Over 20 leading UK HealthTech innovators have headed to Texas this week to boost export opportunities as part of the first major trade visit organised by the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI) for its new class of ABHI US Accelerator companies.
The Texas visit has enabled members to participate in a series of meetings, networking events and introductions across Austin, El Paso and San Antonio to promote the excellence of the UK’s health technology industry.
Throughout the week, the cohort of UK companies – comprising some of the UK’s most forward-thinking HealthTech innovators – have been showcasing a range of ground-breaking products and solutions to the US market. Meetings have been taking place with senior leadership from hospital systems – including HCA Healthcare, Baptist Health and Optum – group purchasing organisations (GPOs), distributors, investors and procurement teams.
The visit has also incorporated a series of group meetings, networking events, working groups and introductions to a range of supporting organisations such as the El Paso Chamber of Commerce and BioMedSA.
Paul Benton, Managing Director, International, said: "As home to some of the country’s largest healthcare providers, Texas offers substantial opportunities to UK companies and is the perfect springboard for them to access the wider US market. Our visit targets senior leaders across many of the main hospital systems in the State and offers unprecedented access to key decision makers and leaders. We are excited to be heading back to Texas with a delegation of some of the UK’s most remarkable health technology companies and look forward to supporting them in their goals to explore collaborative opportunities and strengthen trade.”
With a series of innovation partners based stateside, the ABHI US Accelerator is once again working with the Dell Medical School, one of the United States' most pioneering academic institutions, based at the University of Texas, in Austin. Through key in-market partners like Dell, the programme offers nationwide support, drawing on the relationships and connections built up across the US.
Texas is renowned as an economic powerhouse. It has the second largest GDP of any US State at 1.7 trillion dollars and were it a sovereign country, would be ranked as the 12th largest economy in the world by GDP.
The aim of the week-long trip – exclusive to members of the ABHI US Accelerator – has been to provide participants with access to senior leaders, clinicians and procurement teams from world-class hospital systems across the country, supporting them in engaging the right stakeholders and gaining valuable market insight.
A total of 20 companies from the world of health technology have been taking part in this year’s cohort. Together they constitute a diverse mix of medical device, diagnostics and digital health businesses, several of which are long-standing members of the programme, along with a host of new entrants.
Throughout the year, participants will enjoy exclusive week-long trade visits across the US, providing them with prime opportunities to engage with key stakeholders for their individual company objectives and present proven UK HealthTech to new clients.
The first call for the new class of ABHI US Accelerator companies will take place in Austin, San Antonio and El Paso, followed by visits to Tennessee, California, and Florida throughout the remainder of the year.
The programme for the 2023 ABHI US Accelerator is sponsored by leading international legal firm DAC Beachcroft (DACB), Healthcare Innovation Consortium (HIC) – a digital health and social care agency committed to advancing innovation in healthcare – and leading legal and business consulting firm, Wilson Sonsini.
For more information, visit: https://www.abhi.org.uk/international/abhi-us-accelerator/
