Japan’s Murata Electronics and Signapore-based Tribe, an open innovation platform, have launched KUMIHIMO Tech Camp Singapore 2026, an open innovation programme inviting MedTech startups across ASEAN and India to co-develop healthcare solutions addressing the region’s most pressing medical challenges.
In a statement on Tuesday, Tribe said the program focuses on three challenge areas: preventing and detecting dual disease burden across chronic and infectious conditions; monitoring environment-linked health risks from pollution, heat, and climate change; and expanding access to affordable screening and diagnosis beyond major urban centers.
Selected startups will receive access to Murata’s hardware platforms, components, and core technologies, supported by direct guidance from Murata engineers and mentorship from MedTech experts. The program culminates in a Demo Day on November 26, 2026 in Singapore. One winning team will receive a SGD10,000 ($7,800) cash prize. High-potential teams may continue into proof-of-concept and co-development engagements with Murata beyond the program.
DM Venkatesan, General Manager of Regional New Business Development at Murata Electronics Singapore, said startups that combine hardware innovation with deep local context are best placed to address healthcare challenges across ASEAN and India, which off-the-shelf technology was not built to solve.
Yi Ming Ng, Co-Founder of Tribe Accelerator, said Tribe will put its regional networks to work for selected teams, facilitating sessions with strategists, subject matter experts, and investors who have shipped and invested in MedTech across Southeast Asia and India.
Applications open in mid-June 2026 and close on July 31, 2026, with the top 10 teams selected by mid-August and the development phase running from September to November 2026.
Tribe operates corporate innovation programs, accelerators, and hackathons across the region, with its ecosystem including AngelHack, the world’s largest hackathon community of over 500,000 developers.
Singapore’s Ignition AI Accelerator partners Pfizer to advance biopharma sector with AI
