Partners

roche
start up nation central

In collaboration with

Breast Cancer Innovation Challenge & Pilot Program

We are looking for cutting edge solutions for breast cancer patients!

The Challenge is closed for submissions.
View winner and finalists below.

Partners

roche
start up nation central


In collaboration with

Roche, Startup Nation Central & Sheba Medical Center are united by a shared vision: to harness the power of digital health solutions to drastically improve the lives of breast cancer patients.

Our goal is to enhance adherence and compliance, enable better disease management, and elevate the quality of life for patients, resulting in personalized care that drives better health outcomes.

The Winner

Winner

Notal Vision

Notal Vision is a commercial stage patient-centric digital healthcare provider of remote monitoring services that extends age-related macular degeneration (AMD) monitoring from the clinic to the home, providing eye care professionals with remote diagnostic tools to support their patient care. With a proven approach to home-based, self-operated diagnostics, AI-enabled data analysis, and patient engagement services, Notal Vision helps to preserve patients’ vision long-term. The Home OCT pipeline platform developed at the company’s Tel Aviv Technology Center will support personalized treatment by monitoring disease activity and treatment response remotely reducing office visits burden on patients and caregivers and promote therapy adherence.

The Finalists

AEYE

AEYE Health is a venture-backed digital health startup that develops AI algorithms for autonomous interpretation of fundus images for various ocular and systemic conditions. Its flagship product, AEYE DS is an FDA cleared algorithm for the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy.

Its products put the power of retinal screenings in the hands of primary care physicians which enables early detection for the prevention of vision threatening complications.

bioT

BioT Medical, a leader in cloud-powered medical devices, has partnered with Zilia, a medical technology company specializing in non-invasive ocular biomarker measurement. This strategic alliance combines BioT’s expertise in connecting devices with healthcare systems and Zilia’s advanced ocular oximetry technology. Aimed at revolutionizing retinal disease management and patient care, the partnership focuses on early detection, personalized treatment, and continuous monitoring. By integrating spectroscopy, imaging, artificial intelligence, and seamless data communication, this collaboration seeks to enhance healthcare delivery, making it more efficient, accessible, and tailored to individual needs in the field of ophthalmology.

gistmd

GistMD is an AI-based patient education and engagement platform that empowers patients and drives adherence along their care journey.

By providing personalized content and behavioral change tools, GistMD manages to achieve patient activation which leads to improved health outcomes. Personalization is achieved in multiple dimensions, such as Language, gender, age, culture, medical background, medication, behavioral and more.

GistMD is deployed in numerous healthcare centers and hospitals and showing evidence-based results of improved adherence, improved operational efficiency, reduced staff burnout, and improved patient satisfaction rates.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The CASMIP Laboratory at the School of Computer Science and Engineering, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Hadassah University Medical Center have jointly developed a novel AI-based solution for the accurate diagnosis of Inherited Retinal Dystrophies based on optical images. The solution, based on novel methods for deep learning image processing, will assist in the early diagnosis of patients and in the screening prior to genetic testing. It will also support the diagnosis in locations where genetic testing is unavailable or is not routinely performed. The technology holds promise for the diagnosis of other types of retinal diseases.

Xoltar

XOLTAR develops AI companions that emulate the one-on-one interactions nurses have with patients, guiding individuals in maintaining the healthy habits necessary to manage their medical conditions. XOLTAR implements evidence-based protocols through free-guided conversations conducted over telehealth calls. These conversations are truthful, grounded, and aligned, yet provide a seamless and free-flowing patient experience. This staff augmentation solution enhances support teams with AI companions capable of acting as co-pilots. They replicate support protocols, connect to the CRM, and seamlessly extend the support staff, while generating unparalleled insights from the extensive video data produced during these conversations, all at an unlimited scale and with 24/7 accessibility at a marginal cost.

Xoltar

XOLTAR develops AI companions that emulate the one-on-one interactions nurses have with patients, guiding individuals in maintaining the healthy habits necessary to manage their medical conditions. XOLTAR implements evidence-based protocols through free-guided conversations conducted over telehealth calls. These conversations are truthful, grounded, and aligned, yet provide a seamless and free-flowing patient experience. This staff augmentation solution enhances support teams with AI companions capable of acting as co-pilots. They replicate support protocols, connect to the CRM, and seamlessly extend the support staff, while generating unparalleled insights from the extensive video data produced during these conversations, all at an unlimited scale and with 24/7 accessibility at a marginal cost.

What Will You Gain From The Program?

Finalists

Access and exposure: connect with global Roche experts

Investment opportunities: Benefit from global promotion and communication by Startup Nation Central

Meet the experts: enjoy a special tour at Sheba Medical Center

Skill development: enhance your presentation skills with a dedicated session at Startup Nation Central

The Winner

Real-life clinical pilot: implement a unique pilot at Sheba Medical Center, with a fast-track for submission to Helsinki Committee

Mentorship: comprehensive guidance from leading clinical and business development experts

Pilot funding - up to 250,000 NIS

50,000 NIS for pilot preparation

Budget of up to 200,000 NIS for conducting a pilot at the Breast Cancer Institute, Sheba Medical Center

Comprehensive mentorship package

Comprehensive guidance from leading clinical and business development experts

Application is now closed Application is now closed

The Challenge

Roche for a Better Future seeks innovative digital health solutions that optimize the patient journey, leading to better adherence and compliance, improved treatment outcomes and more effective personalized care with better quality of life.

Areas of focus:

For example:

  • Patient treatment awareness and accessible information, including support for shared decision making
  • Patient adherence to treatment regimen and workup
  • Treatment management optimization
  • Digital Medication wallet
  • Management based on drug-drug Interactions

For example:

  • Remote monitoring systems: symptoms, wearables, test results, etc.
  • Integrated care management systems
  • Patient Reported Outcomes (PROMs) – collecting data directly from patients about their health status

For example:

  • Enhancing emotional journey and returning to daily activities
  • Improving overall Quality of Life during and after breast cancer treatment: insomnia, fatigue, Chemo Induced Cognitive Dysfunction (CICD), Treatment-Related Sexual Dysfunction, lymphedema, etc.

3. Quality of Life

For example:

  • Enhancing emotional journey and returning to daily activities
  • Improving overall Quality of Life during and after breast cancer treatment: insomnia, fatigue, Chemo Induced Cognitive Dysfunction (CICD), Treatment-Related Sexual Dysfunction, lymphedema, etc.

Additional Considerations

We welcome solutions with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6 and above. An advantage for startups in the process of obtaining regulatory approval, post regulatory approval or deployed in markets.

Solutions should be compatible for a pilot at Beilinson Hospital of Clalit Health Services.

Preference will be given to solutions addressing the first two areas of focus (i.e. Adherence and Compliance, Monitoring and Proactive Communication).

Good solutions will address at least one of these areas of focus, while great solutions will tackle more than one area of focus and support inter-connectivity standards.

We will prioritize technologies and digital health solutions that are able to integrate to the Electronic Medical Records (EMR), based on FHIR. 

Timeline of the Challenge

1.9.25 TBD

Applications open

21.9.25

Applications close

12.11.25

Finalists notification

19.11.25

Finalists pitch to Advisory Committee

26.11.25

Global showcase event

Advisory Committee

Meet our team!

Anat Arbel Shamir

Public Policy Lead I Roche for a Better Future Program Lead
Roche Israel

Dr. Iris Adler

Head of BD & Global Partnerships
8400 Health Network

Zur Halperin

Head of Healthcare Innovation
Roche Israel

Rachel Eliyahu Melamed

Women’s Health and Lung Therapeutic Area Lead
Roche Israel

Niki Ben Simon

Women’s Health Patient Journey Partner
Roche Israel

Galit Liberman

Women’s Health Marketing Enabler
Roche Israel

About Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women worldwide, including in Israel, where it is the leading cause of cancer mortality among women. Over 5,000 women in Israel are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer annually, with approximately only 3% presenting with metastatic disease at diagnosis due to effective screening programs. Despite advances in treatment, approximately 1,000 women in Israel die from breast cancer each year.

The diagnosis of breast cancer involves a combination of imaging techniques and biopsy procedures to confirm the presence and subtype of the cancer. This journey is often complex and can take a significant amount of time, filled with feelings of anxiety and stress, as patients encounter numerous challenges along the way.

The disease is classified into three main biological subtypes: HER2-positive tumors that overexpress HER2 receptors; hormone receptor-positive cancers driven by estrogen and/or progesterone; and triple-negative breast cancer, which lacks all three receptor types. Treatment strategies are tailored to these biological characteristics and may be administered intravenously or subcutaneously in medical centers, or orally at a patient’s home. Treatment decisions for breast cancer are made in a multidisciplinary manner, involving oncology specialists, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, and other healthcare professionals.

Recent advances in breast cancer care reflect a shift towards personalized medicine, with genomic testing enabling more precise risk assessment and treatment planning. Molecular profiling helps identify specific mutations that can be targeted with precision therapies. This personalized approach has revolutionized breast cancer management, resulting in improved outcomes, more rational use of therapies, and enhanced quality of life for patients.

Digital health innovations are increasingly important in supporting breast cancer patients throughout their journey, facilitating remote monitoring, improving treatment adherence, enabling more personalized care approaches and enhancing quality of life. These technologies have the potential to transform breast cancer management, particularly in underserved areas, leading to better outcomes, reduced healthcare burdens, and improved patient well-being

Partners

In Collaboration with

FAQ

The Roche for a Better Future Breast Cancer Innovation Challenge & Pilot Program is a groundbreaking platform that offers an exclusive opportunity for one selected startup to run a medical pilot, funded by the program according to our Official Rules.

This pilot will enable you to validate your solution in a real-world healthcare setting, collaborate with leading clinical partners, and gain meaningful insights. In addition, you will receive a comprehensive mentorship package, a fast-track for submission to the Helsinki Committee and global exposure.

We are looking for digital health solutions that will significantly improve breast cancer patients’ lives and support their caregivers by enhancing adherence and compliance, enabling better disease management, and elevating the quality of life for patients.

This challenge is not equity nor investment focused. 

Privately held companies formed and registered under the laws of Israel with a company ID (חפ), or technology transfer offices/entities of non-profit and/or governmental entities (such as universities, Medical Centers and sick funds) (“TTO/s”), which develop a project/solution as defined by the Challenge. 

We welcome solutions with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6 and above.

English will be the official language.

The challenge will have both online and physical/hybrid presence, which will be communicated in advance.

For the meeting with the Advisory Committee, one person will be required to pitch the startup and solution. It is important to have a team member that can address all questions from the Advisory Committee members.

For the mentoring meetings, we advise at least two team members of your startup, one business-oriented and another more tech-oriented to be able to cover all types of conversations in the 1-on-1 sessions.

If your startup is selected as a finalist, you’ll be invited to:

  • A complimentary pitch training and camera workshop preparation sessions prior to the final event
  • A pitch meeting with the Advisory Committee that will take place at Startup Nation Central offices, 28 Lilienblum, Tel-Aviv (19.11.2025 16:30-20:30 Israel Time). In person attendance is a must.
  • A Pitch before a local & global audience, as part of a hybrid final event that will take place at Start-Up Nation Central HQ, 28 Lilienblum, Tel-Aviv (26.11.2025, 17:00-19:30 Israel Time). In person attendance is a must.
  • A special tour at Sheba Medical Center.

If your startup is the winner, you will have the opportunity to implement a one-of-a-kind real-life pilot in Sheba Medical Center, with a fast track for submission to the Helsinki Committee.

You will receive 50,000 NIS for piloting preparation, and you will be able to conduct a pilot at the Breast Cancer Institute, Sheba Medical Center, with a budget of up to 200,000 NIS.

In addition, you will receive a comprehensive mentorship package, by leading experts from the clinical and business development worlds including: 

  • 5 mentorship hours with a medical expert from the Breast Cancer Institute, Sheba Medical Center
  • 5 additional mentorship hours with experts from Sheba Medical Center, including a fast track for submission to the Helsinki Committee 
  • 2 mentorship hours with Dr. Irit Yaniv, Co-founder and CEO, Almeda Ventures.

The selection process will be managed by the challenge team and an Advisory Committee consisting of breast cancer medical experts, and representatives of Sheba Medical Center, Roche global team, and venture capital.

The Committee will be focusing on the quality of your founding team, interest area fit, runway, does your solution address a real need, maturity and timeline, novelty & effectiveness and general impression, and the  compatibility of the pilot to be performed at Sheba Medical Center.

Yes, definitely. You can apply with as many solutions you believe would fit and benefit the program. Each startup will require its own application.

 

Roche Pharmaceuticals (Israel) Ltd. All rights reserved © 2022

Contact Us

If you have any questions please contact us:

Founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the first industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, Roche has grown into the world’s largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. The company pursues scientific excellence to discover and develop medicines and diagnostics for improving and saving the lives of people around the world. We are a pioneer in personalised healthcare and want to further transform how healthcare is delivered to have an even greater impact. To provide the best care for each person we partner with many stakeholders and combine our strengths in Diagnostics and Pharma with data insights from the clinical practice.

For more information, please visit www.roche.com.

Start-Up Nation Central is the address for corporations, governments and investors to connect with the Israeli tech ecosystem. We catalyze growth opportunities by bringing Israeli tech innovation to global business and societal challenges. Established in 2013 and headquartered in Tel-Aviv, Israel, Start-Up Nation Central is a not-for-profit organization funded by philanthropy. 

 

For more information, please visit 
www.startupnationcentral.org

The Jusidman Cancer Center at Sheba Medical Center in Israel is a globally renowned facility specializing in innovative cancer treatment. It provides advanced diagnostic tools and therapies, including immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and personalized medicine, delivered through a multidisciplinary approach. Known for its innovation, the center uses cutting-edge technologies like robotic systems and modern radiation therapies for precise and effective treatments, while serving as a hub for groundbreaking oncology research.

Beyond medical care, the Jusidman Cancer Center emphasizes holistic support, offering mental health services, rehabilitation programs, and palliative care to enhance patients’ well-being. By combining clinical excellence, advanced research, and personalized care, the center has established itself as a leader in oncology, providing world-class treatment in a compassionate and patient-focused environment.

For more information, please visit: https://www.shebaonline.org/department/cancer-treatment-in-israel-the-cancer-center/

ARC (Accelerate, Redesign, Collaborate), the innovation arm of Sheba Medical Center, founded and directed by Prof. Eyal Zimlichman, is shaping the future of medical innovation by connecting entrepreneurs and clinicians, advancing the development and implementation of new technologies, and creating breakthrough economic frameworks in healthcare. ARC’s unique model, the first of its kind in global healthcare, has evolved into a global blueprint, with a network of innovation centers in leading hospitals and research institutions across London, Melbourne, Singapore, Berlin, and New Zealand. ARC’s global network promotes technology-based medical solutions and accelerates the adoption of innovation within health systems worldwide.

ARC Sheba provides startups and researchers with exclusive access to Sheba’s core assets, clinical data and medical talent, while advancing the hospital’s vision to serve as a global hub for AI-driven medicine. Led by Avner Halperin, the model’s success has already led to exits totaling approximately $1 billion, with profits reinvested to further accelerate Sheba’s AI and data revolution.

Learn more about ARC at:  https://arcinnovation.org/

8400 The Health Network accelerates growth in Israel’s health tech sector by bringing together key stakeholders to foster innovation and bridge gaps in the ecosystem.

For more information, please visit: https://www.8400thn.org/.

The Israeli Society for Clinical and Radiation Oncology (ISCORT), a professional society operating under the umbrella of the Israel Medical Association (IMA), is dedicated to advancing the fields of clinical and radiation oncology in Israel. As the umbrella organization for the country’s disease-specific professional oncology groups, ISCORT plays a central role in unifying and coordinating national oncology efforts.

ISCORT’s core mission includes promoting excellence in oncology through education, training, and the exchange of knowledge on cancer therapies and related scientific disciplines—both nationally and internationally. The society actively supports oncology research, fosters global collaboration, upholds professional and ethical standards, and engages in public education to raise awareness about cancer prevention, diagnosis, and care. It also serves as a key representative body for oncology professionals in Israel, advocating for their interests within the medical and public health communities.

Almeda Ventures is the first HealthTech focused public R&D partnership. Almeda invests on a global basis while focusing on: medical devices, digital health and bio-convergence. Almeda was founded by Dr. Irit Yaniv, Amir Blatt and Tzahi Sultan in 2020; the fund invested in 10 companies so far. The team helps its portfolio companies to thrive using deep expertise, diverse background and extensive network with investors, strategics and medical centers worldwide. Almeda invests in exceptional teams with innovative solutions addressing major unmet needs with a proven clinical concept and business model. Almeda Ventures drives medical device and digital health companies for success by utilizing its extensive network and proven track record. 

For more information please visit: https://www.almedaventures.com/