Over the last five years, AI deal activity has grown faster in healthcare than in tech overall, as investors and innovators recognise AI’s potential to improve drug discovery, administrative efficiency, and patient diagnostics, plus other key areas.

Our AI in Health Accelerator Programme, in collaboration with Innovate UK and the Medical Research Council (MRC), is designed to help entrepreneurs confidently bring their AI-driven healthcare solutions to market. Beckie Barrett, Life Sciences Business Reporter at Pioneer Group, provides further details on the new programme and our other Accelerators. 

More than just a trend

From spotting risk factors for chronic conditions to improving diagnostics, AI in health is a rapidly evolving field with significant potential to address complex, unmet healthcare needs. Proven to be far more than just a passing trend, research from Silicon Valley Bank suggests that the number of AI deals in healthcare specifically has grown at twice the rate of AI deals across the entire tech sector since 2019.

However, for the pioneering start-ups and early-stage entrepreneurs harnessing these technologies, the journey from innovation to implementation is fraught with challenges, from regulatory hurdles to market entry barriers. Pioneer Group’s AI in Health Accelerator offers a comprehensive support system to navigate these challenges effectively.

AI in Health Accelerator: the details

The Programme is run in partnership with Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency. Its mission is to help companies grow, develop, and commercialise, supported by an innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive, and easy to navigate. The MRC — which invests in world-class medical research on behalf of the UK taxpayer to improve human health—is also a co-collaborator on the Programme.

Participants taking part will benefit from:

• Access to tools and workshops delivered by experts with extensive experience supporting academic spinouts and commercial ventures.
• Workshops to de-risk the commercial and technical viability of your projects.
• Dedicated 1-1 coaching from life sciences commercialisation experts, who will help you refine your ideas and turn them into viable products.
• Access to over 250 key professionals across the life sciences, pharmaceutical, and healthcare sectors, enhancing your opportunity for collaboration and growth.
• Insightful talks from AI health founders, investors, grant funding specialists, product development experts, and IP lawyers.
• Up to £7,500 for customer discovery and digital testing, with the opportunity to access closed grant funding between £100,000 and £150,000 through Innovate UK.
• The chance to secure equity investment upon completion.

Spaces are limited. Register your interest for the AI in Health Accelerator programme now to avoid disappointment.

Pioneer Group’s Programmes

The AI in Health Accelerator is the latest in a range of yearly Accelerators that Pioneer Group offers. For 20 years, we have supported and invested in founders of cutting-edge life science technologies through the following Programmes, helping them to transfer ideas out of the lab and into the world.

• Pre-Accelerator

During the Pre-Accelerator, businesses are introduced to proven entrepreneurial methods that de-risk the commercial viability of life sciences start-ups. Then, over four weeks, they can use these tools and techniques to undertake rigorous customer discovery, which will test key assumptions about their ideas and value propositions.

• Accelerator Programme

The Pioneer Group Accelerator Programme works with entrepreneurs at every stage – from idea to exit. With one-to-one coaching and weekly sessions, participants can develop ideas into viable products with market routes and gain access to industry experts for guidance on investment and scaling.

• Launch Programme

Specifically for life science teams creating spin-out and start-up ventures, our Launch Programme is delivered over 12 months, and offers businesses support for commercial and technical de-risking, seed and series A investment, and access to discounted space and pre-seed investment opportunities.

• Golden Ticket Programme

Run in partnership with CPI, our Golden Ticket Programme is designed for trailblazing science and technology innovators who are creating game-changing approaches to planetary health. The 2024 winner, yet to be announced, will receive 12 months of Venture Development support with Pioneer Group, 12 months of free incubation space at Wilton Centre, and 12 months of ongoing scale-up and innovation support with CPI.

Do Accelerator Programmes Work?

The short answer is yes. We understand how important it is that entrepreneurs have infrastructure support from the get-go.

Our Accelerator Programmes offer tailored training and workshops to help entrepreneurs and founders, who often come from a science rather than business background, to develop essential skills in areas such as business development, marketing, and financial management, and to de-risk their projects, gain vital market insights, and secure funding.

As an example, our recent Neurotech Accelerator, which was also run in partnership with Innovate UK, provided a collective £3 million in Feasibility Grants to several pioneering companies, including MindSpire, MintNeuro, NEUROBITE, NeuroVirt, Samphire Neuroscience and ESP Diagnostics.

Overall, more than 30 companies benefited from the Neurotech Accelerator, and were able to assess the technical and commercial viability of their projects.

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Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or an early-stage startup, our AI in Health Accelerator Programme is your gateway to success in the healthcare market.