One in five adults in England is currently living with a common mental health condition, and the numbers are steadily rising. According to recent research by MIND, the leading mental health charity in England and Wales, the economic impact of mental health issues is staggering, costing the UK an estimated £300 billion annually.
Recognizing the urgency of this challenge, the UK government has recently announced a £50 million investment in groundbreaking mental health research, aiming to accelerate innovation and improve outcomes for millions.
In this context and building on the success of the first cohort, the UK-Israel Tech Hub at the British Embassy in Israel, with the support of the Dangoor Foundation, is proud to announce the launch of the second cohort of the Dangoor HealthTech Academy, this time with a dedicated focus on mental health innovation.
This unique eight-week and almost fully funded program, led by Ronit Applebaum, Healthcare Innovation sector Lead at the UK-Israel Tech Hub, offers Israeli startups a deep dive into the UK healthcare ecosystem. Participants will gain valuable insights into the NHS structure, UK regulatory landscape and opportunities for collaboration within the mental health space.
In March 2025, the first delegation of Israeli startups visited London as part of the Academy. Nine Healthtech companies, all developing AI-based healthcare solutions, participated in the visit. Their work spans areas such as diagnostics, eating disorders, mental health, FemTech, neuroscience, personalized treatments and nutrition. As a result of the program, three of the participating startups: Kai, AnyDish and Treat Me Ltd, are currently in the process of forming collaborations with UK health partners.
The Dangoor HealthTech Academy was established with support from the Dangoor Foundation and family to foster collaboration between Israeli healthtech startups and the UK healthcare ecosystem, particularly the NHS. The program is run by the UK-Israel Tech Hub, a not-for-profit initiative based at the British Embassy in Israel since 2011, created by the UK government to strengthen economic ties and innovation partnerships between the two countries.
