From January 2021, European and Italian startups active in the field of digital health will be able to count on Edison Accelerator, the acceleration program for artificial intelligence launched by Ge Healthcare and Wayra UK, the English division of the global hub for technological innovation. The acceleration program will welcome six companies specialized in the use of artificial intelligence for medical imaging, Oncology, and the improvement of the patient experience.

This is the first initiative of this type launched by GE Healthcare in the EMEA area (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) after two similar programs successfully launched in China and India.

Edison Accelerator was designed in collaboration with healthcare professionals precisely to make it easier for digital health startups to bring to market new and innovative solutions quickly and economically. The realities that join the program will have to focus on three aspects of their proposal: innovation, adoption, and integration. They will work to fine-tune their feasibility test and, if successful, may have access to Edison, Ge Healthcare’s platform that enables the rapid and compliant design, development, and deployment of digital healthcare apps.

Edison also offers a state-of-the-art service that allows you to track data while processing an algorithm. This tool reflects GE Healthcare’s commitment to the safe, ethical and effective use of artificial intelligence. It can increase clinicians’ confidence in the technology and radically simplify the ability of software developers to create intelligent applications.

At the end of the process, the platform will allow the winning companies to access GE Healthcare customers. Startups will also be able to tap into General Electric’s global medical division network, which includes thousands of sales professionals and distribution partners in 160 countries. A network of mentors from a variety of industries – from healthcare technology to business development to investment – will support startups throughout the program.

“The healthcare industry produces large amounts of data, but it is extremely difficult to gather and convert it into meaningful information and bring it to the point of care. The opportunities for healthcare as a connected and truly intelligent digital enterprise are significant, but no organization can do it alone,” said Catherine Estrampes, President and CEO of Ge Healthcare Europe, Middle East, and Africa.

The future of innovation will lie in working on data silos and in collaboration between the different players in the healthcare ecosystem, including startups, research centers, hospitals, and doctors. With this in mind, the Edison accelerator program brings together the main technology suppliers.