Abu Dhabi-based IHC's unit to roll out online wellness and prevention platform

The decision to launch HealthyU will add preventative health to the company’s portfolio

The move to launch HealthyU adds preventative health to IHC’s portfolio and complements its existing healthcare businesses, which include investments in Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Tamouh Healthcare and Quantlase Lab.Photo: Mona Al Marzooqi / The NationalShow less

Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company’s subsidiary Multiply Holding plans to launch an online wellness and prevention platform called HealthyU in the UAE.

The platform aims to improve users’ wellness by offering access to online consultations with specialists in areas such as sleep health, fitness, nutrition and mental well-being, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

“We’ve identified a particularly growing demand in the wellness and preventative health industries, especially in consumer-friendly digital solutions,” Samia Bouazza, chief executive of Multiply Holding, said.

We've identified a particularly growing demand in the wellness and preventative health industries, especially in consumer-friendly digital solutions

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in increased demand for health services, which, in turn, has attracted more investment into health technology firms.

IHC, which is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and is majority owned by the PAL Group of Companies, has steadily expanded its portfolio by acquiring businesses in emerging technologies, real estate and health care, among others. The company’s healthcare arm owns Quantlase Imaging Lab, the company behind the rapid Covid-19 screening system operated on the border between Abu Dhabi and Dubai at Ghantoot.

The move to launch HealthyU adds preventative health to IHC’s portfolio and "complements its existing healthcare businesses, which include investments in Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Tamouh Healthcare and Quantlase Lab", according to the statement.

The HealthyU platform will allow the users to access advanced diagnostic services at labs across the UAE.

“Digital opportunities and innovations in the field of wellness and longevity are increasingly taking centre stage,” Lara Itani, project manager at HealthyU, said.

The platform will provide "tremendous value to its users as it will offer access to personalised plans, programmes and tips that help increase energy, mental alertness, productivity, immunity and overall well-being", she added.

The platform is being developed in collaboration with Abu Dhabi-based health tech company G42 Healthcare and global partners Weill Cornell Wellness, Cardiovascular Preventative Medicine in New York and a Zurich-based private wellness clinic.

HealthyU has not launched its pilot phase yet but will be available for users through Apple's App Store and Google Play Store in the second half of this year, the statement added.

Abu Dhabi-based Multiply has made a series of investments in the fields of digital communication and tech-enabled wellness, including in New York digital marketing company YieldMo, Viola and HealthyU since it was acquired by IHC in 2020, the statement said.