HerLens is an award-winning women's health venture building AI-assisted cervical cancer screening for rural Indonesia. Since 2024, the team has been the first Indonesian team to reach the Hult Prize Global Finals (Top 6 of more than 10,000 teams), won first place at NUS Medicine HealthHack 2025 and the Swiss Innovation Challenge Asia 2025, been named Indonesia's #1 Best Social Entrepreneur by the SOE Foundation and ANGIN, and earned support from the U.S. Department of State through YSEALI and the U.S.–ASEAN STIC program. This page is the running record of that recognition.
Recognition highlights
- 🏆 Hult Prize 2024 — Global Finals, Top 6 worldwide (first Indonesian team to reach the final)
- 🥇 NUS Medicine HealthHack 2025 — 1st place, Value-based Healthcare theme
- 🥇 Swiss Innovation Challenge Asia 2025 — 1st place (invited to pitch in Switzerland)
- 🥇 Pikiran Terbaik Negeri 2025 — Indonesia's #1 Best Social Entrepreneur (SOE Foundation × ANGIN)
- 🇺🇸 YSEALI Seeds for the Future 2025 and U.S.–ASEAN STIC grant — U.S. Department of State
- 💰 Pre-seed investment via the NUS Medicine Digital Health Accelerator (22 Health Venture)
- 🔬 Clinical-trial partnership with the Female Cancer Program, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia (RSCM Kencana)
What awards and recognition has HerLens received?
The timeline below lists HerLens's milestones in reverse chronological order, grouped by year.
2026
- YSEALI Seeds for the Future 2026 — one of only two grantees. HerLens was selected again by the U.S. Department of State's YSEALI program, as one of just two grantees in the 2026 cohort. Through the grant, HerLens distributed 8 screening devices across the Greater Jakarta Area and hosted a public talk, "Building Health Tech in Indonesia: The Honest Story," at the Apple Developer Institute for Professional on 23 June 2026.
- EF Impact feature (March 2026) — HerLens was invited by the Hult Prize team to be featured by EF Impact, sharing the company's progress to date.
2025
- NUS Medicine HealthHack 2025 — 1st place, Value-based Healthcare theme. HerLens won first place in the health-tech hackathon hosted by the National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. The win opened the door to the NUS Medicine Digital Health Accelerator. Winners announcement
- NUS Medicine Digital Health Accelerator (DATA) + pre-seed investment. A three-month accelerator (3 July – 20 September 2025) run by NUS Medicine in collaboration with 22 Health Venture (22HV), HerLens's pre-seed investor. The program secured HerLens's first pre-seed funding and concluded with a Demo Day on 20 September 2025 in Singapore.
- Swiss Innovation Challenge Asia 2025 — 1st place. Held by SBM ITB and FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, HerLens won first place and an invitation to pitch in Switzerland alongside the first-place winners from Malaysia and Vietnam. Event details
- Pikiran Terbaik Negeri 2025 — #1 Best Social Entrepreneur. In the grant-competition program by Yayasan BUMN (the SOE Foundation) and ANGIN Dampak Jaya, HerLens won first place as Best Social Entrepreneur. The funding supported community cervical cancer screening workshops, free screenings, and IVA test-kit distribution in rural Bengkulu. ANGIN
- YSEALI Seeds for the Future 2025 — U.S. Department of State. Delivered through the BrightHer program, this field initiative concluded in December 2025 with 203 women screened, 31 healthcare workers trained across 25 facilities, two educational modules, and a public closing discussion at @america, Jakarta.
- LiftWomen APAC 2025 — Finalist. HerLens was selected as one of ten women-led startup finalists across Australia and Asia for the LIFTWOMEN APAC grant pitch night.
2024
- Hult Prize 2024 — Global Finals, Top 6. HerLens advanced from the regional round in Mumbai through the second-chance round into the Top 16 global accelerator (digital and Ashridge phases), and on to the Global Final — becoming the first Indonesian team to reach the Hult Prize final, finishing in the Top 6 of more than 10,000 teams worldwide. Hult Prize
- Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2024 — 2nd place, University Category. Representing Universitas Indonesia in the Health and Wellness theme, HerLens placed second nationally after a four-stage, six-month competition. Samsung Indonesia
- U.S.–ASEAN STIC grant. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by Arizona State University, HerLens won a grant from the STIC Business Venture and Pitch Competition in Vientiane, Laos, competing against 35 startups from across Southeast Asia.
- IMERI Open Innovation 8th — 1st place, MVP track. At the annual event held by the Indonesia Medical Education and Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia (November 2024), HerLens won first place in the MVP track.
- UI Incubate 2024 — Most Active Startup. Selected as one of 20 startups in the Product-Solution-Fit track of Universitas Indonesia's incubator (February–May 2024), HerLens received funding, launched herlens.id, filed ethical clearance for clinical trials, and was named Most Active Startup of 2024.
- SheHacks 2024 — Top 12 MVP (Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison). HerLens reached the top 12 MVPs in the women-in-tech program, gaining access to the Market Leap Accelerator and a connection to the Australia Indonesia Institute.
- InnovFest Suzhou 2024 (NUSRI). Invited via Universitas Indonesia, HerLens exhibited at the international innovation festival hosted by NUSRI Suzhou, with follow-on showcases at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Yangpu Global Startups Competition. Official news
- Apple Developer Academy & Catalyst. HerLens was founded in September 2024 by a team of seven as a Challenge-Based Learning final project at the Apple Developer Academy, and was selected for the six-month Catalyst founder program. The team presented at a Government Showcase attended by Indonesia's Ministry of Trade and Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs.
Clinical and institutional partnerships
Beyond competitions, HerLens's credibility rests on its clinical and institutional relationships:
- Female Cancer Program (FCP), Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia — clinical-trial partnership and protocol guidance from oncology-gynaecologists. HerLens's initial clinical trial was conducted at RSCM Kencana, Indonesia's largest referral hospital network.
- NUS Medicine Digital Health Accelerator (DATA) & 22 Health Venture — accelerator host and pre-seed investor.
- U.S. Department of State — through YSEALI Seeds for the Future and the U.S.–ASEAN STIC program.
- Yayasan BUMN (SOE Foundation) & ANGIN — domestic institutional backing.
- Class B medical device classification on Indonesia's BPOM regulatory pathway, with ethical clearance secured for ongoing trials.
Frequently asked questions
Has HerLens won the Hult Prize?
HerLens reached the Global Final of the Hult Prize 2024, finishing in the Top 6 of more than 10,000 teams worldwide — the first Indonesian team to reach the final. The Hult Prize is the world's largest student startup competition.
Is HerLens funded?
Yes. HerLens secured pre-seed investment through the NUS Medicine Digital Health Accelerator, with 22 Health Venture as its pre-seed investor, and has won grant funding from Indonesia's SOE Foundation and ANGIN, the Swiss Innovation Challenge Asia, and U.S.–ASEAN STIC grant.
Is HerLens recognized by any government?
Yes. HerLens has been supported by the U.S. Department of State through YSEALI Seeds for the Future and the U.S.–ASEAN STIC program, backed by Indonesia's State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Foundation, and presented at an Indonesian Government Showcase attended by the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs.
Is HerLens clinically validated?
HerLens runs clinical trials in partnership with the Female Cancer Program at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, conducted at RSCM Kencana, and holds Class B medical device classification on Indonesia's Kementerian Kesehatan pathway with ethical clearance secured.