Inside FII9: Amplifai Health The FII9 Innovators Pitch 2025, hosted by the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, spotlighted five startups that presented breakthrough AI-powered solutions transforming healthcare, sustainable materials, and next-generation computing. In this series, we explore how each of these innovators is shaping the future with technologies designed to deliver real-world impact.

Amplifai Health
Deploying AI-powered thermal imaging for early diabetic-foot screening.

Among the chronic diseases that are widely spoken about by healthcare and wellness professionals globally is diabetes– an endocrine-related disorder that, as per the International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas (2025) affects 11.1% –or 1 in 9– of the adult population (20-79 years) worldwide, with over 4 in 10 unaware that they have the condition. That number is expected to rise by 46% by 2050– which will mean approximately 853 million adults affected by the disease. But did you know that diabetes is linked to a number of foot-related complications such as ulcers, infections and, in worst cases, amputations?

A January 2023 research paper in the American Diabetes Association shows that "the lifetime risk of foot ulcer is 19% to 34%, and this number is rising with increased longevity and medical complexity of people with diabetes." Addressing this challenge head-on is KSA-based Amplifai Health. "Amplifai Health uses artificial intelligence (AI) and thermal imaging to make early health detection simple and accessible for everyone," explains its CEO Dr. Meshari Alwashmi. "Our technology can spot early signs of diabetic foot problems to help prevent amputations, and it is also used in sports medicine to detect injuries before they happen. Every 20 seconds someone loses a limb to diabetes, and we are using AI to make thermal imaging affordable and widely available so people can get the right care at the right time."

As has been the case for many new healthcare startups, the inspiration for Amplifai Health too came amidst the COVID-19 crisis. "During the pandemic, much of healthcare relied on conventional cameras for remote care," Dr. Alwashmi recalls. "That made us ask a simple question: what if we could go beyond the limits of normal cameras? Smartphones today already include powerful sensors, including thermal cameras, that can see more than the human eye. We realized that by combining these new camera modalities with artificial intelligence, we could "Amplifai" (amplify) our senses and make healthcare more proactive, precise, and accessible to everyone and anywhere in the world."

Since its inception, Amplifai Health's progress has earned it multiple accolades as well– the most recent being the first place winner at the G20 South Africa SME Innovation Awards 2025, as well as emerging as one of the five winners (from a global pool of 576 applicants) at the the FII9 Innovators Pitch 2025 by the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute. "It was an honor to pitch at FII9, representing Saudi Arabia on the global innovation stage," Dr. Alwashmi says. "My key message was that the future of healthcare innovation is global and inclusive. Saudi entrepreneurs are now contributing transformative technologies to solve universal problems. I wanted the audience to see that a Saudi-born healthtech company can lead in AI medical devices globally."

Source: FII9

But all of this isn't to say that it's been smooth siling for the team at Amplifai Health. "Our biggest challenge was working with noisy thermal data and ensuring the accuracy required for medical use," Dr. Alwashmi reveals. "Thanks to our team, we built algorithms that clean and analyze thermal signals with precision. We also faced regulatory hurdles, which we overcame by working closely with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) and completing multiple clinical trials to validate our software."

As such, winning the FII9 Innovators Pitch 2025 was a massive validation of the challenges they've hitherto overcome through resilience and hardwork, says Dr. Alwashmi. "More importantly, it's recognition for the brilliant engineers, clinicians, and researchers who believed in our mission to transform healthcare and improve lives through technology," he adds. "Earning this recognition despite being one of the youngest and leanest teams highlights the power of focus, creativity, and belief in our mission. We take pride in being the first globally approved AI solution for diabetic foot complications and in representing our country's growing innovation ecosystem on the world stage."

With this win bolstering their vision and resolve, Dr. Alwashmi says the next growth step is expanding the startup's global presence. "We're scaling through collaborations with hardware manufacturers, hospitals, and health ministries, both regionally and globally," he says. "It also strengthens investor confidence as we move into Phase 2, where we'll expand into new use cases like sports medicine. Our goal is to become the global standard for AI-driven thermal diagnostics, integrated across healthcare and sports. We aim to help millions of patients avoid preventable complications and support athletes in detecting injuries early, while building a sustainable business that exemplifies Saudi innovation with global impact."

'TREP TALK: Dr. Meshari Alwashmi, CEO of Amplifai Health, shares tips for entrepreneurs

"Focus on solving a real problem that matters deeply to you. The journey will test your endurance, but your purpose will carry you through. Surround yourself with people smarter than you, stay humble, and remember that impact and integrity build lasting companies, not just innovation."