How Qatar is introducing global women's health startups to the Middle East region

When Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) launched a FemTech accelerator earlier this year it drew applications from 47 countries and attracted 240 startups working across fertility, hormonal health, chronic disease, diagnostics, AI and preventative health — more than 70% of applicants were female founders. Backed by Merck and supported by regional partners, the programme is designed to provide market access, pilot opportunities and regulatory introductions across Qatar, Egypt and the wider MENA region.

“We wanted to start with a programme that could encourage more founders who are solving for women’s health issues to consider the region a home and be able to solve for the challenges we had regionally,” said Rama Chakaki, President of QSTP. “And also to encourage female founders who are looking at the same to come in and say, look, we have capital for you.”

The accelerator, launched in partnership with Merck, is structured to move beyond mentorship and connect startups with healthcare systems, pilot sites and commercial pathways. Merck Egypt is playing an explicit role by making introductions to healthcare stakeholders and ecosystem partners to help participating companies explore pilots, scale and patient reach across Egypt and MENA markets. The programme has also attracted investor support from Golden Gate Ventures, Shorooq, White Star Capital, Raed Ventures, Global Ventures, STV, Jaza Rift Ventures, Rasmal Ventures and the QSTP Tech Venture Fund.

Cohort composition and capabilities

The first cohort brings together companies from North America, Europe, Africa, Australia, and the MENA region. Selected participants include:

• Noor Sciences (US) — developing AI-powered embryo assessment technology for IVF
• Babysteps Health Technologies (South Africa) — predicting high-risk pregnancies using low-cost diagnostics and AI
• Hyivy Health (Canada) — building an at-home pelvic health system for chronic pelvic pain
• Prickly Pear Health (US) — focusing on hormonal and brain health

Startups in the accelerator span fertility and maternal health through to menopause, diagnostics and chronic disease management. The programme’s first phase includes workshops, investor sessions and introductions to researchers, regulators and healthcare leaders; the next phase will place selected startups into pilot projects in Qatar and Egypt, exposing founders to markedly different healthcare systems and patient demographics.

Adapting technology to regional realities

Many applicants arrived without products tailored to the MENA region, prompting QSTP to build substantial cultural and regulatory education into the programme. “Are the apps like Flo or others tailored to our needs? Or are they not?” Chakaki asked, noting differences in family structures, reproductive health needs and the prevalence of certain conditions. Workshops cover healthcare delivery, fundraising, regulation, market access and sessions on cultural and religious differences led by centres such as Al‑Mujadilah, a women-focused cultural dialogue centre established by Qatar Foundation.

QSTP’s location within the Qatar Foundation ecosystem — opposite a centre for women’s and children’s health and near institutions such as the Qatar Precision Health Institute, which has assembled genomic data from approximately 40,000 people — is positioned as a comparative advantage. Chakaki highlighted the ability of QSTP to convene high-level government and institutional stakeholders: “The benefit of being a large fish in a small sea is that you can make these things happen.”

The accelerator also arrives amid broader regional momentum: Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health has partnered with Oura to explore wearable data for women’s health and cardiometabolic risk, Expo City Dubai has launched a FemTech Hub, and UAE-based Nabta Health closed a $2m pre-Series A at the end of 2025 as it expands across the Middle East and Africa. Organisers hope the programme will act as a launchpad, helping global FemTech companies adapt their products and scale across the MENA markets.