Temple University has partnered with U.K.-based digital health company Aide Health to launch My Health Aide, an AI-powered platform designed to support patients managing type 2 diabetes between doctor visits. The partnership marks Aide Health’s first U.S. program, and it grew directly out of Temple’s Innovation Nest (iNest), the university’s startup incubator, which connected Aide Health’s team with Janet Lee, Assistant Dean for Clinical Research and Director of the Laboratory for Implementation and Dissemination Science at Temple’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine. “I was struck by how committed Aide Health is to serving patients in the time between primary care visits through user-friendly, trusted and accessible technology that was built with the patient in mind,” Lee said.
What My Health Aide Actually Does
The platform is built around conversation-based AI designed specifically for low-resource and underserved communities, with an interface simple enough that Aide Health co-founder and COO Brian Snyder describes it in blunt terms: “if you can use WhatsApp, you can use Aide Health.” Lee said that simplicity was part of the draw: “Aide Health wanted to ensure that the technology was usable by patients in their 80s and in rural areas with limited cellular coverage. This really resonated with our team, as our patients in North Philadelphia often face challenges with social determinants of health. Temple patients deserve to have access to innovative, cutting-edge technology that is easy to use.” The platform supports medication adherence, ongoing condition monitoring, and access to health information, while giving clinicians real-time data insights into how patients are doing outside the clinic. Aide Health has previously pointed to an estimated 537 million people living with diabetes worldwide and says nearly half of patients struggle to keep their blood sugar under control, the underlying problem the platform is meant to address.
How iNest Made the Match
The partnership traces back to Aide Health’s participation in the Association of British HealthTech Industries’ U.S. Accelerator program and a 2025 delegation visit to Philadelphia, where Stephen Nappi, Temple’s Associate Vice President of Technology Commercialization and Business Development, connected the Aide Health team with Lee. Nappi described that kind of matchmaking as the core function of the iNest: “There has to be an engine that keeps these collaborations moving. At the iNest, we create opportunities for researchers and companies to come together, share ideas and learn about each other’s work. Those conversations can create the sparks that lead to new partnerships, discoveries and innovations, as it did for Aide Health.” He added that the payoff is ultimately measured in patient outcomes: “Ultimately, the end goal is to actually improve somebody’s health. You can bring new solutions by doing this type of work.” Temple Vice President for Research Josh Gladden framed the partnership as evidence of the iNest’s broader purpose, calling it “a gateway for international partners to connect with the Philadelphia region and the broader U.S. innovation ecosystem while also creating pathways for Temple research to reach global markets.”
Funded Through an Independence Blue Cross Grant, Launching at Two Temple Health Practices
The rollout is backed by Independence Blue Cross’s 2026 Clinical Care Innovation Grant program, which named Temple Health one of three recipients this year alongside Jefferson Health and Penn Medicine. IBX has now awarded 24 of these grants totaling more than $4.8 million since the program began, and Temple’s project, officially titled “Temple Aide: Leveraging a Novel, Conversational AI Tool to Support Type 2 Diabetes Management,” is led by Lee alongside Dr. Laura Igarabuza and Jillian Jatres. My Health Aide will launch at two Temple Health primary care practices with high diabetes prevalence; roughly 20% of Temple Health’s outpatient population lives with the condition. Lee said the goal is to intervene earlier: “My Health Aide represents an important opportunity to strengthen access to the support patients need to achieve better outcomes. By reaching patients earlier with timely, evidence-based interventions, this initiative aims to improve disease management and long-term engagement.”
A Philadelphia Story on Both Sides of the Atlantic
The regional connection here runs deeper than Temple’s campus. Independence Blue Cross, the funder making the launch possible, is itself headquartered in Philadelphia, and Joey Bilyk, Director of International Business and Global Strategy at the Philadelphia Department of Commerce, pointed to the city’s standing as a draw for exactly this kind of international partnership: “As the fourth-ranked life sciences market in the U.S., Philadelphia is an attractive place for international business, talent, and investment in part because of the strength of our universities, hospitals and health systems, and research centers, which together create a dynamic ecosystem that welcomes entrepreneurs from around the world.” For Aide Health’s Snyder, the partnership carries a personal note as well: “I grew up in Philadelphia cheering on the Owls, so working with Temple University feels like coming home to do something that matters.”
