A new entrepreneurship programme led by Future Health — a global initiative by Abu Dhabi — and the non-profit Bridge for Billions will support promising health ventures in emerging markets, the partners announced on 21 October 2026. The initiative targets locally rooted entrepreneurs whose solutions aim to reach more people and strengthen health systems in Africa and Asia.
What the programme will do
The partners said the first phase will focus on roughly 50 entrepreneurs who are leading ventures at the late-incubation to early-acceleration stages. The programme combines capacity-building, specialist guidance and access to health-system connections, with selected entrepreneurs later having opportunities to engage with Abu Dhabi's health innovation ecosystem.
- Structured capacity-building and tailored support for growth
- Access to expertise and networks in health innovation
- Opportunities to explore links with Abu Dhabi's health ecosystem for later-stage engagement
Why organisers say this is needed
The press release noted persistent barriers to scale for health entrepreneurs in emerging markets, highlighting uneven access to capital and specialist support. It cited figures from WIPO's Global Innovation Index 2024 showing that Latin America and Africa together accounted for about 3% of global venture-capital deals in the first half of 2024.
The release also referenced steep regional declines in venture-capital values in early 2024: a fall of 19% in Asia-Pacific and an estimated 80% in Africa. Those declines were presented as part of the context for why targeted programmes are needed to help locally developed health solutions expand.
| Region | Reported change in VC values (early 2024) |
|---|---|
| Asia-Pacific | −19% |
| Africa | −80% |
| Latin America & Africa (share of global VC deals) | ~3% (first half of 2024) |
Economic and social rationale
The release drew on a World Bank Group finding that each health-sector job in low-income countries is associated with about 3.4 additional jobs across related industries, emphasising potential wider economic benefits if health ventures scale successfully. The programme is framed as aiming not only to support individual businesses but to deepen impact in the communities they serve.
Organisers described the approach as responding to gaps in capital, specialist mentorship and connections to health systems — obstacles that can prevent solutions developed locally from reaching scale. Over time, the initiative intends to link selected entrepreneurs with Abu Dhabi’s broader health-innovation networks.
What this means for South Africa and the region
Although the announcement does not list South African participants, the programme’s focus on Africa makes it immediately relevant to South African entrepreneurs and stakeholders seeking routes to capital, technical support and regional partnerships. For policymakers and funders, the initiative highlights ongoing international interest in strengthening locally led health innovation across the continent.
Practical implications for South African health entrepreneurs may include new opportunities to:
- Access structured capacity-building tailored to late-incubation and early-acceleration stages
- Tap into international networks and possible pathways to Abu Dhabi’s health ecosystem
- Position ventures to attract follow-on investment where venture-capital activity has waned
The announcement was issued as a paid press release and released via Business Wire on 21 October 2026. Further details on selection criteria, timelines and whether South African ventures will be included in the initial cohort were not provided in the release.
Context and caution: while the initiative signals additional support for entrepreneurs in Africa, it does not replace the need for sustained domestic investment, health-system engagement and regulatory pathways to ensure innovations are affordable, safe and deliver measurable health benefits.
