Organon launches 3rd edition of Women’s Health Accelerator Program across the META region

Women's health has long sat in the shadow of mainstream healthcare innovation. That tide is slowly turning. Organon is pushing the conversation forward with the third edition of its Women's Health Accelerator Program, now stretching across the Middle East, Turkey, Africa, and even Ukraine.

The initiative is built on a clear mission. Organon wants to create, as it puts it, "a better and healthier every day for every woman." The 2026 cohort opens its doors to digital health entrepreneurs tackling some of the toughest and most overlooked issues in family planning, fertility, and women's wellness.

The program is not just expanding geographically. It is sharpening its ecosystem. With support from venture builder Flat6Labs, start-ups entering the accelerator get more than visibility. They get real exposure to investors, industry veterans, and clinical experts. In short, they get a runway, not just a spotlight.

How does it work?

At its core, the accelerator serves as a launchpad for early- and growth-stage FemTech innovators. It blends funding opportunities, mentorship, and market access into one tightly structured support system.

Selected start-ups receive hands-on support designed to help them mature fast and scale smart. Participants typically gain access to:

• Direct introductions to regional investors who can help finance product development and market testing
• Workshops and mentorship sessions led by academics, clinicians, policy advisors, and industry specialists
• Business model refinement support to strengthen commercialization strategies
• Opportunities to validate solutions through regional partnerships
• Exposure during demo day events, where finalists pitch to healthcare leaders and investors

For the upcoming cycle, Organon has added an important new ingredient. Alumni founders from previous cohorts will return as mentors. The idea is simple but powerful. Build a cycle of founders helping founders. The program turns past winners into role models and guides for new innovators.

The accelerator also broadened its geographic net for the first time by welcoming applications from Sub-Saharan Africa. That expansion signals a strong push toward solving health gaps across diverse healthcare systems and underserved communities.

As Ramy Koussa, Associate Vice President for Organon in the region, put it: "By expanding our Accelerator Program across the META region, we are doubling down on Organon's commitment to invest in innovation for women's health."

He added a crucial point about the digital health angle.
"Digital health innovation, in particular, has the power to enable earlier detection, personalize care, and expand access at scale, and this is especially the case for conditions that are often misdiagnosed or stigmatized."

Why does it matter?

Women's health remains one of healthcare's most stubborn blind spots. That gap is not just medical. It is economic, social, and cultural.

Accelerators like this one aim to close several gaps at once.

First, they unlock innovation in areas that historically lacked investment. These include fertility support, maternal mental health, contraception awareness, and chronic disease prevention tailored specifically for women.

Second, they empower regional entrepreneurs. Local founders often understand cultural and clinical realities better than imported solutions. That insight can make the difference between a good product and one that actually gets adopted.

Third, the economic upside is enormous. Research cited throughout the program suggests that closing the global gender health gap could add roughly 1 trillion pounds to the global economy by 2040. That figure alone reframes women's health from a social obligation to a major economic growth engine.

Beyond economics, the ripple effect touches communities. Better access to diagnostics, personalized care, and stigma-free support systems often improves family health, workforce participation, and national productivity.

Put simply, investing in women's health tends to pay society back in spades.

The context

The Women's Health Accelerator did not appear overnight. It has been evolving steadily since its launch in 2022. In that time, the program has received around 500 applications, supported more than 20 companies, and crowned six winners, including start-ups such as iYoni, Siira, and Maternally.

Each edition has expanded its ambition. Earlier programs focused mainly on the Middle East and North Africa. The new META scope reflects a broader vision. Organon is positioning itself at the intersection of global healthcare, regional innovation, and digital transformation.

The partnership with Flat6Labs plays a critical role here. The venture firm brings deep start-up expertise and investor networks, giving the program both credibility and operational muscle.

The accelerator also aligns with a wider global shift toward FemTech. Over the past decade, investors, regulators, and health organizations have begun to acknowledge that women's healthcare needs specialized solutions. From menopause support platforms to fertility tracking and maternal mental health services, the FemTech ecosystem is growing rapidly.

Organon's accelerator feeds directly into that momentum. It is not just nurturing start-ups. It is helping shape a regional innovation pipeline that reflects the unique healthcare realities of META countries.

The next milestone will arrive during the early second quarter of 2026, when finalists pitch their solutions during demo day. Three winners will be selected. More importantly, dozens of innovators will leave the program with stronger networks, sharper products, and better chances of survival in a brutally competitive start-up landscape.