Social enterprises
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Why Inspire2Live is working with social enterprises
In 2021, the Inspire2Live board decided that Inspire2Live would not only act as a catalyst or participate in projects. Inspire2Live would also lead and execute projects itself if no one else was doing so or if they were not being carried out in a way that benefited patients. This decision led to the launch of our first social enterprise in 2023.
Social enterprises within Inspire2Live
A social enterprise within Inspire2Live must adhere to the Inspire2Live mission, Scientific Guidelines, and Federation Principles. Although Inspire2Live does not invest in these enterprises, we want to ensure that those who do invest in them have a clear understanding of Inspire2Live’s mission as well.
Inspire2Live will always hold the majority of shares within the social enterprise and have the decisive vote in its policy.
The social enterprises will always operate within the legal and regulatory frameworks of the countries in which they are active.
It’s all about creating a positive impact
The priority of any Inspire2Live enterprise is to make a positive impact rather than to maximise profit. To achieve the greatest impact, we collaborate with local partners in each country. These partners are familiar with local needs and cultural aspects. Our social companies selects its partners based on their knowledge, experience, and ability to ensure effective processes and support.
OncoInv
Early detection saves lives
In every country worldwide, early cancer detection leads to better outcomes for patients. Just as in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), High-Income Countries (HICs) also experience poor outcomes for late-stage cancer diagnoses. The key difference is that people in HICs are diagnosed earlier due to the availability of early detection products. In LMICs, more than 80% of cancers are diagnosed at a late stage (III or IV), making cancer the third leading cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular diseases.
Despite the availability of several screening techniques in clinical practice, their high cost, as well as the need for specialised infrastructure and skilled technicians, limits their accessibility. Clearly, low-cost and widely available early detection methods could have a significant impact on improving treatment options and survival rates.
Insights from our advocates in LMICs indicate that surgery and radiotherapy are often at a reasonably effective level. In their view, these treatments could save many lives if early detection were improved. Although OncoSeek was developed with LMICs in mind, it could also serve as a valuable complementary product in HICs—helping to save more lives while reducing healthcare costs.
OncoInv’s mission is to make multi-cancer detection accessible to as many people as possible. It has adopted a Robin Hood approach, offering its products on a not-for-profit basis in LMICs, while pricing in HICs helps subsidise availability in LMICs.
Currently, OncoSeek—developed by Prof. Mao Mao and his company SeekIn—is the only product offered by OncoInv. However, OncoInv is interested in expanding its product portfolio if it aligns with its mission and strengthens its impact.