M-HEAL

What M-HEAL does

M-HEAL is a student-run organization at the University of Michigan, founded in 2006, that designs and develops low-cost medical devices for healthcare facilities serving underserved populations. The organization operates 12+ active project teams, each focused on a distinct clinical problem set including neonatal hypothermia therapy, low-cost ventilators, vaccine cold-chain refrigeration, IV fluid monitoring, cervical cancer screening, prosthetics, and assistive devices for children with cerebral palsy. Devices are engineered to sub-$900 bill-of-materials targets and built around the University of Michigan's Center for Socially Engaged Design (C-SED) human-centered design framework.

M-HEAL draws 250+ student members from engineering, design, public health, and pre-medical disciplines. It is not a commercial entity: operating funds come from $12 annual student membership fees and tax-deductible donations processed through the University of Michigan giving portal, and finished technologies are transferred to partner institutions rather than sold. Active field deployments span Ghana, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, India, Bangladesh, and Memphis, Tennessee, with named institutional partners including Holy Family Hospital in Ghana and Hasya Newborn Care Center.

The organization has accumulated external validation through recognitions such as Rice360 Global Health Technologies semifinalist status and a first-place award at the University of Michigan Center for Global Health Equity, both in 2024. Recent operational additions include the founding of Project Brevara in 2025 (low-cost ventilator), a formal Incubator Program intended to accelerate project maturation, and ongoing expansion of both project count and geographic footprint.

Name

M-HEAL

Legal name

M-HEAL (Michigan Health Engineered for All Lives)

Website

https://mheal.engin.umich.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

M-HEAL is a 250+ member student-run University of Michigan organization developing low-cost medical devices under $900 for underserved healthcare facilities across 7+ countries, using human-centered design and transferring technology at no cost to partner institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor, MI

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fee of $12 per student member
2. Donations: Donations from individuals and organizations used to sustain travel programs, support different teams, remove financial burden on members, and host events and professional development. Tax-deductible contributions through University of Michigan giving portal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

M-HEAL is a completely student-run University of Michigan organization of 250+ interdisciplinary members that develops low-cost medical devices and healthcare technologies for underserved communities in Ghana, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Guatemala, India, and Bangladesh. Projects are built through needs assessment trips, long-term community partnerships, and prototyping under the Center for Socially Engaged Design (C-SED) framework. Operations are funded through $12 annual student membership fees and donations, and developed devices are transferred to partner healthcare facilities rather than sold commercially.

Product overview

M-HEAL (Michigan Health Engineered for All Lives) is a student organization at the University of Michigan that develops healthcare technologies for underserved communities using human-centered design. The organization operates through 12+ active project teams, including medical devices for cervical cancer screening (Team PACT, Project MESA), diabetes management (Team DRIP), vaccine storage (Solar Fridge), neonatal care (The Initiative, NAP, Team FEED), IV monitoring (Team FLOW), maternal health (Project MIA, PeriOperative), and assistive devices (Project Brevara, Project CEPEA). The portfolio is supported by the Incubator Program for early-stage development and EHCO for community outreach. All projects follow socially engaged design principles with long-term community partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Team PACT (Preventive and Accessible Cervical Cancer Testing) A urine-based cervical cancer screening device that collects urine to be screened for high-risk HPV strains. Designed for women in Ghana with a mission to develop a cervical cancer screening method that is effective, non-invasive, and cost-efficient.
• Team DRIP (Diabetes Reduction Initiative in Peñasco) A multi-pronged initiative addressing diabetes care through a 3D-printed low-cost prosthetic knee for diabetic amputees and educational materials on wound care prevention. Active in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico with Humanity First for pamphlet distribution.
• Solar Fridge A solar-powered insulated vaccine refrigerator designed to maintain vaccine viability during power shut-offs. Maintains 2°C to 8°C for 72+ hour holdover time at 43°C ambient temperature, costing under $900 to manufacture and ship.
• The Initiative (Neonatal Thermoregulation) A neonatal thermoregulation solution consisting of a V3 bassinet incubator, V3 kangaroo cloth carrier, and V1 electrical heating mattress. Designed to reduce neonatal mortality due to low birthweight and hypothermia in low-resource communities in Ghana.
• Team FLOW (IV Fluid Monitoring) An IV fluid monitoring device utilizing an infrared light-based circuit to track infusion rates. Designed to reduce the burden of manual IV tracking in under-resourced medical settings in Ghana.
• Project MIA (Menstrual Hygiene) A sustainable hand-sewn menstrual pad with an insertable banana fiber absorbent core designed for women and girls in the Peruvian Amazon. Uses waste banana fiber as an abundant local material to improve menstrual hygiene.
• Project MESA (Mobile Gynecological Exam Table) A portable, mobile gynecological exam table designed to increase accessibility to cervical cancer examinations for women in low-resource communities worldwide.
• Project Brevara (Low-Cost Ventilator) An affordable hospital-grade ventilator designed for low-resource hospitals. Addresses the critical shortage of ventilators, where current market options cost $50K USD to purchase and $2.5K per day to rent.
• PeriOperative (Heated Surgical Mattress) A reusable, low-cost heated operation table mattress topper with a semi-automatic control system and internal temperature sensor. Designed to prevent perioperative hypothermia in Dominican Republic hospitals where 70% of surgical patients experience unintended hypothermia.
• Team FEED (Premature Infant Feeding Device) A low-cost, intuitive feeding device for premature infants in Ghana, designed as an alternative to unintuitive syringes. Features a squeeze handle, one-way valve, and bottle-like spout for easy milk pouring.
• Neonatal Asphyxia Project (NAP) A hypothermia therapy device designed to mitigate effects of birth asphyxia in neonates born in low-resource communities. Applies hypothermia therapy by lowering neonate's core body temperature by 3-4°C for 72 hours after birth.
• Project CEPEA (Cerebral Palsy Feeding Devices) Assistive feeding devices for children with cerebral palsy in Bangladesh, including corrugated plates and educational booklets for caregivers. Designed to improve self-feeding ability and upper extremity motor function while being culturally appropriate.
• Incubator Program An early-stage project development program supporting teams in the initial phases of the design process. Provides resources, mentorship, and guidance from leadership and advisors to help members develop skills and ideas to become future leaders and full-fledged project teams.
• EHCO (Engineering and Health Community Outreach) A service-based initiative focused on improving healthcare in underserved communities through local and international partnerships. Includes annual service trips to Memphis, TN with Serve 901, health projects in Ann Arbor, and educational growth opportunities.

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• San Juan de Dios Hospital (Guatemala)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Community partner for Project Brevara, a new team founded in early 2025 developing affordable ventilators for low-resource hospitals.
• SAIMER (Guatemala)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Student doctors group in Guatemala collaborating with Project Brevara on low-cost ventilator development.
• Dr. Adjoa Gudugbe / Holy Family Hospital (Ghana)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Partnership established August 2024 for Team FEED's feeding device for premature infants in Techiman, Ghana.
• Suntreso Government Hospital (Ghana)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Primary community partners Dr. Joyce Emarkayo Bening and Dr. Ashura Bakari at Suntreso Government Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Working on neonatal thermoregulation device development.
• Hasya Newborn Care Center (India)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Dr. Patel's team in Palanpur, Gujarat, India. NAP team traveled in May 2023 for verification testing of hypothermia therapy cooling prototype and clinical engagement.
• Hospital General de la Plaza de la Salud (Dominican Republic)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Santo Domingo hospital partnership for PeriOperative's heated mattress topper development and testing.
• Hospital Morillo King (Dominican Republic)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022La Vega hospital partnership for PeriOperative's heated mattress topper development and testing.
• Hospital Inmaculada Concepción (Dominican Republic)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Cotuí hospital partnership for PeriOperative's heated mattress topper development and testing.
• Saul Veldíz / International Service Learning (ISL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Community health worker and liaison in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico who has been instrumental in understanding the city's resources. Founded from SANA trip in Spring 2020.
• Kashibo Cocha Indigenous Community (Peru)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Community partner located in mid-Amazon region near Pucallpa, Peru. SANA trip conducted needs assessment in Spring 2018. Co-design process ongoing for menstrual hygiene product.
• Dr. Jorge Ramirez (Rincon Claro, Dominican Republic)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Doctor of Rincon Claro clinic who established long-term connection with Solar Fridge team after problem definition trip in Summer 2017. Clinic lacks reliable on-site vaccine storage.
• Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (Ghana)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical partnership for Team PACT's cervical cancer screening urine collection device development. Dr. Asah-Opoku serves as clinical advisor. Hospital provides clinical expertise and testing environment for HPV screening device.
• Humanity FirstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational nonprofit that provides medical care to low-income communities in Latin America. Partnered with DRIP to distribute educational pamphlets on wound care to patients in Mexico and Guatemala.
• Enrique Gama BecerraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal prosthetist in Puerto Peñasco providing feedback on prosthetic knee design for diabetic amputees.
• Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) - GhanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustomer discovery efforts for The Initiative's neonatal thermoregulation solutions in Kumasi, Ghana.
• NeoNest GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working closely with The Initiative team for neonatal care solutions.
• Warmilu LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) nonprofit organization collaborating with The Initiative on neonatal thermoregulation technology.
• Emmanuel Acheampong (Ghana)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary collaborator for Team FLOW in Kumasi, Ghana. Dinner collaboration shown in team photos and ongoing partnership for IV monitoring device development.
• Project AmazonascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization that works closely with Amazonian communities, connecting MIA with the Kashibo Cocha community and providing menstrual kit distribution support.
• CSF Global (Bangladesh)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGO centered in Sirajganj, Bangladesh providing resources to children and families affected by cerebral palsy. Partners include assistive devices, therapy services, and CP Registry. Project CEPEA collaborates on feeding devices.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stanford Biodesign: Stanford's flagship medical device innovation program trains students and fellows in needs-driven biodesign, with global health applications. Operates a similar academic medical device innovation model to M-HEAL, though with more commercial-spinout emphasis.
• Northwestern Center for Innovation in Global Health Technologies: Academic center at Northwestern developing medical technologies for underserved populations globally. Operates as a peer university-based R&D hub in the same global medical device space as M-HEAL.
• MIT D-Lab: MIT D-Lab designs and develops technologies addressing global poverty and health challenges, working with underserved communities in developing countries. Shares M-HEAL's human-centered design, interdisciplinary approach, and focus on appropriate technology for low-resource contexts.
• Rice University Global Medical Innovation Track: Rice University master's program focused on medical device innovation for emerging markets, particularly through partnership with the Texas Medical Center. Closely aligned with M-HEAL's educational approach to global medical device design.
• Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies: Rice University's global health design program runs the Rice360 Global Health Design Competition in which M-HEAL teams have been semifinalists. Both operate as university-affiliated programs developing low-cost medical devices for low-resource settings through student and faculty teams.
• Engineering World Health: Student and professional network that designs and repairs medical equipment for hospitals in low-resource settings. Shares M-HEAL's mission of addressing medical equipment gaps in developing-country hospitals through engineering talent.

Broad incumbents

• PATH: Major global health nonprofit that develops and delivers health technologies and devices (vaccine cold chain, diagnostics, maternal/child health) for low-resource countries. Operates at vastly greater scale but in overlapping clinical areas (vaccine storage, cervical cancer screening, neonatal care).
• Grand Challenges Canada: Funded by the Government of Canada, Grand Challenges supports Bold Ideas with Big Impact in global health, including integrated innovation and appropriate medical technology. A potential funder and ecosystem peer for M-HEAL's global health device portfolio.

Emerging players

• Global Health Corps: Nonprofit that places young professionals in global health organizations in Africa and the US. While focused on leadership rather than device R&D, it shares M-HEAL's mission of building early-career talent for the global health sector.

Regional players

• Consano (now part of Canopy): Nonprofit crowdfunding platform historically dedicated to funding medical research projects. While not a direct device developer, represents the donation-driven, project-based funding model M-HEAL relies on for its medical device portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/mheal_um
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/m-heal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about M-HEAL