Yuvital Wins ‘Roche For A Better Future’ Breast Cancer Innovation Challenge

Startup Nation Central, Roche Israel, and Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer announced the winner of a joint program to identify breakthrough Israeli technologies with the potential to drastically improve the lives of breast cancer patients.

The winning company, YuviTal, will receive a NIS 50,000 monetary grant, funding up to NIS 200,000 to conduct a clinical pilot in Sheba’s Breast Cancer Institute, and an annual membership at ARC, the innovation arm of Sheba Medical Center. The clinical pilot will allow the company to demonstrate how its technology improves and supports the patient journey in a controlled, real-world clinical setting. The company will also benefit from mentorship provided by Roche Israel experts and leading oncologists at Sheba, as well as potential adoption within the healthcare system.

YuviTal delivers an advanced digital health layer tailored to women with breast cancer, combining continuous real-world data collection with personalized behavioral guidance. The platform captures broad dietary patterns, activity markers, mood indicators, and daily health signals to build an adaptive profile that supports each woman’s evolving needs. AI personalization, preventive nudges, and high-engagement mechanics help users maintain healthier routines, emotional balance, and treatment-supporting habits. For clinical teams, YuviTal provides clear behavioral insights, early warning trends, and actionable visibility into patients’ daily realities, enabling more proactive and precise support. YuviTal strengthens the connection between everyday life and oncology care, empowering both patients and care teams with data-driven, continuous support.

The program was part of the Roche for a Better Future innovation platform and focused on identifying innovative digital solutions to improve treatment adherence, monitoring, disease management, and quality of life for women with breast cancer. Roche for a Better Future is an innovation program by Roche, one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, designed to advance innovative digital health solutions from Israeli startups. The previous challenge focused on ophthalmology, where two Israeli technologies, Notal Vision and AEYE Health, were selected.

Finalists and winners were chosen by an advisory committee of leading oncology and innovation experts, including Dr. Maura Dickler, Vice President and Global Head Product Development Oncology, Breast and Gynecologic Cancers at Roche; Dr. Einav Gal-Yam, Director of the Breast Cancer Institute at Sheba Medical Center; Ayelet Geva, Director of Innovation and Business Development Unity, ARC Oncology at Sheba Medical Center; Dr. Tal Sela, Head of the Service for Young Women with Breast Cancer at Sheba Medical Center; Prof. Shani Paluch-Shimon, Director of Breast Oncology at Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem and Chair of the National Israeli Breast Oncology Group; Dr. Ayelet Shai, Head of the Breast Cancer Unit at Rambam Health Care Campus and Head of the Oncology Department at the Technion Faculty of Medicine; Dr. Irit Yaniv, Co-Founder and Chairperson of Almeda Ventures; and Dr. Iris Adler, Head of Business Development and Global Partnerships at 8400 The Health Network.

In addition to Roche Israel, Startup Nation Central, and Sheba Medical Center, the program partners included ARC Oncology, the Israeli Breast Cancer Society, 8400, and Almeda Ventures.

Avi Danziger, General Manager, Roche Pharma Israel, noted, “Roche is a global leader in breast cancer thanks to the development of breakthrough treatments that have transformed care and impacted the lives of many patients. This is the third year of the Roche for a Better Future platform in Israel, created to accelerate groundbreaking digital health innovation that can address complex medical challenges. The company selected this year will gain the opportunity to conduct a clinical pilot with leading experts from Roche Israel and Sheba Medical Center.”

Avi Hasson, CEO, Startup Nation Central, which helps organizations worldwide address complex challenges by connecting them with Israeli innovation, stated, “Technology entrepreneurs want to leave a positive mark on the world, and in healthcare, the opportunities are both urgent and inspiring. Roche for a Better Future is an excellent opportunity to embed new technologies and knowledge processes in a field where the need continues to grow. We are proud of this collaboration, which may positively impact the lives of many women through Israeli creativity, boldness, and expertise.”

Avner Halperin, CEO, Sheba Impact, ARC Innovation, which connects entrepreneurs and clinicians to accelerate the development and implementation of technological solutions, said, “Collaborations of this kind are an inseparable part of our vision to advance medical innovation. We are committed to leveraging Israel’s technological capabilities to improve cancer care worldwide and to make a tangible impact on the quality of life of women coping with the disease.”

Alon Silberberg, CEO and Co-Founder, YuviTal, stated, “It is a privilege to be selected by Roche, Sheba Medical Center, and Startup Nation Central. Beyond the technological recognition, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to support women facing breast cancer and to strengthen the clinical teams working alongside them. This achievement reflects the power of YuviTal’s platform and the dedication of our team, who consistently push the boundaries of real-world data and behavioral intelligence. I’m proud of what we have built. Now the real work begins.”