Singapore’s health tech agency, Synapxe, unveiled innovations, collaborations, and expanding uses of AI on national healthcare IT platforms to enhance the public healthcare ecosystem in Singapore.

“At Synapxe, we build a bridge to an AI-ready healthcare, anchored on empowering people, fostering a vibrant ecosystem, establishing infrastructure and enabling responsible innovation. Together with our partners, we transform data into vision, ensuring that the human experience remains at the heart of healthcare,” Ms Ngiam Siew Ying, CEO of Synapxe, said.

New collaborations

During its inaugural Artificial Intelligence (AI) conference, AI Accelerate, Synapxe inked a collaboration agreement with OpenAI to explore improvements in healthcare.

Synapxe also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with AIDX TECH to assist in identifying AI risks in healthcare and ensuring AI safety and reliability, as well as an MOU with Databricks, to strengthen the capabilities of the national cloud-based analytics platform, Health Empowerment through Advanced Learning & Intelligent eXchange (HEALIX). Databricks will also support the training and certification of public healthcare professionals through the HEALIX Data and AI Academy over the next three years.

Lastly, Synapxe inked an MOU with Google Cloud to leverage the latter’s interoperable data and AI platform services, such as BigQuery, Vertex AI, and the Agent2Agent Protocol, to enhance HEALIX and Tandem, Synapxe’s innovative and secure Generative AI (GenAI) platform.

AI-enabled predictive and preventive care

Synapse paves the way for healthcare innovation with exploratory proof-of-concept (POC) explorations. For instance, Synseh, which examines the intersection of Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern technology using computer vision and AI algorithms, is a promising initiative in the field of predictive and preventive care.

Similarly, the AI-enabled Short Performance Physical Battery Evaluation (ASPIRE), developed in partnership with the National Healthcare Group (NHG) through its Tan Tock Seng Hospital and NHG Polyclinics, is another significant step towards AI-enabled healthcare.

Synapxe’s inaugural AI Accelerate conference on Monday stressed the core message that one does not need to keep reinventing the wheel to scale innovations in healthcare.

Speaking at the conference, both Singapore’s Health Minister Ong Yee Kung and Synapxe’s CEO Ngiam Siew Ying underscored the need for robust foundations to not only enable – but also scale artificial intelligence (AI) across different public healthcare institutions.

Singapore’s national healthtech agency organised its inaugural AI Accelerate conference on June 16. Image: Synapxe

Part of the key announcements made at the conference centred on Synapxe’s new partnerships with OpenAI, AIDX, Databricks, and Google.

These partnerships focused on integrating agentic AI into the HealthHub app, AI testing, leveraging interoperable data and AI services, and broader training initiatives.

“We will continue to invest in capabilities that power AI development securely, and also continue to shape a trusted space where innovation thrives hand in hand with safety, ethics and transparency,” said Ngiam during her opening remarks.

The conference also put a spotlight on minimum viable products (MVPs) that were co-created between public healthcare institutions and private sector partners during a challenge programme GenAIus launched by Synapxe last April.

Here are some of the key announcements made at the conference.

AI agents as the next leap

Synapxe would partner OpenAI to explore incorporating AI agents into various healthcare use cases.

“An AI agent is not just answering questions for you, but executing a task,” said OpenAI’s Managing Director for international markets, Oliver Jay, during a fireside chat, adding that agents could make healthcare more accessible.

The agency planned to use OpenAI’s multi-agentic AI framework to create a more personalised and user-friendly conversational assistant within the national healthcare app Health Hub, making it easier for users to book appointments.

Booking a vaccination via AI agents might sound like a simple task, but he noted that each of the multiple steps involved – like finding a date, time, location, and confirming – could add friction for users.

Aside from agentic AI, Health Hub’s beta version has currently incorporated AI into its conversational assistant to allow users to ask health questions in multiple languages (English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil) through voice or text.

In an earlier media briefing, Synapxe also revealed plans to tap into local-language large language models (LLMs) AI Singapore’s SEA-LION and A*Star’s MERaLiON to expand the range of languages on Health Hub.

Synapxe is partnering OpenAI to incorporate agentic AI into the national healthcare app HealthHub that would enable users to use the conversational assistant to book appointments. Image: Synapxe

The assistant would also be able to customise health content and recommendations based on the user’s life stages and healthcare needs, and enhance its accessibility features like audio playback and adjustable font sizes.

Health Hub AI, alongside its agentic AI feature, will launch later this year. The beta version is currently available for public feedback until the end of August.

Minister Ong also revealed plans to unify the different existing healthcare apps and leverage their potential to incorporate AI capabilities.

By 2027, the Ministry of Health would bring together the different cluster apps, like SingHealth’s Health Buddy, NHG Cares App, and NUHS App, into one unified platform to improve the accessibility of public healthcare services.

Open and interoperable platforms

Synapxe had earlier deployed two vital platforms across the whole of public healthcare, which served as robust foundations for the MVPs and private partnerships that were announced at the conference.

The platforms were cloud-based analytics platform HEALIX, which enabled secure sharing of anonymised data to train AI models; and secure GPT platform Tandem, which was designed to test, validate and scale GenAI applications from one setting to others.

Synapxe’s new partnerships with Databricks and Google also underlined its focus on open and interoperable AI solutions.

A recent coverage of Synapxe’s startup innovation sandbox also stated that the agency has availed over 2,300 healthcare APIs to developers to create interoperable solutions.

Minister Ong emphasised the ability of a strong foundation to enable the development of a range of use cases – many of them are created from ground-up and used in the hospital setting.

He cited the success of SingHealth’s Note Buddy, a GenAI tool that helps clinicians automate documentation, which was hosted on Tandem.

The tool has already assisted over 2,100 healthcare workers in SingHealth to create more than 16,000 medical and administrative records.

By the end of this year, this tool will be available to all other public healthcare institutions, he said.

Hitting both innovation and safety

A key foundation was a regulatory approach that accelerated innovation while maintaining robust patient safety.

Minister Ong announced that the Ministry was planning to set up a regulatory sandbox for AI software-as-medical devices (AI-SaMDs).

This sandbox would enable all public healthcare institutions to deploy AI devices without a manufacturer’s licence or product registration.

Once an AI solution was developed and implemented in one public hospital, the MOH Office for Transformation (MOHT) or Synapxe, the solution could also be implemented across other public hospitals, he said.

“We will continue to ensure strong clinical governance, cybersecurity measures, and post-market surveillance post rollout of the AI solutions. If successful, we will explore extending the sandbox to private healthcare,” he added.

Singapore’s national HealthTech agency, Synapxe, has launched a series of AI-driven initiatives and collaborations aimed at transforming the country’s public healthcare landscape. Announced during its inaugural AI Accelerate conference on 16 June, the agency introduced several strategic partnerships and prototype solutions, underscoring its efforts to build a robust, AI-enabled healthcare ecosystem.

The one-day event drew over 400 participants, including leaders from healthcare, technology, academia, and government. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung attended as guest-of-honour. Organised at the Punggol Digital District, Singapore’s first smart and sustainable district, the event served as a platform to promote AI talent development, highlight emerging applications, and accelerate digital transformation across the sector.

Strengthening AI infrastructure and partnerships

During the conference, Synapxe announced four new collaborations with global tech companies to boost healthcare innovation and safety. These partnerships aim to expand the capabilities of existing platforms such as HEALIX, Synapxe’s national cloud-based analytics system, and Tandem, its secure generative AI (GenAI) platform.

A key collaboration involves OpenAI, which will explore how its multi-agent framework can support daily healthcare tasks in Singapore. A prototype, developed using OpenAI’s Agents SDK, has already been created to assist with services like appointment booking and general healthcare enquiries. According to Synapxe, all conversations via the prototype are private and excluded from model training by default.

Synapxe also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with AIDX TECH to focus on AI safety and reliability. The partnership will include testing AI models through AIDX’s platform, setting up joint labs, creating best practice frameworks, and delivering specialised training. The goal is to help healthcare institutions implement compliant and trustworthy AI tools.

Further strengthening its AI capabilities, Synapxe announced an MOU with Databricks. The collaboration will enhance HEALIX through co-developed predictive care use cases, a Data and AI Factory, and training programmes. Over the next three years, healthcare professionals in Singapore will receive Databricks certifications via the HEALIX Data and AI Academy.

Another MOU was signed with Google Cloud to improve HEALIX and Tandem using tools such as BigQuery, Vertex AI and the Agent2Agent Protocol. The agreement includes a training programme for over 300 data engineers, scientists and analysts across Singapore’s public healthcare institutions.

Alongside partnerships, Synapxe showcased new AI-driven tools aimed at strengthening early intervention and preventive care. A notable example is Synseh, a proof-of-concept using computer vision and AI to analyse tongue images, inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine. The tool explores how visual wellness indicators could inform individual health assessments.

Addressing sarcopenia – the loss of muscle mass with age – Synapxe has partnered with the National Healthcare Group to trial ASPIRE, an AI-based assessment tool. Deployed across Tan Tock Seng Hospital and NHG Polyclinics, ASPIRE supports early detection and screening of the condition in community settings.

Two new AI imaging tools are also being implemented on AimSG, the national AI Medical Imaging Platform. A chest X-ray model for tuberculosis detection is set to be deployed at the National Tuberculosis Screening Centre under NHG. Separately, a bone trauma AI model is being used at Woodlands Health’s emergency department to improve fracture detection and treatment times.

To make health information more accessible, Synapxe is preparing to launch HealthHub AI later this year. The assistant, currently in beta, will offer multilingual, evidence-based health content via text and voice. More than 1,800 sessions have been recorded so far, with an average user rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Empowering healthcare professionals with GenAI skills

Beyond product development, Synapxe is investing in AI literacy among healthcare professionals. The GenAIus Challenge, launched in April 2024, connected over 160 participants with tech partners including AWS, Microsoft, Avanade, and Google Cloud. The initiative helped participants develop GenAI-based solutions across 70 use cases, eight of which were showcased at AI Accelerate.

One example is CareScribe, developed by Alexandra Hospital and Avanade. This multi-modal tool captures speech, images, and handwritten notes to improve nursing handovers. It stands out for its ability to recognise medical terminology, which enhances accuracy and reduces documentation time for nurses.

In a separate initiative, the AWS Large Language Model (LLM) League 2025 offered hands-on GenAI experience to participants regardless of technical background. Over five weeks, teams developed and fine-tuned LLMs, with the top four presenting their work at the conference for live audience voting.

Synapxe emphasised that all AI tools undergo rigorous validation to ensure patient safety and responsible use. “AI holds immense promise for transforming healthcare through innovation,” said Ngiam Siew Ying, CEO of Synapxe. “Together with our partners, we transform data into vision, ensuring that the human experience remains at the heart of healthcare.”