Inside Cure’s New Global Accelerator Program Empowering the Future of Healthcare

The Cure by Deerfield Middle East Health Accelerator, a program designed to support early-stage ventures through hands-on guidance and expert mentorship, is now accepting applications. It is an opportunity for emerging entrepreneurs to learn about everything from valuation, negotiating, and fundraising, to business models, go-to-market strategies, and operations.

Kicking off at Cure’s flagship event, The X Factor: Healthcare Innovation Summit in November, the accelerator will admit up to 15 startup teams into a 12-week hybrid program with sessions in Doha and New York City as well as online. It will conclude with a pitch competition in Doha, where participants will gain exposure to investors, potential partners, and the opportunity to launch pilots in Qatar’s healthcare system. 

Cure spoke with accelerator director Dr. Mussaad M. Al-Razouki, to glean insights about what participating startups can expect from this opportunity.

Tell us how the idea for this accelerator program started and why it's important for both the United States and Qatar.

This program grew out of Cure’s partnership with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). We selected Qatar because it is one of the most promising healthcare and biotechnology hubs in the Middle East based on the amount of work that's being done to support basic and clinical research as well as innovation in healthcare. 

While Cure has sponsored different competitions in the past to support early-stage innovators, participation in this formal, structured accelerator is a first of its kind for Cure.

The accelerator is geared toward startups that address needs across the healthcare spectrum, from therapeutics, healthcare services, and digital health to medtech and hardware. Selected companies will work on addressing problems facing the Middle East that can potentially later be expanded to populations around the world, not just in emerging markets but also more developed markets like Europe and North America.

How will this program set participants up for success?

We hope this inaugural accelerator program is the first of many, not just in the Middle East but also globally. Participants are expected to benefit tremendously from our founder-friendly model, which includes no equity or fees to participate in this initial iteration.

The program’s curriculum will follow a case study method and include guest lectures from professionals in both industry and academia. These instructors will seek to showcase the latest research in innovation and business operations. Then, in the final week, our program will culminate in the Web Summit Qatar Conference. Each participant will have the opportunity to staff a booth provided by the Qatari government to showcase their innovations to a global audience.

Can this accelerator amplify a startup’s visibility?

Absolutely. Industry experts will serve as guest lecturers and hold “ask me anything” sessions, which will create opportunities for direct interaction. Additionally, several modules within the 12-week program will be geared toward engaging with investors, preparing a pitch deck, and understanding what KPIs and other metrics investors look for. There’s also a segment on negotiations—a module I'm personally very proud of—where entrepreneurs will learn how to negotiate with investors and potential vendors or clients.

At the end of the program, participants will get to demo their products to investors from the Middle East and beyond. Additionally, we are working on soft-landing incentives to support companies in setting up their regional Middle East operations in Doha, Qatar. These may include, for example, equity and non-dilutive financing options, grants for research, founder accommodation and office space, and tax incentives. And finally, we are working with Qatar’s ministry of public health to hopefully offer a pilot for startups so that they can demo their innovations and generate real-world evidence to enhance their business operations.

What makes someone an ideal applicant for this opportunity?

For one, having a passion for fixing one of healthcare's many, many problems. There is no perfect healthcare system globally, and that's why we are calling on innovators located anywhere in the world. They don't have to be actively involved in the healthcare system, but ideally, we want them to have a level of traction where they have a minimal viable product (MVP). 

It’s also very important to demonstrate grit and tenacity, as well as the ability to continue to execute both as a founder and as a team. So we definitely will be looking at team dynamics and the grit factor. And finally, it’s very important to demonstrate that you have an innovation that could potentially become the gold standard of care in your field. 

Can you expand on what companies will be learning and how they will benefit?

Because we will be working with companies that already know what problem they want to solve, the focus will be on learning how to accelerate growth by driving volume, determining price and payment model, and developing partnerships. 

We also expect a lot of fraternization among the startups in the Cure ecosystem and the local ecosystem in Qatar. These partnerships can help accelerate growth and add more value than an equity investment.

What can startup teams expect once they complete the program? 

Once startups have completed the accelerator, we hope they will become part of the virtual Cure ecosystem. 

We’re committed to solving problems and advancing healthcare, but we also believe a sense of camaraderie is very important. These companies will be in the trenches with 14 other very smart founding teams and will hopefully build lasting relationships and networking opportunities. 

And while there is a lot of discussion about competition in healthcare, to me, the only two real competitors in healthcare are the two Ds—disease and death. Anyone is welcome to apply to join this ecosystem regardless of background, in order to innovate, improve healthcare, and help our global society lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Deerfield is an affiliate of Cure.