ProvenMed, a UAE MedTech innovation startup supported by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund, has signed an agreement with South Korean advanced manufacturing platform HubForward to produce its flagship medical kits.
The agreement is the result of increased demand from distributors all over the world for ProvenMed’s flagship product for people with urinary incontinence, the ActivGo®. The ActivGo® kit, which includes wearable catheters, a one-of-a-kind integrated cleaning system, a portable bidet, and a stylish wearable urine bag, is currently available in seven countries, with six new territories added.
Souheil Guessoum, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at ProvenMed said: “The ActivGo® kit has helped thousands of people with urinary incontinence resume an active lifestyle without the risk of infections. Now we’re looking to rapidly expand our manufacturing capacity so that we can meet the growing demand from our distributors in a timely manner.”
As part of the agreement, HubForward will provide ProvenMed with research and development capabilities in South Korea in order to expedite the testing and commissioning of its upcoming MedTech products, which include the Comffi, the first hybrid stress incontinence solution for women, the ActivFront for supporting front-liners, and the ActivGo® Smart, the first AI-powered wearable for bladder health monitoring.
In addition, in line with the UAE’s desire to expand domestic manufacturing, ProvenMed is looking to develop near-future local production capacity by bringing together HubForward’s qualified manufacturing partners from South Korea and local UAE qualified partners.
Commenting on the announcement, Fatima Al Naqbi, Chief Innovation Officer at Ministry of Finance and MBRIF representative, said: “Transforming lives, industries, and economies is central to our purpose at MBRIF. With the success of ProvenMed, an alumni of the MBRIF Innovation Accelerator programme, we are further cementing our commitment to the healthcare sector as their products continue to gain global demand from distributors. The agreement between ProvenMed and HubForward also paves way for best practice transfer to local manufacturing, aligning with the UAE’s vision to localize the manufacturing of innovative products and transform the nation’s industrial sector into a global manufacturing hub.”
The ActivGo® Smart is the world’s first AI-powered wearable for non-invasive bladder monitoring, designed to detect and prevent advanced kidney failure, strokes, and dehydration conditions, whereas the Comffi is designed for women, particularly hospital in-patients, to manage the stress of incontinence comfortably and conveniently, with total comfort and no fear of infections.
“With our extended product roadmap and R&D requirements, we need access to a more advanced ecosystem for precision manufacturing and there’s nowhere in the world better for that than South Korea. We have chosen to partner with HubForward in particular because of the full visibility of production offered by their platform – from design to the shelf. That’s the kind of capability we need to accelerate our innovations, grow our business and transform more lives,” said Amine Staali, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Co-Founder at ProvenMed.
“HubForward has the capacity to qualify local manufacturing partners to cover part of our product needs at ProvenMed with technology transfer support from their advanced manufacturers in South Korea. HubForward has successfully created a streamlined manufacturing process and network in South Korea and is now set to bring the same framework to the UAE thanks to this partnership,” Staali explained.
“We are proud to partner with ProvenMed for the expansion of both their product line and production capacity. Our advanced manufacturing platform which ensures agile manufacturing in the best lead time and cost, with full logistics support, is perfectly suited for the high-precision requirements of ProvenMed’s revolutionary MedTech products,” said Dr. Abdenour Haddou, CEO and Founder at HubForward.
“With our experience in the South Korean SME manufacturing & R&D ecosystem, we are committed to extending that expertise to the UAE. With our proprietary technology and highly qualified team, we ensure seamless production and innovation support for our customers. With an aim to meet the growing demand in the region by a solid plan for local manufacturing partnerships empowered by technology transfer” said Hyu Min Park, Chief Manufacturing Officer & Co-Founder at HubForward.
