ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated:

In a move to address the growing mental-health crisis in the UK, the British Embassy in Israel has announced the launch of the second cohort of the Dangoor Health-Tech Academy, a joint initiative by the UK-Israel Tech Hub and the Dangoor Foundation.

The eight-week program is designed to connect Israeli health-tech start-ups with the UK healthcare ecosystem, with a dedicated focus on mental-health innovation.

Building on success

Following the success of the first cohort earlier this year, which saw nine Israeli AI-driven health-tech start-ups visit London, the academy is continuing its mission to foster strategic partnerships between Israeli innovators and UK health institutions.


Three of the companies in the first delegation – Kai, Anydish, and Treat Me – are now in the process of forming collaborations with UK health partners after a successful visit to London in March, the UK-Israel Tech Hub at the British Embassy in Israel reported.


The work of the first delegation of Israeli start-ups includes diagnostics, eating disorders, mental health, femtech, neuroscience, personalized treatments, and nutrition.
Israeli police vans are seen parked in front of the British embassy in Tel Aviv August 31, 2006. An armed man identified by Israeli media as a Palestinian informer shunned by his former handlers and his own people broke into the embassy's car park demanding asylum in Britain.
Israeli police vans are seen parked in front of the British embassy in Tel Aviv August 31, 2006. An armed man identified by Israeli media as a Palestinian informer shunned by his former handlers and his own people broke into the embassy's car park demanding asylum in Britain. (credit: GIL COHEN MAGEN/REUTERS)

Mental health in focus

The second cohort comes at a critical time, the UK-Israel Tech Hub said. One out of five adults in England currently lives with a common mental-health condition, and the numbers are rising.

Research from MIND, the leading mental-health charity in England and Wales, estimates the economic impact of mental-health reaches £300 billion annually. In response, the UK government has committed £50 million for mental-health research aimed at accelerating innovation and improving outcomes.

The academy’s new focus on mental health aligns with that national priority, offering Israeli start-ups a platform to contribute cutting-edge solutions in areas such as diagnostics, eating disorders, neuroscience, and personalized treatments.

The unique program, which is almost fully funded, is led by Ronit Applebaum, the UK-Israel
Tech Hub’s head of healthcare innovation. It offers Israeli start-ups a deep dive into the UK healthcare ecosystem.

Participants will gain valuable insights into the NHS (National Health Service) structure, UK regulatory landscape, and opportunities for collaboration within the mental-health space, the UK-Israel Tech Hub said.

Strategic collaboration

The Dangoor Healthcare Academy was established with the generous support of the Dangoor Foundation and the Dangoor family to encourage collaborations between Israeli health technologies and the UK healthcare ecosystem, i.e., the NHS, with the aim of advancing the UK healthcare sector.

The UK-Israel Tech Hub, a nonprofit venture operating out of the British Embassy in Israel since 2011, continues to serve as a bridge between the two nations’ innovation sectors. Founded by the UK government, the hub aims to drive economic growth through strategic partnerships in technology and innovation.

With mental-health challenges mounting and innovation at the forefront of global healthcare solutions, the Dangoor Health-Tech Academy stands as a promising model for international collaboration, the UK-Israel Tech Hub said.

Israeli startups interested in joining the second cohort can register at ukisraelhub.com/lp-uk-hub.