Unlocking Startup Success in Health and Life Sciences: Insights from Oyster pre-incubator at ISPIM Connects Cape Town Conference

Business incubators play a pivotal role in startup growth by providing key resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities. On March 19, 2025, within the frame of the OYSTER incubator project, postdoctoral researcher Raushan Aman presented the MAI team’s research at the ISPIM Connects Cape Town Transforming Futures through Innovation Conference. This research, conducted in collaboration with Chathurangani Jayathilake and Irina Atkova, focused on the factors driving startup success in health and life sciences during the pre-incubation phase in healthcare ecosystems. This study was carried out in association with the action research of the OYSTER incubator, which consists of pre-incubation, incubation, and post-incubation phases, each conducted over a duration of 100 days, and contributes to the pre-incubation performance literature by focusing on intangible sector-specific needs and entrepreneurial support needs.

The OYSTER Health and Life Science Incubator -project runs from Jan 2024 to April 2026, and is coordinated by Business Oulu. The co-implementors are Oulu University of Applied Sciences and the University of Oulu which is represented by Martti Ahtisaari Institute and Kerttu Saalasti Institute.

The OYSTER Health and Life Science Incubator -project aims to support the growth of health and life science startups in Northern Ostrobothnia. By leveraging the region's strong research and technology ecosystem, the project seeks to accelerate the creation of new companies and develop a sustainable incubator model.

Text and pictures: Raushan Aman