The partnership between the Digital Health Validation Lab (DHVL) and Techscaler strengthens Scotland's digital health ecosystem by connecting innovative healthtech startups with the clinical validation expertise they need to succeed. The Digital Health Validation Lab, based at the University of Glasgow as part of its "Living Laboratory" programme, plays a crucial role in advancing digital health innovation by providing the infrastructure, expertise, and clinical access needed to evaluate these technologies effectively.
Why This Partnership Matters
Evidence generation and clinical validation is a common challenge faced by innovators in digital health, yet it's essential for bringing safe, effective solutions to market. This collaboration creates a vital bridge between entrepreneurial and clinical innovation, ensuring that promising digital health technologies can navigate the complex path from concept to healthcare adoption.
The partnership aligns perfectly with a key pillar of Techscaler's health & medtech strategy - providing access to specialist knowledge and support. Together, we're not just supporting individual startups; we're strengthening Scotland's position as a leader in heathtech innovation by ensuring founders have access to both commercial expertise and clinical validation support when they need it most.
Shared Goals, Real Impact
The partnership's core objectives centre on working collaboratively to support the growth of health and medtech startups in Scotland, particularly in digital health. The health and innovation landscape can be complex, and through partnerships like this, we help our members navigate it more effectively.
Key focus areas include:
• Evidence Generation & Clinical Validation: Connecting founders with expert support on developing the right evidence generation strategy for their business and practical advice on execution
• Mutual Referrals & Signposting: Ensuring founders access the right support at the right time through coordinated referrals and activity signposting
• Collaborative Ecosystem Development: Working together on events and initiatives that bolster the health and medtech support ecosystem across Scotland
The partnership aims to support companies across the full journey, from early concept through to adoption within healthcare systems, ensuring that good ideas and prototypes have the best chance of becoming safe and effective solutions for patients.
What That Looks Like in Practice
The partnership delivers tangible value through integrated initiatives that address the specific needs of digital health innovators.
• Evidence Generation Clinics: DHVL has offered Techscaler members access to specialist evidence generation clinics, providing founders with 1:1 expert support on developing the right evidence generation strategy for their business and practical guidance on execution.
• Educational Events & Presentations: DHVL participated in the Techscaler Medtech Connect event in Glasgow, delivering an insightful presentation on clinical validation and evidence generation, complete with a practical roadmap for startups navigating this critical process.
• Coordinated Support Pathway: Through mutual referrals and collaborative planning, the partnership ensures founders can access complementary forms of support - Techscaler's commercial scaling expertise alongside DHVL's clinical validation and evidence generation capabilities.
Signs of Success
The partnership has already demonstrated strong value for Scotland's digital health ecosystem through targeted, expert-led initiatives that directly address founders' most pressing challenges.
Since launching the collaboration, DHVL's evidence generation clinics have provided Techscaler members with critical insights into validation strategies, while their participation in Techscaler events, such as Medtech Connect, DHVL has equipped attendees with practical roadmaps for clinical validation. The partnership has successfully established clear pathways for mutual referrals, ensuring founders can navigate between commercial and clinical support seamlessly.
Looking ahead, we're excited to continue making mutual referrals for the benefit of health & medtech founders across Scotland, while developing specialist content and events that serve our growing community of digital health innovators.
DHVL's Take
We asked DHVL to provide their perspective on our partnership.
Why did DHVL choose to work with Techscaler?
Techscaler and the Digital Health Validation Lab provide complementary forms of support for start-ups. Techscaler helps founders build and scale the commercial side of their business, while DHVL works with health and medtech innovators to generate the evidence needed to show their technologies are safe, effective, cost-effective and acceptable to patients and clinicians. Together, we support companies across the full journey, from early concept through to adoption within healthcare systems.
How does this collaboration fit into your broader goals?
Our goal is to help innovators build safe, effective, and impactful digital health products. Working with Techscaler means we can reach a wider community of start-ups at the stage when decisions about validation and evidence really matter. This partnership strengthens Scotland's digital health ecosystem by connecting entrepreneurial support with clinical and academic validation expertise.
Final Say
"The Digital Health Validation Lab exists to help innovators generate the evidence they need to develop impactful innovations in healthcare. Partnering with Techscaler allows us to meet founders at the right time, connect them with a supportive community, and make sure good ideas and prototypes have the best chance of becoming safe and effective solutions for patients."
"Techscaler's communities team have been fantastic to work with. They're approachable, responsive, and genuinely invested in helping founders succeed. Their support has made it easy for us to connect with the right people and contribute to a thriving community." - Digital Health Validation Lab
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