Taking New Zealand's healthcare innovations to the United States

The Idea
Focus On Health
is about bringing the best of New Zealand's healthcare innovations to the United States and Canada

Welcome to Focus on Health 2011/12; a business challenge being developed to foster innovation, commercialization and collaboration opportunities in the United States and Canada, with New Zealand's great ideas and sustainable health solutions.

  • Focus on Health is being designed to stimulate new product development, improve patient access and result in better health outcomes, while reducing costs.
  • It will open the door to opportunities for organizations needing new healthcare solutions, who have an interest in exploring global partnerships.
  • Focus on Health aims to identify New Zealand companies and entrepreneurs with unique and leading-edge research and product development.
  • Applicants are reviewed by a panel of international judges and if chosen as finalists, is to participate in an extensive market-readiness program.
  • There will be only one winner but all applicants ideas must work to improve patient access, health outcomes and reduce costs for the organizations using them.
  • Finalists will connect with a network of influential health and business professionals in the United States, Canada and New Zealand, including investors, partners and buyers.

What is Focus On Health?

Focus on Health is a business development challenge being developed by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to provide commercial opportunities in the United States and Canada for New Zealand companies and entrepreneurs with great ideas.

It has been designed to stimulate new product development, innovation, commercialization and collaboration within New Zealand's healthcare industry.

Focus on Health helps to build industry in New Zealand by targeting niche opportunities in the American and Canadian markets with new and different ideas in turn adding value to these health industries.

The benefits of Focus on Health include:

  • Identifying innovations which increase access, improve quality and reduce the rising costs of healthcare;
  • Forging connections between New Zealand and American and Canadian health industries;
  • Increasing awareness of value-adding New Zealand healthcare solutions in export markets;
  • Developing the capabilities of New Zealand's innovative healthcare businesses and entrepreneurs and helping them to enter overseas markets.  

Focus on Health opens new pathways to market for finalists while introducing partners to some of the most innovative work happening in New Zealand.  Please contact us to discuss the potential opportunities for you and your organization partnering with Focus on Health 2011.

Focus on Health 2009/10 finalists

Focus on Health 2009/10 finalists

“We had to have the investment ready to go and put in the hard yards. But Focus on Health was the best intro to some of the most influential people that we needed to get to in the health space in the United States.”Dave TinklerCEO, Emendo

Contact us

All fields are mandatory

"New Zealand is a perfect incubator for innovative healthcare technologies that have the potential to provide significant health benefits for millions of people around the world”.Hon. Gerry Brownlee, 2010Minister for Economic Development, New Zealand

Focus on Health 2010 winners

Who enters Focus On Health?

Focus on Health is open to all New Zealand-based businesses and individuals (e.g. clinicians, scientists, collaborations, partnerships, etc.) working with healthcare solutions.

Entries will be judged on the strength of their solutions, business plans and management teams and whether their products or services have strong market potential in the United States and Canada.

Selected Focus on Health finalists will be taken through a market-readiness program that will prepare them for a series of pitches to present their product, service or business to a panel of New Zealand and international judges.  They will also work alongside key partners which will include domestic and international commercial entities, hospitals, healthcare groups and innovation centres.  Focus on Health concludes with a final winner being selected.

The first Focus on Health was held in 2009/10 and attracted over 100 applicants ranging from software solutions to medical devices, wound care therapies and products for aging care.

New Zealand healthcare ideas for your world