Digital Health Startups Panel at INOTEX 2025: A Challenging Path with a Bright Future

During the Health Startups Panel at INOTEX 2025 on May 1, 2025, the co-founder of Robo Sitka Robotic Pharmacy revealed that Iran’s pharmacy market is worth $11 trillion, presenting a vast, untapped field for digital health innovation.

 
At INOTEX 2025, a panel titled “Health Startups in Iran: A Challenging Path, A Bright Future” was held on the event stage, featuring Dr. Mohammadreza Zahedi, CEO of Pioneers Health Investment Group; Amir Hossein Karimi, co-founder of Robo Sitka Robotic Pharmacy; and Peyman Bakhshandeh, founder of the medical equipment platform Himeh.

Amir Hossein Karimi, co-founder of Robo Sitka, emphasized the immense potential in Iran’s digital health sector, stating that the country’s pharmacy market is valued at $11 trillion. “This demonstrates a vast, untapped field for activity in digital health,” he noted. Predicting a surge in investments in the health sector, Karimi highlighted that Iran’s pharmacies stock 3,000 different pharmaceutical products. He argued that using robots in pharmacies is cost-effective since they can store and manage data on product availability, delivery dates, and expiration dates for all 3,000 varieties more efficiently than the human brain.

Karimi added that robotic pharmacies have received a positive response from state-run pharmacies in Iran. “Many of these pharmacies have already submitted requests for our technology,” he said, citing an example of 1,800 daily visitors to the Red Crescent Pharmacy seeking medications. He proudly stated, “We are the first startup in the mechanical health sector. Given that pharmacies are among the most critical businesses in the country and cannot afford to close, we cannot rely on imported robot parts or wait for imports. Therefore, we’ve developed various plans to ensure this product is entirely domestic.”

Reflecting on the investment in Robo Sitka, Karimi noted that significant funds have been allocated to the project. “Each test of this robot incurs costs, but the results are worthwhile considering the $11 trillion market potential,” he concluded.