K.
Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd.
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC
i2.JP (Innovation Infusion Japan)
Contributing Sponsors
Dentsu
Johnson & Johnson
K&L Gates LLP
Motorola Solutions
NRW Global Business
Omron Corporation
Trilations G.K.
Real Life Sciences
SoftBank
Supporting Organizations
City of Kobe
Embassy of the United States, Tokyo
Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe
GVH#5 Global Venture Habitat
LINK-J
Osaka Innovation Hub
THE ACCJ JOURNAL
Vol. 58 Issue 7
A flagship publication of The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ), The ACCJ Journal is a business magazine with a 58-year history.
Christopher Bryan Jones,
Publisher and editor-in-chief
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