GCC healthtech startups in spotlight as US$148m investment flows into sector at WHX Tech
 

(DUBAI) - Healthcare technology startups in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) attracted $148 million in disclosed investment between January 2025 and July 2026, according to PitchBook data, with Saudi Arabia accounting for more than half of the region's funded companies.

The data, which covers five GCC markets, showed that 32 healthtech companies received funding during the period. Saudi Arabia accounted for 17 of those companies, followed by the UAE with 11.

Deal activity continued into 2026, with 21 transactions completed in 2025 and 11 in the first half of 2026, according to the data. Investments spanned digital health, telehealth, women's health, and artificial intelligence-based diagnostics.

The figures come as healthcare technology companies, investors and healthcare providers prepare to meet at WHX Tech, a digital health and healthcare technology event scheduled for January 26-28, 2027, at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

Investors say the region's health technology sector is evolving beyond the adoption of technologies developed elsewhere, with some Gulf states seeking to develop domestic capabilities in areas such as genomics, precision medicine, clinical research, and biotechnology.

“The GCC is starting to move from being a buyer of healthcare innovation to actually wanting to build it,” said Tugce Ergul, founding partner of Hypernova Capital and a member of the WHX Tech Investor Program.

"Healthcare investment in the region has traditionally centered on hospitals, healthcare delivery, pharmaceutical imports, and the adoption of established business models," Ergul said. But that landscape is beginning to shift, as governments and institutions put greater emphasis on research and building local production capacity.

Abu Dhabi has built capabilities in genomics, precision medicine, clinical research and health data, while Saudi Arabia is investing in vaccines, biologics manufacturing and pharmaceutical localization, she said. “In biotech, that matters a lot. Capital alone does not build an ecosystem. You need patients, data, labs, regulators, manufacturing and researchers around the same table,” Ergul said.

The region's growing interest in artificial intelligence is also extending beyond the digitization of existing healthcare services, investors say, with companies exploring applications in areas such as biological research, prediction, and drug development.

One example is Canadian digital health company BioTwin, which is participating in the WHX Tech Xcelerate Startup Competition. The company is working with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi on pilots involving virtual human-twin technology, which uses patient data to create individualized health profiles, including breast cancer screening.

Investors and healthcare executives say technological capability alone is unlikely to determine which startups succeed. Clinical evidence, regulatory approval, and the ability to expand across multiple markets are also important considerations.

The GCC can offer startups access to government institutions, healthcare systems, and potential pilot sites. Still, companies seeking to expand across the region must contend with differences in regulations, healthcare systems, and cultural practices.

“The region’s advantage is speed. Regulatory sandboxes and government-backed programs let healthtech founders pilot with real institutional partners far faster than in North America,” said Danielle Brewin Graham, general partner of Phoenix Fire Ventures, co-founder of The Firehood and a WHX Tech advisory board member.

She added that the region still faces a shortage of mid-stage funding and experienced operators able to help companies move beyond their initial financing rounds.

“The biggest gap is usually mid-stage capital and mentorship density,” Brewin Graham said. “There’s often strong early-stage enthusiasm and government support, but a thinner bench of experienced operators who’ve scaled a company through Series A and beyond.”

WHX Tech will feature an Investor Program and the Xcelerate Startup Competition, with startups presenting their technologies and business models to investors and industry participants.

“The technology transforming healthcare is increasingly being developed at the intersection of different disciplines, from AI and biological data to diagnostics, digital platforms and connected care,” said Lorena Diaz Palle, event director at WHX Tech.

The event is part of World Healthcare Week, which also includes WHX and WHX Leaders. Organizers expect more than 5,000 digital health professionals and more than 200 brands and 200 speakers from more than 30 countries to participate in the three events in Dubai in January 2027.
                                      

PRINT THIS ARTICLE