G4A Relaunches with Enhanced Collaboration with Bayer to Co-Create Next-Gen Health Experiences

“A popular saying in the startup community this year is, ‘2019 was the worst year of the past decade, but it may be the best year of the next ten.’ In 2019, different companies experienced distinct atmospheres.”

Some companies scramble everywhere yet attract no investor interest, while others secure substantial funding with ease. But regardless of whether your year has been good or bad, if you are truly outstanding and confident, an opportunity now lies before you. If your talents are going unrecognized, here is a chance to showcase yourself; if you are experiencing steady growth, you will surely be interested in certain resource-matching opportunities; and if you are thriving, Bayer wants to discuss potential directions for collaboration with you.

Registration for G4A 2019 is now open. This year, G4A features broader coverage and deeper collaboration, with a strong emphasis on driving project implementation. Targeting the prescription pharmaceuticals and consumer health business segments, G4A focuses on startups in the Digital Health sector. Through three rounds of progressively in-depth engagements with applicant companies, a select number of enterprises will be chosen to join this year’s G4A program. Selected companies will engage in intensive exchanges with relevant Bayer departments in China to explore potential future collaboration pathways. During this period, Bayer will also provide participating startups with tailored mentorship from entrepreneurial experts, access to industry resources, and support through business exchange platforms.

G4A (formerly Grants4Apps) is an innovative collaboration initiative by Bayer that aims to address unmet needs in the healthcare sector under the concept of “digital health” by soliciting ideas and technologies from external partners and pooling resources from both Bayer and its collaborators. Initially, G4A supported startups in the healthcare industry solely through funding. With the evolution of the digital health landscape, G4A is now dedicated to developing and expanding behavior science-based solutions.

G4A was first launched at Bayer’s global headquarters in Germany in 2013, entered China for the first time in 2016, and has since expanded to 35 countries and regions worldwide. Between 2016 and 2018, Bayer collaborated with 11 domestic startups through G4A China, some of which have established long-term partnerships with Bayer.

Rooted in the digital health sector, G4A has long served as Bayer’s window for open innovation. By facilitating connections between Bayer and outstanding startups worldwide, it not only accelerates the growth of these startups but also enables Bayer to gain new perspectives and technological pathways in the healthcare industry through collaboration. Moreover, being selected for G4A itself signifies Bayer’s endorsement of the chosen enterprises.

“G4A is an annual brainstorming session between Bayer and startups. Bayer shares its years of accumulated experience and industry resources with entrepreneurs, who in turn provide Bayer with advanced concepts, cutting-edge technologies, and creative ideas. This exchange itself serves to drive progress in the pharmaceutical sector. ‘This year, we have introduced new ideas and changes, but our unwavering core mission remains supporting the growth of startups,’ said Ding Song’en, Project Lead of G4A.”

Over the past three years, G4A has amassed significant popularity and a strong reputation within China’s pharmaceutical community. Through three years of development, G4A has also gained new insights and perspectives on China’s pharmaceutical sector. As a result, G4A underwent further upgrades in 2019.

Over the past three years, recruitment efforts were primarily concentrated in Shanghai; this year, G4A will expand its reach nationwide. The program has evolved from an 88-day on-site exchange and learning experience at Bayer to a deep collaboration lasting three to five months. The number of finally selected projects has increased from the previous 3–4 per year to an unlimited quota for this year. Through G4A, Bayer aims to engage efficiently with communities, networks, and experts in China’s healthcare sector. This year’s comprehensive upgrade, regardless of cost, is designed to facilitate more in-depth and efficient communication and collaboration.

“In addition to the expert mentorship provided in previous years, G4A will also offer enterprises customized resource matching this year, rather than merely providing a generic resource platform. ‘Different business models undoubtedly have different resource requirements. We aim to deliver more precise resource matching for enterprises, addressing both their explicitly stated needs and those we identify through our own insights,’ said Ding Song’en.”

Open innovation is gradually becoming a trend in the healthcare sector. Each enterprise acts as a node on the industrial chain, and open innovation organically connects these nodes across the chain. By facilitating collaboration among enterprises, it brings together leading companies from different segments to ultimately develop superior products.

Therefore, G4A has established “Win-Win Cooperation” as this year’s theme. Companies that pass the initial screening will engage in direct communication with members of Bayer’s relevant departments to identify areas of intersection. At these intersections, they will attempt to address key pain points faced by consumers, patients, or the industry, thereby fostering more valuable collaborations. Compared with traditional incubation efforts, G4A believes that direct innovation partnerships with enterprises enhance communication efficiency, deepen the substance of exchanges, and more readily spark inspiration through interaction. Through more effective startup matchmaking, G4A aims to generate a greater number of implemented projects and shape new experiences in health.

Through G4A, Bayer has learned a great deal from early-stage startups in China over the past three years. This year’s G4A program is more inclined to recruit relatively mature companies. On one hand, such companies align better with the theme of win-win collaboration; on the other hand, G4A aims to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the development of China’s healthcare sector through dialogue with these enterprises, thereby accelerating the finalization and implementation of collaborative partnerships.

“Even a company of Bayer’s scale has its shortcomings in certain areas. This year’s G4A will continue to operate in a lean and agile manner, but we aim to foster deeper dialogue with enterprises, bringing us closer to true collaboration. Through such equitable discussions, we hope not only to help startups navigate their entrepreneurial journeys more smoothly, but also to allow Bayer to draw nourishment from the process and feel the creativity infused by fresh blood,” said Ding Song’en.

The 2019 G4A China program was officially launched on July 15, with the application recruitment deadline set for September 15.

Click [2019 Challenge] on the WeChat Official Account of [G4A Bayer Grants4Apps Program]

Or visit the G4A website (http://www.grants4apps.com.cn) to apply for membership.

Quick Registration Channel:http://vcbeat2018.mikecrm.com/GZeBvgd

 Scan the QR code with WeChat to register now

This year, G4A is primarily soliciting proposals for five major collaborative challenge projects:

1. Scalp Health:Individuals plagued by dandruff often lack an understanding of the root causes underlying their condition. This leads them to wash their hair frequently or use conventional anti-dandruff products, resulting in significant waste of time and money without preventing the embarrassment associated with dandruff.

G4A is seeking a digital solution to help identify individuals currently troubled by dandruff and dissatisfied with existing anti-dandruff products. 

2. Allergy:Typically, individuals only become aware of their allergies when symptoms are pronounced or even life-threatening. They may seek to better understand their personal allergic conditions through self-diagnosis, online consultations, or allergen testing. However, the conventional diagnostic process for allergies is cumbersome, often resulting in delayed diagnosis among children and adolescents. Untimely awareness or diagnosis of allergies can adversely affect their daily lives.

G4A is seeking external digital solution providers to help children and adolescents with allergies conveniently diagnose or prevent allergic symptoms. 

3. Greater Health - Family Doctor:Families encountering sudden acute illnesses seek diagnosis and treatment through offline or online channels. These families can leverage new technologies and medical platforms to access diagnostic and therapeutic services more quickly and easily. However, physicians on these platforms lack insight into the specific circumstances of the families they serve, making it difficult for patients to receive personalized consultation and treatment plans.

G4A is seeking a solution that enables families to interact with physicians in a personalized and customized manner, thereby enhancing and improving family health. 

4. Nutritional Health:Women preparing for pregnancy typically adjust their physical condition to conceive a healthy baby. During this early and critical stage, adequate intake of various nutrients is essential. However, these women, particularly those in cities other than first- and second-tier ones, generally lack knowledge about preconception nutrition and have limited access to such information.

G4A is seeking a solution to build and enhance preconception nutrition and health awareness among mothers in non-tier-1 and tier-2 cities through online channels. 

5. R&D Clinical Trials:Clinical trials are a mandatory R&D process prior to drug market approval. Data collected during the supply of investigational medicinal products must be credible, immutable, and traceable. However, this process may lack transparency, traceability, and real-time visibility, thereby creating potential risks for data tampering.

G4A is seeking a solution to enhance data transparency, efficacy, and traceability in the management of investigational medicinal products for clinical trials. 

For more detailed information, please contact G4A through the following channels.

G4A China Partnership Contact Information:

http://www.grants4apps.com.cn

G4AShanghai@bayer.com

As a multinational corporation, Bayer possesses core competencies in health and nutrition within the life sciences sector. Guided by its vision of “Science For A Better Life,” Bayer has integrated open innovation into its operational framework. G4A serves as a filter for startups, bridging the communication gap between Bayer and high-potential emerging companies. The comprehensive upgrade of G4A this year not only underscores Bayer’s commitment to open innovation but also opens a window for startups to engage in deep collaboration with Bayer, ultimately shaping new health experiences for consumers.