Australian-first nomination puts ANDHealth on global medical innovation stage

From Australian startup ecosystem to global stage

Australia has long faced a familiar challenge: we can produce world-class medical research, but turning that research into scalable companies and commercially viable healthcare technologies is another matter.

Now, an Australian-first nomination is putting that assumption under the spotlight.

ANDHealth has become the first Australian commercialisation organisation nominated for a prestigious Prix Galien USA Award, widely regarded as the Nobel Prize equivalent for life sciences.

Its flagship ANDHealth+ program is one of just 11 nominees globally in the Best Incubators, Accelerators and Equity category, alongside institutions including the Mayo Clinic.

For ANDHealth Founder and CEO Bronwyn Le Grice, the nomination reflects how far Australia’s digital and connected health ecosystem has come.

“A decade ago, Australia’s digital health sector was embryonic and ANDHealth was just a concept. From that tiny seed, to be recognised on this global stage alongside the biggest names in medical innovation shows just how far both ANDHealth and our extraordinary innovators have come in less than 10 years,” Ms Le Grice said.

Why commercialisation matters

The nomination comes as Australia looks to digital health, AI and medical innovation not only to improve patient outcomes, but to create new industries and retain high-value talent and intellectual property onshore.

“Australia is home to a significant pipeline of world-class digital and connected health technologies and innovators,” Ms Le Grice said, pointing to innovations spanning wearable sensors, at-home treatments, remote rehabilitation and AI-assisted cancer surgery.

But developing the technology is only part of the equation.

“Ensuring our most promising innovative companies are adequately funded, supported and incentivised to keep them, their talent and their value here in Australia remains absolutely critical to our future economy and health outcomes,” she said.

The numbers behind ANDHealth+ provide one indication of the potential return.

Since receiving its first substantive Federal funding through the MRFF in 2021, 100% of ANDHealth+ alumni companies have secured follow-on funding. Across its 28 alumni companies, more than $211 million in follow-on funding and $97 million in new revenue have been generated, with the companies reaching more than 4.7 million patients. Approximately 81% are now generating revenue.

According to ANDHealth, every dollar invested in the program has returned nearly $20 in new capital, while creating jobs at 14 times the international benchmark.

“Building sovereign capability like that is one of the highest-return investments we can make,” Ms Le Grice said.

Three Australian nominations

ANDHealth is not the only Australian name on this year’s nominee list.

OncoRes Medical, a Perth-based cancer-surgery imaging company supported through ANDHealth’s MRFF-backed non-dilutive investment programs, has been nominated in the Best Startup category. Digital mental health tool Gheorg has been nominated for Best Digital Health Solution.

“Seeing companies that ANDHealth has supported nominated alongside us shows that the commercialisation pipeline is working. New technologies are moving from idea to global markets, and that is exactly what we set out to build,” Ms Le Grice said.

She also highlighted another milestone: all three Australian nominees are founded and led by women.

“The fact that three Australian companies nominated for one of the world’s most prestigious awards in health technology and life sciences are both founded and led by women, is a testament to the immense experience, insight, determination and capability of our female entrepreneurs and executives,” she said.

The takeaway for Australia’s health innovation sector

For healthcare founders, investors and policymakers, the significance of the nominations extends beyond an international award.

ANDHealth’s argument is that Australia already has the innovation pipeline. The bigger question is whether the country can build the funding and commercialisation environment needed to keep those businesses, jobs and technologies here.

“The changes being debated by policymakers will play a critical role in the future of digital health innovation in this country, but we need to also get the funding cycles right to help commercialise what we invent,” Ms Le Grice said.

The Prix Galien USA winners will be announced on 29 October 2026 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Source: ANDHealth media release, 14 August 2026.