StartUp Health, a 12-year old network of startups working in collaboration with healthcare stakeholders to develop solutions to some of the greatest challenges in healthcare, has some exciting developments planned for ViVE, the healthcare industry’s newest curated experience for senior digital health leaders taking place March 26-29, powered by HLTH and CHIME.
Its Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) Moonshot has gained a new investor: The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. The funding will provide support for up to 30 early stage startups eligible for a three-year term in the T1D Moonshot track of StartUp Health Tranformer University, according to a press release. The T1D Fellowship is intended to help startups build capacity, such as helping them to attract mission-aligned capital.
“There is no shortage of early stage innovators with bold ideas that could lead to better management of T1D or to prevention,” said Sean Sullivan, a program officer at the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “There is, however, a shortage of funding for those ideas as well as the know-how to get them to market. Like so much of Helmsley’s work, our investment in StartUp Health’s unique collaborative environment aims to help bridge these gaps and accelerate progress for the T1D community.”
There are more than 18 million people with T1D, and most of them (70%) struggle to manage their blood-glucose levels. This segment of the patient population face the risk of complications from their condition such as diabetic retinopathy, cardiac disease, and neuropathy. Lilly and more recently Novo Nordisk have shared plans to sharply reduce the cost of insulin, a move that could significantly improve access to the much-needed serum, but one that is tempered by the reality that more needs to be done.
“We are deeply grateful to the Helmsley Charitable Trust for their program-related investment, and honored by the extraordinary leaders who have joined our T1D Impact Board who are signaling the world that it’s time to be bolder and that collaboration is the way to make leap-frog progress,” Unity Stoakes, StartUp Health co-founder, said in the announcement. “This is a call to action. Together we will supercharge a generation of extraordinary investors and entrepreneurs.”
The Health Tranformer University is intended to advance entrepreneurs and investors, continuing the work of the StartUp Health Academy. The HealthMoonshot Fellowship program for HealthTransformers is intended to bridge the gap between R&D and the journey to commercialize and scale health innovation. An article by Stoakes published in StartUp Health magazine noted that the goal of the Health Transformer University is to support founders and funders who work together addressing health challenges of our time. StartUp Health is building a global institution and place to collaborate for people anywhere in the world dedicated to achieving health moonshots.
“Our university is designed for entrepreneurs and innovators to provide the tools, structures and networks they need to speed up innovation cycles, and build and scale transformative solutions through every stage of growth. Its focus is not only on building health moonshot companies, but on the founders whose mission it is to achieve their transformative endgame.”
StartUp Health programming will include several discussions across the four-day conference spanning AI, automation, mental health innovation, improving health equity access to healhcare and equity by empowering community-based care. Its Pavilion will also spotlight Start Up Health Studio, where interviews with investors, CEOs, and thought leaders will be recorded. Among the panels featured at the StartUp Health Pavilion will be:
Remote Patient Monitoring Meets Real-World Impact at Scale
1:30pm – 2:00pm CT | Bluegrass Stage, Monday March 27
- Anish Sebastian, CEO and Co-founder – Babyscripts
- Sathya Elumalai, CEO and Founder, Aidar Health
- Satish Movva, CEO and Founder, CarePredict
- Monica Schmeide, Co-founder, Athelo Health
- Moderator: Katya Hancock, Partner and Chief Impact Officer, StartUp Health
From Prediction to Automation: How Digital Health Tools are Upgrading Hospitals
1:00pm – 1:30pm CT | Bluegrass Stage, Tuesday March 28
- Fox Holt, CEO and Founder, Vigilant Software
- Devina Desai, CEO and Co-founder, Kinometrix
- Sanji Silva, Chief Product Officer and Chief Technology Officer, Mocingbird
- Andre Diamant, CEO and Founder, Gray Oncology
- Moderator: Jamey Edwards, Chief Platform Officer, StartUp Health
Here’s a look at a few of the 16 portfolio companies exhibiting at the StartUp Health Pavilion:
TYDEi Health seeks to streamline the provider buying experience for the medical device supply chain. It has created a vendor management and bill pay platform for hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers that enables vendors and providers to track, record, and purchase products and devices for their inventories. Its platform also creates a marketplace that is transparent and functions in real time between hospitals and vendors. The goal is to improve the buying experience, creating an easy and smooth retail experience for healthcare facilities.
CEO and Co-founder: John Hatchell
Athelo Health has created a care system for breast and gynecologic cancer patients. The patient-focused support and remote patient monitoring tool connects clinicians, caregivers, and patients. The company launched a scientific validation pilot with Meharry Medical College in the fourth quarter of 2022. They also won the MedCity Invest Pitch Perfect Competition for the PharmaTech category.
CEO and Co-founder: Monica Schmiede
Edamam helps people eat better and live healthier through a nutrition data platform, which gives personalized meal recommendations and nutrition analysis. Its technology assesses food recommendations based on nutrients, ingredients, and allergen/diet needs of users. The company powers nutrition analysis and data for Amazon, Microsoft, Food Network, McCormick, and Barilla and offers personalized meal recommendations for Nestle, Virta, FoodSmart, Twin Health, and GenoPalate.
CEO and Founder: Victor Penev
IndyGene US AI wants to ensure that members of minority groups are included in the precision medicine initiatives. There has been a lack of diversity in clinical trials. Its software platform uses blockchain to support security needs for its HiPAA compliant Web3 precision health discovery platform, according to its website. Patients can securely share their clinical and genetic information with clinicians and researchers. Its technology uses AI to generate insights on disease origins, genetic predisposition, biomarkers, and therapeutic targets, according to its website
CEO and Founder: Yusuf Henriques
Other companies exhibiting at the StartUp Health Pavilion include:
- Augmental Technologies
- Careteam Technologies
- Cecelia Health
- equalityMD
- Goldfinch Health
- Gray Oncology Solutions
- Kinometrix
- Mediktor
- Mocingbird
- Pear Suite
- Renalis
- Salvo Health
- She Matters
- Vigilant Software
Photo: phive2015, Getty Images
