*Updated December 2022
Ever wonder how corporations can align with SDG 3 in a way that lowers costs, generates additional revenues, and opens the doors to new markets? Wonder no longer.
This month’s report focuses on SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, and shows how startups and their innovative technology can help corporations engage with the goal. Supported with data from our AI platform, the report demonstrates how we can help corporations find their best-matching startups.
What is SDG 3?
SDG 3 or the third sustainable development goal regarding "Good Health and Well-being" and its purpose is to "ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages." The SDG has 13 targets and 28 indicators that measure progress.
How we can help organizations find the best-fitted SDG 3 startups
Valuer is a "matchmaking" platform that helps corporations discover startups that will bring a fresh injection of innovation. Download the full 3 SDG forecast report to find out how the Valuer platform uses AI to find the best-fitted startups in a specific industry. The report also includes a broad list of NGOs, governments, and corporations that are doing a great job at tackling SDG 3.
Organizations addressing SDG 3
While our report includes seven case studies: four SDG 3 startups and three corporations, this article shares more inspirational organizations. Below, we’ve listed a number of NGOs, governments, corporations, and startups working toward SDG 3.
Sustainable good health and well-being startups
London, United Kingdom
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Prokarium is a London-based biotech firm focused on developing microbial immunotherapy for solid tumors and vaccines against infectious diseases. The startup has programs focused on global health and innovation including vaccines for various diseases. Some of them are being developed in collaboration with the UK government.
Marseille, France
IMCheck Therapeutics
ImCheck Therapeutics is a French biotech company pioneering the next generation of immune checkpoint modulators. ImCheck's “first-in-class" monoclonal antibodies may be able to improve upon the first-generation checkpoint inhibitors in cancer. In 2022, they received €96M for the development of antibodies that activate immune cell response against cancer. As cancer is a big problem in the 21st century, this company has the potential to be quite helpful in reaching SDG 3 benchmarks.
Palo Alto, USA
Emedgene
Emedgene is the world’s first completely automated genetic interpretation platform. They scale genetic interpretation and discovery using advanced AI technology. Emedgene allows clinical labs to improve dry lab efficiency, reduce time spent on interpretation and reporting, increase yield, and scale their genomic interpretation operation.
Shanghai, China
Yikon
Yikon Genomics is a leading solution-based single cell sequencing company. They provide medical testing and diagnosis in the fields of reproductive health and cancer with liquid tumor biopsy. Yikon has already helped thousands of couples to achieve successful pregnancies.
Paris, France
Epigene Labs
The Epigene Labs technology platform is transforming oncology by using AI to translate genomic data into actionable insights that allow cancer scientists to design precision oncology approaches. With R&D in Paris and business development in Boston, Epigene Labs operates in the setting of value-based partnerships with world-leading cancer centers and high-profile biotech companies.
Beijing, China
EdiGene
EdiGene is a biotech company committed to translate the cutting-edge genome editing technologies into novel therapeutics for genetic diseases and cancer. They are dedicated to promote the exploration of creative solutions to advance drug discovery.
Helsinki, Finland
Valo
Valo Therapeutics (Valo Tx) is a developer of a novel cancer immunotherapy that is projected to transform the lives of millions of patients with various types of cancer.
As a spin-out company from the University of Helsinki, Finland, Valo Tx has assembled a talented team of oncolytic virus and immunotherapy experts, who, together with the founding scientist, have the necessary expertise to take this patented technology through clinical development and make it available to patients.
Singapore, Singapore
ACM Biolabs
ACM Biolabs is focused on developing novel vaccines using proprietary artificial cell membrane ("ACM") technology. They incorporate functional proteins into the artificial cell membranes which keep them stable, allowing them to prompt a strong immune reaction.
Lund, Sweden
Ziccum
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Ziccum develops new dry powder preparations of biological pharmaceuticals. Dry powder cracks the cold chain: it is more stable, durable, and cost-effective to transport and handle than liquid solutions. It enables distributors to avoid expensive cold chain infrastructure for transportation and opens up novel treatments to new patients and markets. Currently, the company has turned its focus to developing dry powder vaccines.
London, United Kingdom
MediLiVes
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MediLiVes is a much-needed location-based referral system enabling users globally to access medical professionals 24/7 remotely, from the comfort of their own homes. Connected to other healthcare apps such as Apple Watch and Samsung Health, the startup also pledges to protect the privacy and data of patients through the use of blockchain.
Seattle, USA
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98point6 provides on-demand access to primary care for everyone: no need to schedule an appointment, incur long waiting times, or increase your expenses. The app combines AI with the expertise of qualified physicians, so users only need to input their symptoms and then wait for a diagnosis and a personalized treatment care plan. Available 24/7, 98point6 aims to be accessible, convenient, and trustworthy.
New York, USA
Sword Health
Sword Health is a tech-enabled physical therapy provider that pairs digital therapists with clinical teams to help patients recover from ailments or post-surgery. Performing therapy at home with motion trackers, users have access to a large array of therapy and treatments for musculoskeletal disorders. Sword prides itself on accompanying its patients through behavioral coaching and providing access to comprehensive information about their condition. The custom treatment plants allow individual patients to embark on a suitable road to recovery.
Nairobi, Kenya
Totohealth
Totohealth is a social enterprise currently utilizing mobile technology to detect child development abnormalities and improve access to maternal and child health information for marginalized communities. One of the main goals of Toto is to use mobile technologies to follow health indicators and prevent maternal death during childbirth. Totohealth not only focuses on the well-being and follow-up of parents, but also enables NGOs and other organizations to improve the health conditions of the communities they operate in through information and education, thus increasing their focus on SDG 3.
San Francisco, USA
BigHealth
Big Health’s purpose is to help millions of people get back to a good state of mental health without drugs. It does this by creating fully automated and highly personalized behavioral programs for mental health. The startup has developed digital therapeutic programs and apps including Sleepio, which focuses on sleep quality, and Daylight, which aims to be a new way to address worry and anxiety through behavioral techniques supported by scientific expertise.
San Francisco, USA
Quit Genius
Quit Genius provides medication-assisted digital therapy to help people quit addictions such as tobacco, alcohol, and opioids. One goal of this personalized addiction treatment that's available at any time - including during work hours, when there's nothing you wouldn't do for a cigarette break - is to decrease the number of premature deaths caused by behavioral patterns related to addictive tendencies. The three medical doctors who founded the startup detected the issue in the preventative stage. By combining technology and healthcare, Quit Genius has helped over 60.000 people quit smoking, making the number 53% higher than with other preventative techniques.
Oslo, Norway
Braive
Braive focuses on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in the form of online courses. These globally available courses aim to change patterns of thinking and patterns of behavior through different programs - or healthier coping mechanism - to deal with worry, stress, and sorrow. That's how Braive helps patients who are struggling with issues like dealing with stressful situations.
London, United Kingdom
Spill App
Spill offers digital mental health treatment to companies. Its first step is to assess the individual employees' mental health by letting them fill out a survey. The ones who are severely struggling get therapy sessions through the platform (everything is confidential), while others are provided with advice and healthy coping tools to help them whenever needed. Employees can also book video therapy sessions through Slack.
San Mateo, USA
Meru Health
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Meru Health, a digital clinic in the US, provides healthcare programs to treat depression, anxiety, and burnout online. The programs integrate mindfulness practices, lifestyle changes, and physiological techniques to improve their clients' mental well-being which a high success rate.
Edmonton, Canada
Pacylex
Pacylex Pharmaceuticals creates precision medicine solutions for various common cancers. Using “first of its kind therapy,” Pacylex Pharmaceuticals will identify potential patients with their diagnostic technology to find who could best benefit from their drug and not put others through pointless treatments. The drug itself targets myristoylation to kill cancer cells.
San Francisco, USA
InsightRX
InsightRX is a precision dosing software that uses a cloud-based platform. The support tool for professionals in the medical field collects data about the patients, their history, labs, biomarkers, and pharmacogenetics to create a model-based Bayesian forecast. This way InsightRX understands the patient's PK/PD and is then able to find the best dosing regimen for the individual.
SDG 3 firms: Sustainable good health and well-being companies
New York City, USA
Pfizer
Pfizer is a leading American multinational research-based biopharmaceutical corporation headquartered in New York City. They focus on delivering innovative therapies that extend and improve lives by making medicines and vaccines accessible for people in need. Their colleagues work to treat and cure life-threatening conditions and some of the most feared diseases of our time.
They support good health and well-being through the development of innovative medicine and vaccines through global health programs and partnerships. These programs and partnerships are designed to ensure accessible and affordable healthcare for disadvantaged individuals, although the pandemic proved that money played a pretty big role in who gets vaccines.
Pfizer is determined to end preventable deaths of newborns and children under the age of five, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive services, achieve universal health coverage and strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Heineken
Sustainability plays a big role in Heineken’s business. Being a big supporter of the UN SDGs, the Dutch company set up its “Brewing a better world” campaign. The campaign's main purpose is to “make sustainability an integral part of business.”
Part of their campaign focuses on SDG 3, like the promotion of health and safety. In particular, they are working to decrease the number of deaths and injuries caused by car accidents by 50 percent. The relationship between car accidents and drinking is ominously familiar, so it's no wonder that the beer manufacturer would choose to tackle this particular theme.
Heineken understands the responsibility to spread awareness and wants to "strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse." They are growing a community to advocate healthy alcohol consumption.
The value chain of the large brewery company is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. This includes agriculture, packaging, distribution, and much more - heck, we've already seen them at work with SDG 3.
Hørsholm, Denmark
ALK 
ALK is a pharmaceutical group created in 1923, that specializes in the development and production of Allergy Immunotherapy Treatment (AIT) to prevent and treat allergies.
ALK is committed to ensuring a responsible approach to ethics and sustainability. With a global vision engaged in “taking actions that benefit the environment and the climate”, the company prides itself to offer sustainable solutions that would help us reach SDG 3 benchmarks.
With a perspective of continual improvement, ALK has staged numerous indicators to measure its performance and designed targets to be achieved by the end of 2020, in keeping with its guidelines and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
ALK also participates in the investment of innovative startups whose pillar is SDG 3, such as Danish startup NMD Pharma developing treatments of neuromuscular disorders.
Sustainable good health and well-being NGOs
Oakland, USA
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente, an NGO from the US, has made it its mission to provide healthcare to those without access to it through different programs like Medicaid and financial assistance.
People with low income or people who lost their job and can not afford healthcare can sign up to be part of the program that gives people in need access to subsidized health coverage and support in paying for medical care.
The NGO has set up different charity programs across the country that help lower the financial barriers and allow members to get financial aid with their monthly fees.
Their aid goes beyond just necessary healthcare services making Kaiser Permanente stand out in the industry for being one of the most generous organizations.
Sustainable good health and well-being government initiatives
Germany
Even though Germany is known to have one of the best healthcare systems around the world, there are still further steps the country is taking to reach the sustainable development goals set by the UN.
One of the main focuses is improving healthcare for everybody by increasing the availability of doctors nationwide to ensure fast treatment options for patients.
Emission is also an aspect Germany is working on. Their goal is to make a 55 percent reduction by 2030 compared to 2005 to ensure a healthy life and well-being for their citizens. After all, a 2018 study found that 7 million people annually die from pollution.
Denmark
Denmark's government has been committed to the implementation of SDG 3 when it comes to promoting healthy lives and ensuring the well-being of people of all ages.
The challenge is to “Expand the effective supply of affordable and accessible healthcare solutions to people around the world.” According to a recent Danske Bank survey of 306 Nordic startups, SDG 3 is the second goal, after SDG 12, currently attracting the most attention.
The Danish government has thus pledged to support the most vulnerable communities in gaining access to healthcare, such as in the Philippines, Indonesia, Kenya, and Mexico through new partnerships and funding.
One example is Danish startup LuluLab, which defends many SDGs including SDG 3, “to empower adolescents by giving them the confidence to speak more openly about taboo topics”, such as sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) or mental health and well-being.
Nigeria
The Nigerian government is strongly engaged in promoting healthcare and the well-being of citizens. There have been significant efforts to increase life expectancy and reduce common causes associated with infant and maternal mortality.
The government has also made significant progress in increasing access to clean water, reducing diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and polio, and decreasing the spread of HIV/AIDS.
One of their goals is to achieve universal health coverage. This includes both financial risk protection and access to quality essential healthcare services. This means safe, effective, high-quality, and affordable medicine and vaccines.
They also aim to decrease mortality and ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, including family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programs.
Conclusion
As the Harvard Business Review once put it: "There’s no alternative to sustainable development."
The increasingly evident climate change and its resulting stricter regulations, coupled with the modern needs of the informed customer, mean that business-as-usual won’t cut it anymore. What's more, this overview of SDG 3 has served as a reminder that we are still facing health challenges around the globe. The pandemic proved that even so-called developed countries are far from perfect when it comes to healthcare quality and accessibility.
Luckily, this new reality doesn’t only bring threats, but also numerous new business opportunities for those that are ready to embrace change - and the future. A better future is possible, and our platform can help you find the startups that will bring it.
