Filipino health startups receive R&D grants under the Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council for Health Research and Development’s (DOST-PCHRD) Startup Research  Grant program (SGP). 

Launched in 2021, the program was designed in response to the Innovative Startup Act or  R.A. No. 11337 which mandates the DOST to promote the Philippine startup ecosystem by  providing R&D support to startup companies. 

Under the SGP, startups who qualify based on the screening process are entitled to a research  grant of up to three million pesos. The research activities to be pursued should aim to  overcome R&D roadblocks, strengthen the company’s intellectual property, establish initial  market traction, refine the company’s business model, and scale up current production  capacities. 

To share updates on some of the grantees under the program, the DOST-PCHRD is holding  the Talakayang HeaRT Beat press conference on 24 June 2022 at 10AM-12PM, via Zoom.  The activity will focus on the SGP and updates on the activities of the following grantees: 

SeeYouDoc Corp. 

SeeYouDoc is a telemedicine platform that allows patients to search, book, and conduct  consultations online, among other features. Under the SGP, the company is set to develop an  enhanced interactive analysis platform that provides data on the effectiveness of using  telemedicine in medical facilities, which are the target users of the technology. The project  aims to emphasize the value of telemedicine in healthcare service delivery by providing  evidence on its benefits. 

Pivotal Peak Digital Health Solutions, Inc. 

Pivotal Peak is a startup specializing in digital health solutions. The DOST-PCHRD is  supporting the development of a two-way e-referral system that will facilitate government-to government, private-to-private, private-to-government, and vice versa health facility referrals.  It is envisioned to facilitate efficient communication between healthcare service providers to  enable immediate care for patients. 

USHER Technologies, Inc. 

USHER Technologies originally focused on earthquake recording instruments for structural  health monitoring of infrastructures. In 2020, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, USHER  Technologies developed innovations addressing problems brought by the virus. One of these  is the HOCLOMAC, a device that can generate safe and effective disinfectant using locally-available raw materials. The SGP grant will focus on enhancing the HOCLOMAC to prepare  it for commercialization.