Building an Inclusive and Data-Driven Future

Meet the Digital Health and Care Leaders of Today – Part 2

In part two of our series, we continue to spotlight the innovators shaping the next phase of digital health transformation, those building solutions that put inclusion, privacy, and lived experience at the heart of technology. 

These founders are challenging traditional models and proving that designing for difference leads to better outcomes for everyone. 

Amber Vodegel – Founder & CEO, 28X Ltd 

Amber Vodegel is the founder and CEO of 28X Ltd, a privacy-first platform transforming women’s health through on-device AI. She previously founded one of the world’s largest health apps, bootstrapping it to more than 150 million users globally before its acquisition by Philips NV.  

At 28X, Amber is redefining how digital health is built and delivered, removing reliance on cloud servers and data harvesting in favour of secure, accessible, and culturally inclusive tools. With a mission to reach 100 million monthly users in over 100 countries, she is championing ethical technology and equitable access to trusted health information. 

Women’s health has been a big theme at this year’s show. From your perspective, what are the biggest gaps still facing women’s health, and how can digital solutions help address them? 

Women’s health is still shaped by historic inequities. From under-diagnosis of conditions like endometriosis and PCOS to the lack of culturally sensitive education and early intervention.  

Digital tools that are well designed and engaging to use (not boring) can close these gaps by offering accessible, evidence-based information and personalised insights at scale. It’s important that we create tech that women like to use – it should look and feel beautiful and engaging. 

It’s also important that commercial incentives align with ethical responsibility. We’ve seen what happens when data becomes the product. The next phase must prove that profit and purpose can coexist, that women’s health can be both equitable and sustainable. 

28X is an AI-powered menstrual health platform designed to be accessible for all. How important is this model of inclusive design, and have you seen similar discussions around access emerging at HETT this year? 

At 28X, inclusivity isn’t a feature; it’s the foundation. On-device AI allows us to directly run on the user’s device, not in the cloud, so privacy and access aren’t dependent on income or connectivity. We will also offer our content in different reading levels (especially important for neurodiverse users) and over 30 languages. 

This year at HETT, I’ve been encouraged to see conversations shifting toward accessibility, localisation, and designing for users who’ve often been left out of digital health.  

You’ve built a team with strong female representation. Why do you think it’s so important to have women directly involved in designing and developing digital platforms for women’s health? 

When women lead the creation of health technologies, the priorities change. We focus on empathy, lived experience, and trust, not just functionality and financial returns. The tools built for women must reflect our realities, not assumptions about them. We prioritise Return on Impact. 

Why do you think events like HETT are so valuable for founders and innovators working to solve real problems in healthcare?  

Bringing diverse perspectives together helps bridge the gap between policy, innovation, and patient need. For founders, it’s where collaboration happens, where a technologist can meet a clinician, or a charity leader can spark an idea that changes the scope of a project. 

You’ve built your ventures around creating the best products for users. What advice would you give to those starting out in digital health who want to build with that same focus? 

Start by truly understanding your user’s lived experience, not the market size slide. Build small, test early, and design for inclusion from day one. If it doesn’t work for the most vulnerable user, it doesn’t work at all. 

Michael Jakubiak – Founder & CEO, ND Axon 

Michael Jakubiak is the founder and CEO of ND Axon, a health innovation company redefining how neurodivergent conditions are detected and supported in healthcare and employment. Drawing on lived experience and extensive research into diagnostic and system challenges, Michael has developed a patented approach now being advanced by a team of clinicians, AI researchers, and technologists.  

ND Axon is creating NeuroScan, an AI-powered assessment tool designed to reduce neurodivergence evaluations from hours to minutes using over 30 digital biomarkers, alongside ND Navigator, a platform bridging clinical pathways and workplace support. 

ND Axon is transforming how neurodivergent conditions are detected and supported. From your perspective, what’s one area in healthcare or employment for neurodivergent individuals that deserves more focus as digital tools evolve? 

We need to focus on what happens between the suspicion and the diagnosis. There are millions of people who know something feels different but get stuck in a ten-year waiting queue, or never disclose because the system wasn’t designed for them. Digital tools must bridge that gap – not just diagnose, but support from day one.  

ND Axon was built exactly for that: ND Navigator helps individuals and employers understand traits, communication preferences, and work adjustments without disclosure or paperwork. And NeuroScan, our clinical version, is proving that you can detect multiple neuro-conditions without asking a single question – just through data, science, and empathy. 

That’s the future of neurodiversity in healthcare and employment – no more waiting, no more hiding, just understanding. 

Events like HETT are excellent for sharing ideas across the sector. Have you come across any innovations or conversations that sparked new thinking for your work? 

At HETT, what stood out was how the conversation around mental health diagnostics is finally shifting from “forms and interviews” to data and behaviour. 

I often say: “Imagine diagnosing mental health without asking questions – no forms, no bias, just science.” Seeing NHS leaders, researchers, and innovators echo that direction reaffirmed our mission. It reminded me that innovation doesn’t start in the lab – it starts by paying attention to people and using neurodivergent thinking as an advantage. That’s what ND Axon is about: using difference as design intelligence. 

Handling sensitive data responsibly is a big challenge in digital health. How does ND Axon approach privacy and trust with its users, and have these issues featured in wider discussions at HETT? 

Privacy and trust are not features; they are foundations. Our technology is Cyber Essentials Plus certified, designed under NHS data governance frameworks, and built with clinical advisors who understand both compliance and compassion. We collect only what’s needed, and users always know what’s happening with their data. 

At HETT, many spoke about “responsible AI” – but for me, it’s not just about responsibility, it’s about dignity. Every dataset represents a person who trusted you. Our responsibility is to make sure that trust turns into better outcomes, not just better models. 

What advice would you give to those starting out in digital health who want to create tools that truly make a difference for patients and the system?  

Start with a problem you’ve lived through – or one you truly understand. My brain is my startup; ND Axon exists because I couldn’t ignore the patterns anymore. 

Talk to patients and clinicians before you write a single line of code. Build with them, not for them. 

And don’t chase technology for technology’s sake. Chase impact. Because the future of healthcare won’t belong to those with the flashiest tools – it will belong to those who design for difference and rebuild trust where it’s been lost. 

Across conversations at HETT 2025, one idea continued to surface: digital progress lasts when it starts with people. When we prioritise end-users, work collaboratively, and design for accessibility, we build change that is both meaningful and sustainable.  

Don't miss our brand new event, HETT Leaders' Summit, taking place on 12th February at Royal Armouries, Leeds.