Last month, Google for Startups announced the third cohort of its Growth Academy: AI for Health programme. This year’s cohort will have 25 healthtech startups fewer than the previous year’s selection (30 startups).
Google’s AI for Health program is designed to empower early-stage startups across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East using AI to tackle some of the most critical challenges in healthcare.
At a time when the global AI healthcare market is projected to skyrocket from $10 billion in 2023 to over $164 billion by 2030, the programme aims to nurture startups that can shape the future of medical care responsibly and inclusively.
What this year’s selections indicate
Thomas Hagemeijer, founder of HGM Advisory, says, as a leader in AI and healthtech, Google’s picks give insights into where the healthcare innovation is headed—its patterns and trends.
Here’s what his analysis indicates:
#1 The most represented countries: UK, Spain, France, Germany & Poland
Each of these countries has three startups in the new cohort. This lines up with their recent healthtech funding numbers:
- UK: $18B
- Germany: $17B
- Israel: $15B
- Poland: $14B
- France: $11B
This shows that funding follows innovation and vice versa.
#2 Rise of early diagnosis and personalised pathways
Many of this year’s startups are working on detecting health issues before they become serious (especially in mental health and specialised care pathways).
AI is getting really good at spotting health risks using subtle biomarkers, sometimes even before symptoms appear. These kinds of tools are paving the way for tailored, tech-powered care pathways that run alongside traditional health systems to reduce pressure on doctors and improve patient outcomes.
#3 A shift in focus from decision support to “enablers”
During previous cohorts, Google focused heavily on AI clinical decision support (AI-CDS) tools—apps that help doctors or patients make better choices.
But this time, Google seems more interested in “enabler” tools, the tech that supports the healthcare system behind the scenes:
- Precision medicine: Tools that connect and analyse health data
- Medical research: Platforms that speed up access to evidence and trials
- CareOps & analytics: Systems that reduce admin and let doctors spend more time with patients
Meet the 25 startups leading the change
The startups selected this year are doing amazing things across different areas of healthcare:
Diagnostics and imaging
Advantis Medical Imaging (Greece)
Offers AI-driven medical imaging software that helps radiology departments manage increasing workloads with more accessible and automated solutions.
Ailin.Health (Spain)
Simplifies preventive healthcare through an AI-powered Diagnostics-as-a-Service platform, guiding patients and providers with smart insights and easy testing options.
DeepEcho (Morocco)
Uses AI to enhance maternal and fetal healthcare by providing advanced analysis of ultrasound images, improving prenatal diagnosis.
Mental and behavioural health
Ahead (Germany)
A mobile app that combines AI and behavioural science to offer personalised emotional intelligence training, helping users manage emotions and build resilience.
BLUESKEYE AI (UK)
Analyses facial expressions and voice patterns with AI to support early diagnosis of mental health conditions and track treatment effectiveness.
Sincrolab (Spain)
Provides CE-certified digital therapies for neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD, using AI and neuroscience for personalised mental health support.
Takalam (UAE)
An AI-integrated mental well-being platform that focuses on mental health screening, prevention, and personalised care.
Digital care and chronic disease management
Doctor.One (Poland)
A digital platform that strengthens doctor-patient relationships by offering continuous, relationship-based healthcare outside of traditional appointments.
dru (Egypt)
A digital health app that provides ongoing, personalised support for patients managing obesity and diabetes.
LEIA Health (Sweden)
An AI-powered app supporting women’s health through pregnancy and postpartum with mental and physical wellness insights.
Valeo Health (UAE)
Offers instant virtual doctor consultations and home diagnostic services through an AI-powered platform across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Preventive and personalised health
Daiser (UK)
A modular AI platform that makes it easy for care teams to build and scale affordable, personalised healthcare services.
Kor (France)
Combines AI health check-ups with continuous medical support to help people prevent diseases and optimise their health.
Nest Genomics (Israel)
Simplifies genomic healthcare by helping organisations implement and scale personalised, DNA-driven health programs.
PBR Life Sciences (Nigeria)
Bridges gaps in African healthcare data using AI-powered analytics, helping pharma companies better serve emerging markets.
Research and clinical trials
EvidenceHunt (Netherlands)
An AI-based platform that transforms how professionals find and analyse medical research, making evidence-based care faster and easier.
Klineo (France)
Connects patients and doctors with relevant clinical trials through an AI-powered platform, improving access to innovative treatments.
Other innovations in health tech
Fimo Health (Germany)
A digital companion for patients with chronic diseases, combining symptom tracking with tailored disease-specific learning.
Holi (Poland)
A digital clinic offering long-term healthy lifestyle management by combining human empathy with AI-driven precision.
Kanjo (UK)
A digital neurodevelopmental platform that uses AI to deliver personalised support tools for pediatric mental health.
Omniloy (Spain)
Automates clinical documentation and streamlines patient communication to help hospitals deliver personalised care at scale.
Prosoma (Poland)
Provides an evidence-based app and coaching program that supports cancer patients by improving emotional health and treatment outcomes.
PulseLife (France)
Offers an AI-powered clinical decision support system that helps doctors quickly access up-to-date medical knowledge.
SPRYT (Ireland)
Developed Asa, an AI scheduling agent that lets patients easily book and manage appointments via messaging apps like WhatsApp.
YOUTH Health Tech (Germany)
Allows users to conduct quick health check-ups using just their smartphone’s camera, audio, and eye images.
AI challenges we can’t ignore
As exciting as AI is, it’s not perfect. A study found that AI systems sometimes make different decisions based on personal attributes like race or gender, even when the clinical symptoms are the same.
This could lead to biased healthcare outcomes, which is a major concern.
That’s why responsible AI development is crucial. Google’s Growth Academy addresses this by offering workshops on AI best practices, leadership skills, product design, and customer growth.
Why does Google’s AI for Health programme matter?
According to Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Chief Health Officer at Google, helping startups use AI responsibly is an investment in a healthier future for everyone.
Beyond just mentorship, these startups will get hands-on workshops, technical support, and personalised coaching from Google experts.
The goal is to help them scale their innovations responsibly, keeping healthcare fair, inclusive, and accessible.
-By Rinkle Dudhani and the AHT Team
