Ensuring equal access to high-quality resources in physician training is set to become easier thanks to innovative technology showcased by Supernova Academy at the Asia Summit on Global Health (ASGH), the region’s premier gathering of medical and business leaders organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
The start-up’s digital training platform integrates high-resolution 3D human anatomy imagery, interactive workbooks and AI-generated videos with augmented and virtual reality, enabling medical students to perform simulated operations in a virtual environment.
The technology not only addresses the challenges of outdated medical curricula and the global shortage of cadavers used for training doctors in dissection, but also dramatically improves access to cutting-edge medical knowledge for remote learners worldwide.
Founded in 2020 in Los Angeles, the company partners with colleges in the US and UK and offers its own online courses for learners interested in anatomy.
In 2024, the firm decided to expand to Hong Kong driven by Founder and CEO Irfan Khan’s recognition of China’s critical healthcare gap.
According to the World Bank, the patient-doctor ratio stood at approximately 2.4 doctors per 1,000 people in China in 2020, compared to an OECD average of 3.4 doctors per 1,000 people.
Faced with China’s urgent demand to scale medical training, Mr Khan saw an opportunity to leverage Supernova’s proprietary technology and contacted the HKTDC about expanding into Hong Kong.
The company’s move is timely, as the city is poised to launch a new medical school and the new Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong is expected to open in late 2025. Hong Kong has also been implementing a series of measures to deepen cooperation on healthcare with cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Last January, the HKTDC quickly helped Supernova set up its local branch thanks to Hong Kong’s speedy business registration procedures, an advantage among many that has earned the city the title of world’s third most competitive economy, according to the International Institute for Management Development.
We also facilitated the company’s entry into the Hong Kong Science & Technology Park’s Global Connect, a 1-year soft-landing programme for overseas start-ups.
Through activities, including business matching, funding opportunities, networking and mentoring, the initiative offers a comprehensive introduction to the thriving Hong Kong start-up ecosystem and a pathway to its competitive 3-year incubation programme.
Within a few weeks, the start-up’s team pitched to investors at the Digital Universities Asia conference hosted by Lingnan University and met potential users at a forum on cancer.
At ASGH, the company’s demonstration and pitching presentation drew keen interest from medical schools and clinics, marking a promising start in its global business journey. The start-up’s profile also received a boost from television coverage organised by the HKTDC.
Supernova’s long-term vision is rooted in a commitment to save lives by tackling insufficient training resources, explained Mr Khan.
“Our innovation is designed to overcome the socio-economic barriers to quality medical education. By providing cost-effective and technologically-advanced digital anatomy assets accessible from a simple laptop - whether in downtown Hong Kong or remote Sichuan – we’re democratising access to essential training.”
And Hong Kong plays a pivotal role in his vision.
“Being part of China, Hong Kong is a fertile ground for technology and innovation with prominent universities excelling in research and development and an advanced start-up and investor ecosystem, resulting in a vibrant region teeming with great minds.”
Mr Khan pays full credit to the HKTDC and its partners in putting his business onto the right track.
“Hong Kong’s ecosystem has played an astronomical role in securing our company’s funding, marketing, branding and positioning. It is a one-stop shop for global business expansion.”