About us

About usWhat is WELCO Lab?

WELCO Lab is an initiative by Japanese companies that aim to solve problems in the field of global health. Through innovation and cross-sector collaboration, we will create solutions. In addition, we will disseminate such a new business as a corporate commitment and promote the participation and collaboration of diverse players.

Background, Purpose

Many Japanese companies are contributing to solving various health problems in low- and middle-income countries, such as infectious diseases, nutritional issues, and lifestyle-related diseases, by taking advantage of their strengths in multiple activities. The Japanese government continues to make international contributions by emphasizing the importance of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and expressing its support at major international conferences.

However, the health sector in Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) has accounted for about 5% of the total *, which is not necessarily high by international standards. Besides, initiatives in this field by private sector have also tended to be limited to some specific companies.

At the same time, the utilization of digital technologies such as IoT and AI has been gaining attention in the global health domain over the past few years, while they have become a source of innovation in all fields.

Going forward, the participation of a wide variety of players from different sectors is expected to bring innovative approaches to solving problems in this area.

With this background, WELCO Lab was established in October 2020 with support from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to encourage more diverse Japanese companies to play an active part in the global health field.

* Japan Tracker, https://japan-tracker.org/en/

Mission

Become a hub for sharing and disseminating information and building networks in the global health field

Vision

・Create new businesses and solutions to tackle global health challenges
・Encourage the participation of diverse players and build social momentum

Value

Connect Well, Collaborate Well, Co-create Well