#88 🍩 Heidi's hardware, Peptide nasal spray & 3 Mental Health acquisitions
Whats happening in health tech & innovation?
Well, it’s certainly been one hell of a busy week in health world.
First with Australian Healthcare Week, our fun little exclusive briefing with Google’s Life Sciences team on “Accelerating Innovation with AI in Life Sciences”…
Then, Heidi Unlocked yesterday in Melbourne, where they unveiled the Heidi “Remote” - their first hardware product to help create seamless experiences, transcribing, notes and communication in healthcare.
Along with their communication agents (voice, text and beyond) for both inbound and outbound interactions, helping them further expand into a fully fledged “AI care partner” and manage more parts of the care process. Tres cool.
I must say, it’s awesome to see what this incredible team has achieved in a relatively short period, and it’s clear they're just getting started
Interestingly, moving in a way, closer to bringing their original vision back when they first got funding from Blackbird for “Oscer” - of becoming a diagnostic companion. But in a much bigger, better and ground-up way.
Well done to all the Heidi team 💜
Love your work.
PS - For all the Medical Doctors turned investors (or aspiring), we’re currently hiring at Tenmile for a Investment Analyst/Associate 💹 👩⚕️
If you want to come work with me and a whole heap of far smarter folks investing in the future of Aussie healthtech, apply here!
🍩 TODAY’S ISSUE
Noteworthy News
AI Updates
Sick Science
Startup Stuff
Events
Cool Content
Noteworthy 🗞️
Funding
🧬 TMRW raised a $7M Seed round led by Tidal Ventures to expand its longevity clinics & preventative health platform
🧪 Lumonus topped up its Series B to $28M, adding $3M from Brandon Capital & Investible to scale its AI-powered cancer care platform
🔬 Monash Uni secured up to $22.4M to develop first-in-class medicines that restore lymphatic vessel pumping, targeting diseases like lymphedema & arthritis
Newsworthy
💪 US-based Superpower is licensing Tetratherix’s proprietary polymer-based carrier system to help deliver peptide-based medicines & GLP-1s via the nose rather than injections
💰 Spectrum.Life, an Irish mental health and wellbeing player, expands into Aus through the acquisitions of MindFit, We Lysn and Valion
👩⚕️ Heidi launched their new hardware product and “AI care companion” ft autonomous communication at the snazzy “Unlocked” demo day
🧠 Cortical Labs is building biological data centres powered by human brain cells in Melb & Singapore
The startup’s CL1 “biocomputers” grow neurons on silicon chips, with 120 units planned for Melb & up to 1,000 in Singapore as researchers explore ultra-low-energy alternatives to traditional AI chips
💊 Eli Lilly confirmed the TGA is evaluating its oral GLP-1 weight-loss drug, orforglipron, signalling potential new treatment options beyond injectables
📝 The government published its Ambitious Australia: Strategic Examination of Research and Development final report, after a year-long process to identify the challenges & opportunities facing Australia’s R&D system
Ft. 20 recommendations intending to improve the capacity of Australia’s research, development and innovation (RD&I) with 6 core focus elements:
greater focus and scale for RD&I impact
a world class foundational research system creating knowledge and expertise
incentives to build the RD&I businesses and industries of the future
investment and capital to fuel the innovation cycle
building workforce capability to power RD&I activities
government to lead and champion
🩺 NZ rolled out Heidi's AI scribe to every ED nationwide, giving 1,250 ED clinicians access to the tool
In early pilots, drs using the scribe saw 1 extra patient per shift, while 80% of staff reported improved productivity & 84% said it improved their wellbeing
⚖️ Aus clinicians are calling on the TGA to allow a “clinician-in-the-loop” exemption for AI medical software
🧬 Monash Uni licensed an antibody therapeutic program for immune-mediated diseases to biotech giant CSL
🤖 Anthropic is opening a Sydney office, expanding its APAC footprint as usage of its Claude AI surges globally
AU & NZ rank 4th & 8th worldwide for Claude usage per capita
🏥 NDIS providers are advertising taxpayer-funded services, including pet taxis, sensory gardens, lawn mowing, & recreation like skiing & surfing, highlighting ongoing grey areas in what the disability scheme will cover
🐶 Paul Conyngham, an Aussie tech founder, used AI & ChatGPT to design a personalised mRNA cancer vaccine for his dog, resulting in a ~75% tumour reduction
🌿 “Third places” like parks, libraries & community spaces are becoming increasingly important in Brisbane, offering free or low-cost environments to support mental health & social connection
🫀 Google launched an AI-powered heart health initiative to identify cardiovascular risk earlier in rural Aus communities
The program, run with Wesfarmers Health, SISU Health, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute & Latrobe Health Services, will use Google’s Population Health AI to analyse community-level data & support 50k heart health screenings in regional areas
🏥 Healthscope will shrink its hospital network from 31 to 28 facilities after the Adelaide Community Healthcare Alliance ended a 23-year management contract
US & Beyond Borders
💉 Novo Nordisk dropped its lawsuit against Hims & Hers & signed a partnership to distribute FDA-approved GLP-1 medications through the telehealth platform
⌚ WHOOP launched a women’s health blood biomarker panel & expanded its menstrual cycle prediction features, as the company reports 150% YoY growth in female members
⚖️ New York lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban AI chatbots from giving legal or medical advice & allow users to sue companies that violate the rule
🏋️♀️ Women are driving a surge in strength training, with more women logging strength sessions than men on Garmin & Strava in 2025
👩⚕️ Wisp launched a women’s longevity care offering, prescribing peptides & therapeutics aimed at hormonal, immune & cellular health
💌 Maven, the virtual women’s health clinic launched a DTC platform adding hormone and GLP-1 support programs
💉 Consumers are increasingly self-prescribing peptides, often sourcing them from medspas, online vendors & compounding pharmacies rather than doctors
🤝 HealthEx partnered with Microsoft to integrate personal health records into Copilot Health, enabling more personalised AI-driven health insights
🧠 Gestala, a Chinese startup, raised $21.6M just two months after launch to develop non-invasive ultrasound brain–computer interfaces
🌏 Google hosted their annual Check Up with Google 2026, sharing how AI, health products and partnerships are helping with everything from disease detection to patient experience and health coaching
🤖 AI Updates
🤖 Microsoft launched Copilot Health, an AI assistant that aggregates data from EHRs, wearables & lab tests to generate personalised health insights
☁️ AWS launched Amazon Connect Health, a suite of AI agents designed to automate tasks like appointment scheduling, patient verification & documentation
💻OpenAI just rolled out GPT-5.4
🤯 Digital health funding hit $14B in 2025 (+35% YoY), while platforms like Hims & Hers &Ro are giving patients more control over diagnostics, prescriptions & medical information
📊 Anthropic released new research showing AI is reshaping the labour market, with hiring for highly AI-exposed roles among workers aged 22–25 falling ~14% since ChatGPT launched in 2022
📣 Perplexity announced their Perplexity Health Advisory Board … “a small group of practising physicians, researchers, and health tech leaders who will help ensure the future product decisions, content quality, patient safety, and clinical workflows reflect evidence-based medicine”
Sick Science
🧠 Can childhood stress start wearing down the body by age 13?
A 2026 Brain, Behavior, & Immunity study used data from 3,787 adolescents in Portugal’s Generation XXI cohort to test whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were linked to allostatic load, a biomarker score of cumulative physiological “wear & tear.” ACEs reported by age 13 were associated with higher allostatic load, with parental separation/divorce, school difficulties, & household alcohol/drug use showing the strongest links. The biological signals were clearest in the metabolic & immune systems, including lower HDL, higher waist circumference, higher triglycerides, and higher hs-CRP.
🤖 Is AI actually making you delusional?
A Lancet Psychiatry Personal View warns that as LLMs become everyday companions, they may also validate or amplify delusional thinking in people vulnerable to psychosis. The authors describe a risk of “delusion co-creation”, where AI systems mirror grandiose or distorted beliefs, blur reality boundaries, & reinforce epistemic instability rather than grounding users in shared reality. This is not framed as proof that AI causes psychosis from scratch, but as a serious concern that these systems could worsen symptoms or deepen relapse risk in susceptible users.
🧑⚕️ Delusions aside, could an AI therapist outperform a human one?
A Nature Medicine study tested AI-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) using a double-blind trial with 227 participants, comparing human therapists, standalone LLMs, & LLMs augmented with Limbic’s clinical “cognitive layer.” Expert clinicians rated transcripts using the Cognitive Therapy Rating Scale, & AI systems with the cognitive layer scored higher than human therapists, while standalone LLMs also slightly outperformed humans. Participants reported therapeutic alliance levels similar to human therapy, suggesting users felt comparable trust & connection. Real-world analysis of ~20,000 therapy conversations also linked greater cognitive-layer use with higher recovery rates and larger reductions in anxiety and depression.
Startup Stuff 🚀
Ready to scale a digital or connected health startup in Vic?
ACTIVATE is a 6-month accelerator backed by LaunchVic, designed for Vic healthtech startups that have reached MVP & are ready to grow. The program offers hands-on mentoring, deep commercialisation support, & access to ANDHealth’s global network to help founders get investor- & enterprise-ready - More here
Building the next wave of Australian healthtech?
LX Health is taking applications for its 2026 accelerator, supporting 10 Aus health startups with investment (up to $200k), deep commercialisation support, & access to a powerful network of clinicians, operators, & VCs. Since 2021, LX has helped founders raise $33M & scale globally – More here
Early Stage Starup looking for a leg up?
The MedTech Actuator Accelerator is taking applications for its program designed to fast-track early-stage healthcare startups in Australia & APAC through the complex process of commercialisation. Spanning several months, they provide BioTech, MedTech, and HealthTech founders with intensive mentorship, hands-on guidance from industry experts, & a structured pathway to secure seed to Series A investment - More here
Got a big idea and looking for the right launchpad?
Antler is now taking applications for its global Residency Program, where exceptional founders come together to build & scale world-changing startups. It’s a full-time, in-person opportunity to find your co-founder, validate your idea, & tap into Antler’s global network of investors & mentors - More here
Turning research into a startup?
Breakthrough Victoria 2026 Fellowship offers paid researchers (undergrad/postgrad/recent Vic uni grads) $150k per startup + founder salary to build from an idea to investment-ready, with hands-on UIP support. 2025 cohort includes: IVF embryo imaging, AI skin cancer detection, mental health games
- More here
VC-backed Startup?
Anthropic Claude Startup Program offers free API credits, priority rate limits, exclusive events/office hours, & tools (Claude Code, team workspaces) for early-stage founders, trusted by Cursor, Perplexity, Replit - More here
Events💥
20th Mar: Founders Meetup with Thomas Jeng, OpenAI’s APAC Startups Lead (Syd)
23rd Mar: The 5 Day Kill Your Idea Challenge (Online)
31st Mar: Get Unstuck: How to turn idea chaos into clear decisions (Online)
26th Mar: BioNSW x Cicada HealthTech Hub Digital HealthTech Networking Night (Syd)
2nd Apr: Will They Pay? How To Find Your Real Buyers (Online)
22nd Apr: Commercialisation Grant Development Workshop (Perth)
22nd Apr: BioSymposium - Next-gen Biosensing: Breakthroughs in technology and translation (Melb)
28th Apr: Building Regulatory and Trial Readiness for Medical Devices & SaMD - HealthTech Hub Masterclass (Syd)
15th May: BioMelbourne Network 2026 | Connecting Women Lunch (Melb)
19 - 21st May: AusMedtech 2026 (Perth)
20 - 21st May: Digital Health Festival (Melb)
27 - 28th May: PTA Congress (Syd)
28th May: Breaking the Silos: The Women’s Health MedTech Summit (Syd)
Cool Content 💎
🎙️ a16z: Andrew Huberman: Peptides, Sleep Tech, & the End of Obesity
📖 Axios: The era of Doctor AI is already here
Caitlin Owens discusses how >40M people ask ChatGPT health questions every day, with challenges emerging as consumers increasingly treat chatbots as experts.
📖 Healthcare AI Guy: Company Deep Dive, Nabla
📖 AFR: I’m a longevity doctor. Here’s why I’ll never give up alcohol
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Have an excellent weekend, friends
👋 Emily,
Mariah & Team WTH
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