16 March 2026 – Perth, Australia | World-First Smartphone Autism Screen Rolled Out Across an Entire Nation Using Australian AI Start Up.
BlinkLab's (ASX: BB1) Dx1 platform selected by the Kingdom of Morocco for a government-funded, nationally mandated autism screening program targeting 600,000 children born annually, the first deployment of its kind anywhere in the world.
At a Glance
World-first: A sovereign nation deploying a smartphone-based AI autism screening tool across its entire population, starting at 18 months of age
Scale: Morocco has ~600,000 births per year and an estimated 400,000+ people currently living with autism, more than double the annual Australian birth rate (approx. 290,000)
Government-mandated: Launched pursuant to the High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, formalised via a multi-ministry national framework convention signed 29 August 2025
Zero cost to BlinkLab: All implementation costs covered by the Moroccan Government and Foundation Mohammed V for Solidarity, BlinkLab retains all data rights
April 2026 launch: Initial screening centres operational this month, with phased national expansion across approximately 3,000 public primary healthcare centres
BlinkLab HQ: Level 4, 216 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000, Australia (ASX: BB1)
The Technology
BlinkLab's Dx1 platform, developed from research originating at Princeton University, uses a standard smartphone camera and AI-driven computer vision to capture objective, reflex-based neurometric biomarkers. The platform measures facial reflexes, startle responses, eye and eyelid movements, postural stability and vocal responses during a brief 15-minute session in which a child watches age-appropriate video content.
Unlike existing autism assessment methods, which rely heavily on subjective clinical observation, BlinkLab's approach delivers objective, reproducible neurometric data. In a large-scale multi-centre peer-reviewed study of 536 children published in Autism Research (January 2026), the platform demonstrated 91% sensitivity and strong specificity in detecting autism-related sensorimotor profiles, across gender and age groups, and across clinically diverse populations.
The technology is designed to function as an adjunctive digital aid alongside established screening questionnaires, making it practical across primary care, community and specialist settings with minimal training required.
Why Morocco? Why Now?
BlinkLab has maintained a multi-year clinical partnership with the Mohammed VI National Center for the Disabled (CNMH) in Morocco, one of the country's pre-eminent institutions in disability care. This real-world clinical collaboration, underpinning the landmark Autism Research publication, provided the evidence base the Moroccan government needed to make its selection. Morocco's national convention, governing the program, was signed by:
Foundation Mohammed V for Solidarity
Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation
Ministry of Health and Social Protection
Ministry of Solidarity, Social Integration, and the Family
The initiative establishes a new Center of Excellence for Autism Research, Education and Training, with BlinkLab's Managing Director & CEO Dr Henk-Jan Boele and Scientific Advisor Prof Abdeslem El Idrissi joining the expert consortium.
Addressing a Global Clinical Crisis
Autism affects an estimated 1 in 36 children globally (CDC, 2023). In Morocco alone, over 400,000 individuals are estimated to be living with autism. Across the broader region, and globally, the challenge is compounded by extreme workforce shortages: a recent industry report finds families face a three-year average wait for formal assessment, and 21% of US autism clinics are unable to accept new patients.
Early diagnosis and early intervention are the most cost-effective levers in autism care. Evidence consistently shows that outcomes improve substantially when intervention commences in the first three years of life. Morocco's program, commencing screening at 18 months, is designed to create that early window at national scale.
The implication for Australia is clear: earlier, cheaper, more accessible diagnosis of the kind BlinkLab's technology enables, is not just a public health imperative, it is a fiscal one. BlinkLab's technology is currently the subject of Australian clinical research initiatives as part of its R&D Tax Incentive program, and the company's primary listing is on the ASX (BB1).
Strategic Significance
For BlinkLab, Morocco provides the world's first national-scale, real-world validation opportunity for its Dx1 platform complementing the company's ongoing FDA 510(k) registrational clinical trial across 10 US sites (including Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Seattle Children's Hospital, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and University of Pennsylvania).
Morocco's framework has been explicitly designed with a broader regional outlook, creating a government-endorsed model referenceable across North Africa and the Middle East regions actively investing in digital health transformation. BlinkLab retains full intellectual property and data rights from the program.
Dr Henk-Jan Boele, Managing Director & CEO, BlinkLab,
"The CNMH autism centres in Morocco have extensive first-hand experience with our technology through prior collaborative clinical studies. This direct clinical experience, highlighted BlinkLab's operational ease of use and its high diagnostic accuracy, which in turn, drove the government's decision to select BlinkLab's Dx1 Platform for its nationwide screening program. It reflects high levels of confidence in our platform capacities, even prior to formal regulatory clearance. This outcome also highlights the commercial strength of our go-to-market strategy, where a robust, evidence-based scientific foundation is driving initial national-scale clinical adoption"
Dr Khalid Benhassan, Director, Mohammed VI National Center for the Disabled,
"Thanks to the simplicity and accessibility of smartphone technology, BlinkLab makes early screening from as young as 18 months not only clinically reliable, but also practical and deployable across various healthcare and community settings. This approach provides families and frontline healthcare professionals with direct access to an objective assessment of neurological development."
Website: www.blinklab.org | ASX: BB1 | Perth WA 6000, Australia
About us:
About BlinkLab Limited
BlinkLab Limited was founded by neuroscientists at Princeton University and is developing a smartphone-based diagnostic platform for autism. Its most advanced product, BlinkLab Dx 1, is an autism diagnostic aid for clinicians that leverages smartphones, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to capture objective, reflex-based measures, supporting earlier and more accurate autism identification. This enables timely intervention during critical periods of brain development. BlinkLab is led by an experienced management team and Board with deep expertise in digital healthcare, computer vision, and AI, supported by a Scientific Advisory Board of leading experts in autism and brain development.
