Serena Williams has joined an initiative created by Reckitt to support up to 200 health and hygiene start-ups founded by women and under-represented entrepreneurs. The initiative, called Reckitt Catalyst, is a five-year commitment with up to £10 million ($13.7 million) to provide entrepreneurs with funding, mentorship, and expertise from Reckitt leaders and Serena Williams. Since 2020, the company has helped 60 entrepreneurs across 13 countries, allowing business owners to unlock access to health, clean water, and sanitation for one million people, as stated in a press release. What is Reckitt
Kande Sill, 16, has been awarded the Arkwright Engineering Scholarship, one of the UK’s most prestigious honors for young engineering talent. Her award-winning project, “Enhancing Medical Delivery,” explores how drones can securely transport critical medical supplies, such as vaccines and blood, to underserved communities. Medical drone innovation Sill’s design features an insulated, theft-resistant container and a delivery mechanism designed for safety and precision. “My project focused on the development of a secure medical drone delivery system to transport sensitive items while preventing theft,” she told her school. The Arkwright Scholarship
The NAACP is demanding an immediate shutdown of Colossus, a Memphis-based supercomputer built by Elon Musk’s AI company xAI, citing violations of environmental regulations. NBC News reported that a letter was sent to the Shelby County Health Department and Memphis Light Gas and Water from the civil rights group on Thursday, May 29. In a letter addressed to Dr. Michelle Taylor, director of the Shelby County Health Department, leaders from the NAACP criticized the organization’s “lackadaisical approach to the operation of this dirty data center.” They urged them to “issue
Lagos-based health tech company Platos Health raised $1.4 million in a pre-seed round to scale its AI-driven metabolic health platform, Platos Monitor. The startup allows people to monitor their body fat and other health metrics from their homes, according to TechCrunch. Google led the round for Startups with help from Invest International and a group of angel investors from Google, Tesla, and Unicredit. The company will use the funding to roll out its hardware medical-grade device, Plato’s Body Monitor, in Nigeria. What is Platos Health? Platos Health is a preventive
For the first time in history, the FDA has approved a device that allows people to screen for cervical cancer from home. Teal Health launched the Teal Wand, a prescription device that lets patients self-collect samples and mail them to labs to receive the same testing that they would receive from a professional doctor. In January, it was announced that Serena Ventures, Williams’ VC firm, participated in a $10 million seed funding round for Teal Health. How will the kit work? Once a user requests a kit, a vetting process to confirm eligibility is
Pan-African initiative Investing in Innovation Africa (i3) has announced the launch of its third cohort, which will provide seven founders with $225,000 each in grant funding to transform pharmacy services across the continent. The initiative is sponsored by the Gates Foundation, MSD, Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen), Endless Foundation, HELP Logistics (a subsidiary of the Kühne Foundation), Sanofi’s Global Health Unit, and Chemonics. It is a three-year program set to help founders improve patient access to healthcare across Africa, according to a press release shared by POCIT. Which seven startups have been selected? The seven
Black federal health workers have expressed fear after a right-wing group published the ‘DEI watch list,’ which published the images, names, and public information of numerous workers across different health agencies. NBC reported that the website is being shared among several private group chats of federal health workers across agencies and social media links, as stated by a government worker. The majority of the website’s employees are Black workers from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Dr. Georges Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association,
Oxford Cancer Analytics (OXcan), a medtech company that focuses on creating blood tests for early cancer detection, has secured $11 million in Series A funding. This latest funding round, led by We Venture Capital and Cross-Border Impact Ventures, brings OxCan’s funding total to $16.7 million. “The power of the OXcan proteomics biomarker discovery platform and the data generated by Oxcan stand out against the backdrop of other liquid biopsy companies, indicating a truly superior performance in the identification of early stage lung cancer,” Louise Warme, MD, Head of WeVenture Capital
RedDrop, a wellness brand focused on period care for tween girls, has won the $1 million grand prize from Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition program. This win was announced during the initiative’s fourth annual Demo Day, held to spotlight Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs transforming industries with innovative solutions. Founded in 2020, Black Ambition provides funding, mentorship, and resources to empower underrepresented founders. This year’s Demo Day brought together eight finalists to pitch their ideas to a panel of esteemed judges, including Lisa Price (Carol’s Daughter), Pinky Cole (Slutty Vegan), and Matt
Efforts to combat the disproportionate rates of Black maternal mortality are gaining momentum with the Virtual Black Maternal Health ECHO program. Launched by Indiana University (IU) in collaboration with the Indiana Minority Health Coalition, the program uses telehealth technology to bridge gaps in maternal healthcare and create collaboration among healthcare professionals nationwide. Addressing Urgent Maternal Health Disparities In the US, Black maternal mortality remains alarmingly high, with rates nearly double those of their white counterparts. Experts attribute this disparity to systemic issues, including healthcare access inequities, implicit bias, and fragmented
