Category Archives: Healthcare

Investing with Purpose: A Conversation with Vishal Vasishth of Obvious Ventures

September 11, 2025Business, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, InsightsFireside Chat, HealthTech Investor, impact investing, investing, investor, Obvious Ventures, Unity Stoakes, Vishal VasishthNicole Kinsey

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In this special episode of StartUp Health NOW, recorded in front of a live virtual audience of StartUp Health community members, Unity Stoakes sits down with Vishal Vasishth, Co-founder & Managing Director of Obvious Ventures. Listeners get to hear not only Vishal’s insights on purpose-driven investing but also questions from community members who joined the conversation in real time.

Vishal shares how Obvious Ventures backs founders building companies that align human, planetary, and economic health. From pioneering startups reversing Type 2 diabetes to biotech companies harnessing AI to decode biology, he explains why the most valuable businesses of tomorrow will be those solving humanity’s biggest challenges.

This conversation goes beyond capital, digging into the role of optimism, authenticity, and creativity in fueling sustainable innovation. If you want to understand how values-based investing is reshaping healthcare and the economy, this is a must-listen.

Tune in to learn:

How Obvious Ventures integrates purpose into early-stage investing
Why healthcare innovation is central to systemic change
How AI and generative science are accelerating new solutions
The future of outcomes-based models and sustainable growth

Whether you’re an investor, founder, or changemaker working to improve health, you’ll come away with fresh insights on building with purpose. And if you join the StartUp Health community, you can attend Fireside Chats like this one in real time and ask your own questions directly.

Do you want to participate in live conversations with industry luminaries? When you join the StartUp Health Network – a new private community for investors, buyers, and industry leaders to connect year-round with top health entrepreneurs – you are invited to a full calendar of interactive Fireside Chats with the most influential leaders shaping health innovation. Come with questions, learn what is working right now, and connect with industry icons.
» Learn more and join today.

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Why We Opened the StartUp Health Network to the Ecosystem

September 5, 2025Business, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, StartupsHealth Moonshot Update, Health Moonshots, Logan Plaster, StartUp Health, StartUp Health Network, Unity StoakesNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:10 — 34.9MB)

An insider interview with StartUp Health co-founder Unity Stoakes on our new membership that invites the world’s leading investors, buyers, industry experts, and policymakers to our exclusive member community dedicated to health innovation and achieving health moonshots.

We flipped the script. In this special episode of StartUp Health NOW, our regular host Unity Stoakes sits in the guest chair while Logan Plaster leads the interview. Unity shares why StartUp Health is opening the StartUp Health Network to a broader community of investors, buyers, and industry leaders, and how a curated, 24/7 platform helps builders connect with the people who can help them scale.

The conversation gets personal and practical. Unity explains his “5 to 80 rule” for communicating ideas that resonate across ages, plus a story about bringing kids into professional spaces to remind us who we serve. You will hear how our online community ties together Health Moonshot groups like brain health, women’s health, diabetes, access to care, and longevity, and why a vetted, niche network can cut through the noise of generic platforms.

Unity also breaks down how the membership model removes friction for both founders and the wider ecosystem. For industry and ecosystem members, the StartUp Health Network is a vetted, paid membership that acts as a smart filter, with simple, inexpensive monthly or annual dues. Members get 24/7 access to the online community, curated intros to founders across Health Moonshots, private roundtables and fireside chats with industry leaders, real-time trend discussions, and VIP access to meetups at major gatherings like JP Morgan, HLTH, and ViVE. Investors can compare notes and share deal flow in a trusted forum. Buyers and operators can scout solutions faster, pressure test needs with peers, and shorten the path from first meeting to pilot. Founders continue to have dedicated membership plans with peer circles, weekly office hours, and a robust perks platform that can deliver meaningful savings on tools and services. Unity explains why the membership model removes friction by eliminating equity and complex legal lift, making it simple to participate whether you are pre-seed or scaling globally.

What is the StartUp Health Network?
A private global community for visionary decision makers, thought leaders, funders, and innovators transforming the future of health. If you are a healthcare executive, operator, investor, or industry stakeholder who wants to stay connected to the people and ideas driving what is next, this is your place to collaborate with:

Healthcare executives and operators – leaders inside health systems, payers, and pharma who are shaping the future of care delivery
Investors – venture firms, strategics, angels, and family offices backing transformative ideas
Mission-driven stakeholders – clinicians, researchers, policy makers, educators, nonprofit leaders, technologists, and ecosystem builders across the health landscape
Founders and entrepreneurs – the backbone of our community, building breakthroughs in digital health, biotech, medtech, and life sciences, with dedicated membership plans designed for entrepreneurs

Stay to the end for a VIP thank you that unlocks a special rate on Network membership. You can use the code LOGAN at checkout for a VIP rate on an annual StartUp Health Network membership.

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Supercharging Alzheimer’s Research: Gates Ventures Backs a Million-Dollar AI Initiative

August 22, 2025Alzheimer's Moonshot, Health, Healthcare, InnovationAD Data Initiative, ADDF, agentic AI, AI, Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Disease Data Initiative, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, Alzheimer's Insights AI Prize, Alzheimer's Moonshot, artificial intelligence, Dr Gregory Moore, Gates Ventures, Gregory Moore, Health Moonshot Update, Unity StoakesNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:14 — 26.8MB)

Unlocking Innovation: The Alzheimer’s Insights AI Prize and Its Impact on Healthcare

There are currently more than 55 million people worldwide living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Recent breakthroughs in new treatments and diagnostics provide hope, but there is potential to accelerate the pace of discovery and development.

Last year, StartUp Health, in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation’s (ADDF) Diagnostics Accelerator (DxA) and Gates Ventures, the private office of Bill Gates, launched the Alzheimer’s Moonshot. This initiative breaks down silos and fosters meaningful collaboration between mission-aligned founders, funders, and partners, accelerating progress in preventing, managing, and curing Alzheimer’s and related dementias through the support of entrepreneurial innovation.

Now, the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative (AD Data Initiative) is backing visionary AI solutions to accelerate Alzheimer’s research with the launch of a new million-dollar prize competition. The goal is to leverage agentic AI – AI that can plan, reason, and act autonomously – to help drive breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias research.

Gregory Moore, MD, PhD, senior advisor to Gates Ventures and the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative, sat down with us to share how you can join the competition to harness AI to radically accelerate Alzheimer’s disease research. The Alzheimer’s Insights AI Prize offers $1M to the winner for the agentic AI solution that can generate a powerful leap in the pace, scale, and reach of ADRD research.

Drawing from his unique background in both engineering and medicine, Dr. Moore discusses how AI could dramatically accelerate drug discovery and clinical trials by up to 50%. The initiative aims to break down traditional research barriers by harmonizing diverse data sets, from genomics to neuroimaging, making breakthroughs more accessible to the global scientific community.

The Alzheimer’s Insights AI Prize competition semi-finalist teams will be selected to present at a pitch event alongside the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) Conference in San Diego this December, where innovators worldwide will present their ideas to a distinguished panel of judges from tech, academia, and venture capital. From there, up to three finalist teams will be invited to a final event at the AD/PD International Conference next March in Copenhagen, Denmark. With travel support available for participants, this initiative ensures global accessibility and collaboration.

Ready to learn how AI could revolutionize brain health research to potentially detect Alzheimer’s earlier, improve treatments, and work toward prevention and cures? Listen to this inspiring episode that bridges technology and medicine in the fight against dementia. Then visit Alzheimer’s Insights AI Prize to learn more and apply by September 12, 2025.

Do you want to participate in live conversations with industry luminaries? Members of our Health Moonshot Communities are leading startups with breakthrough technology-driven solutions for the world’s biggest health challenges. Fireside Chats, Expert Office Hours, and Peer Circles are benefits of our Health Moonshot Community Membership. To get involved, submit our three-minute application. If you’re mission-driven, collaborative, and ready to contribute as much as you gain, you might be the perfect fit.
» Learn more and apply today.

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The Future of Health Fundraising: How Ribon Is Revolutionizing Philanthropy

August 19, 2025Business, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, StartupsAccess to Care Moonshot, community, Health Moonshot, Health Moonshot Communities, health moonshot community, Health Transformer, Health Transformers, Rafael Rodeiro, Ribon, Ribon Health, Unity StoakesNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:29 — 20.6MB)

Transforming Healthcare Fundraising: A Revolutionary Approach

In this episode of StartUp Health NOW, discover how Rafael Rodeiro, CEO & Founder of Ribon Health, is revolutionizing nonprofit healthcare fundraising through an innovative platform that’s changing the game. From a modest start in Brasilia to developing a groundbreaking “reverse matching gifts” system, Rafael’s journey showcases the power of reimagining traditional giving methods.

The episode explores how Ribon’s unique approach provides free donation tickets to individuals, removing financial barriers and fostering a natural sense of generosity. This innovative system not only transforms how people give but also creates lasting engagement within healthcare communities.

Rafael also shares his personal growth story and his experience as a member of the StartUp Health community, including how he improved his pitch from a 6.5 NPS score to an impressive 9.5 through persistence and continuous refinement. His StartUp Health membership evolved from initial skepticism to valuable partnerships, demonstrating the importance of community support in healthcare innovation.

Key Highlights Include:

The concept of “reverse matching gifts” allows donors to engage with health projects without the pressure of traditional fundraising, making giving more joyful and accessible.
Building long-term relationships with donors can create a positive cycle of giving, enhancing community engagement and fostering a culture of altruism.
Community feedback and training can lead to significant improvements, as demonstrated by Rafael’s pitch journey and collaborations.

Ready to be inspired by a fresh perspective on healthcare fundraising and entrepreneurial resilience? Tune in to hear how one founder’s vision is reshaping the future of giving in healthcare.

Are you ready to tell YOUR story? Members of our Health Moonshot Communities are leading startups with breakthrough technology-driven solutions for the world’s biggest health challenges. Exposure in StartUp Health Media to our global audience of investors and partners – including our podcast, newsletters, magazine, and YouTube channel – is a benefit of our Health Moonshot PRO Membership. To schedule a call and see if you qualify to join and increase brand awareness through our multi-media storytelling efforts, submit our three-minute application. If you’re mission-driven, collaborative, and ready to contribute as much as you gain, you might be the perfect fit.
» Learn more and apply today.

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Caregiving Reimagined: How CAREgivers Insight Empowers the Circle of Care

August 5, 2025Alzheimer's Moonshot, Caregiving Moonshot, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, StartupsAlzheimer's, Alzheimer's Moonshot, Caregiver, CAREgivers Insight, Caregiving, Caregiving Moonshot, Christopher Jue, Health Moonshot, Health Moonshot CommunitiesNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:28 — 28.8MB)

In this episode of StartUp Health NOW, Unity Stoakes, President & Co-founder of StartUp Health, speaks with Christopher Jue, CEO & Co-founder of CAREgivers Insight, a leading member of our Caregiving Health Moonshot Community. Christopher, a serial entrepreneur with a personal connection to caregiving, shares the story behind his company’s mission to transform how family caregivers manage care and track their loved ones’ health.

Key highlights of the conversation include:

Personal Journey & Inspiration: Christopher discusses his experiences as a caregiver for his father, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, and how these challenges led to the creation of CAREgivers Insight. He reflects on how caregiving from a distance sparked the need for better, more efficient solutions.
Innovative Solution: Learn about the platform Christopher and his team developed to empower caregivers by giving them real-time access to vital health data and insights. This easy-to-use tool helps caregivers make informed decisions and reduce hospitalizations, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
The Circle of Care: Christopher explains the “circle of care” and how the solution benefits not just the caregiver, but also the care recipient, family members, healthcare providers, and insurers.
The Power of Collaboration: As a serial entrepreneur, Christopher discusses the importance of collaboration with other health innovators and founders. He shares how the collective efforts of the StartUp Health community are helping to accelerate the impact of caregiving solutions.
Future of Caregiving: With caregiving needs set to grow exponentially as the population ages, Christopher envisions a future where caregivers feel empowered, supported, and less stressed – leading to better care for patients and reduced pressure on the healthcare system.

Tune in to this insightful conversation to discover how technology can transform caregiving and support the millions of families facing the challenges of chronic illness, aging, and Alzheimer’s care.

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Collaborative Innovations: Navigating Digital Health Fundraising with Lee Shapiro of 7wire Ventures

July 1, 2025Business, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Startups7Wire Ventures, 7wireVentures, fundraising, HealthTech Investor, invest, investing, Lee Shapiro, Steve Krein, Steven KreinNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:19 — 51.6MB)

Healthcare Investment Landscape: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities

On this episode of StartUp Health NOW, dive into a compelling conversation with Lee Shapiro, managing partner of 7wire Ventures, as he unravels the complexities of digital health investment in today’s challenging market. Discover how successful healthcare startups are adapting to a landscape marked by IPO stagnation and reduced funding streams.

In this interactive Fireside Chat with members of the StartUp Health community, Shapiro generously shares his wisdom and answers real-world questions from participants.

Key highlights include:

The critical importance of demonstrating ROI in healthcare offerings
Strategies for founders to secure funding in a tight market
The vital role of scientific evidence in business strategies
The importance of long-term thinking in achieving health moonshots

The discussion offers valuable insights into how entrepreneurs can thrive despite economic uncertainties and regulatory challenges. From leveraging strategic investors to building sustainable business models, learn how innovative companies are reshaping healthcare delivery.

Want to understand how to navigate the evolving healthcare investment landscape and build successful partnerships in digital health? Listen to this interactive episode for actionable insights from industry veterans.

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Why Dr. Craig Ritchie Brings Optimism to StartUp Health’s Alzheimer’s Moonshot Impact Board

May 30, 2024Alzheimer's Moonshot, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, StartupsAlzheimer's, Alzheimer's Moonshot, Craig Ritchie, health innovation, Health Moonshot, Health Moonshot Impact Board, Impact Board, Innovation, Logan Plaster, Scottish Brain SciencesNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:23 — 47.2MB)

This episode of StartUp Health NOW challenges your perception of Alzheimer’s in another in our series of conversations with our Alzheimer’s Moonshot Impact Board. This week’s guest is Craig Ritchie, MD, PhD, CEO & Founder of Scottish Brain Sciences and a Professor at University of St. Andrews.

A new view of Alzheimer’s: Discover the distinction between what Dr. Ritchie calls Alzheimer’s disease vs Alzheimer’s dementia.
The invisible threat: Learn how Alzheimer’s can exist without noticeable symptoms, impacting younger individuals.
Shifting the research focus: Explore the importance of studying pre-symptomatic Alzheimer’s for effective treatment.
Unleashing innovation: Gain insights into Dr. Ritchie’s optimism for StartUp Health’s Alzheimer’s Moonshot Community.

This episode is for you if:

You’re interested in the latest Alzheimer’s research.
You want to understand the different stages of Alzheimer’s.
You’re curious about the power of collaboration in tackling Alzheimer’s.

Want even more about Alzheimer’s disease innovation?

Learn how you can join our new Alzheimer’s Moonshot
Meet the first companies to join the Alzheimer’s Moonshot Community.
Meet Phyllis Ferrell, Chief Impact Officer for StartUp Health’s Alzheimer’s Moonshot

Join us as we redefine Alzheimer’s and ignite hope for a future free from dementia!

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Innovators: Health Transformer University fuels your health moonshot

Funders: Become a Health Moonshot Champion

No More Suffering in Silence: Meet Two Founders Tackling Gut Health

December 15, 2023Business, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Startupsartificial intelligence, BetterMeal AI, Diet, Foursquare, Gut Health, Health Moonshot, Health Moonshots, Health Transformer, Health Transformers, Innovation, Jeff Glueck, Logan Plaster, Nutrition, Nutrition & Fitness, Nutrition and Fitness, Salvo, Salvo Health, Swathi Arulguppe, Whole HealthNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (34.8MB)

On this week’s StartUp Health NOW episode, we’re talking about the future of gut health with Jeff Glueck, CEO & Co-founder of Salvo Health, and Swathi Arulguppe, CEO & Founder at BetterMeal AI.

There’s no doubt gut health is having a moment.

For a long time, health issues in the gut, like irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease, were met with outdated pamphlets about diets. The result was millions of people suffering in silence with painful, life-limiting conditions.

It’s not that GI doctors didn’t want to help. There just didn’t seem to be a lot that they could do.

Thankfully our understanding of the importance of gut health – and its connection to mental health and whole health – has resulted in a wave of innovation. And on this podcast episode, we’ll talk to some amazing entrepreneurs working to break this cycle and bring relief to patients.

Our first guest, Jeff Glueck was the CEO of Foursquare before he co-founded Salvo Health. He’s taking on gut health from two innovative angles.

The first is through the establishment of a digital clinic which makes specialty GI care available to patients at scale and on demand. Second, Glueck and his team are capitalizing on the latest research connecting gut health to mental health and other conditions. This connection between the gut microbiome and whole health is just exploding and Salvo is helping patients stay on the cutting edge.

Then we’ll check in with Swathi Arulguppe, CEO & Founder of BetterMeal AI.

You’ll hear how Arulguppe has taken her own journey with a debilitating GI condition, combined it with her passion for data, and built a platform for helping deliver AI-driven personalized meal recommendations to patients. By understanding the biological connections between human gut and food at the deepest level, she has built an app that helps guide its users on how to best manage their gut health through their nutrition.

Let’s jump in and find out where we are in gut health innovation.

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Innovators: Health Transformer University fuels your health moonshot

Funders: Become a Health Moonshot Champion
Want more content like this? You can subscribe to the podcast as well as other health innovation updates at startuphealth.com/content.
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Looking to break down health barriers? If you’re an entrepreneur or investor, contact us to learn how you can join our Health Equity Moonshot.
Passionate about Type 1 diabetes? If you’re an entrepreneur or investor, contact us to learn how you can join our T1D Moonshot.

Thriving Seniors: How These Founders Are Upgrading Senior Care from Early Disease Detection to Care Coordination

November 22, 2023Business, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, StartupsChristian Dansereau, Colby Takeda, Health Longevity Moonshot, Health Moonshot, Health Moonshots, Health Transformer, Health Transformers, Healthy Longevity, Logan Plaster, Longevity, Pear Suite, Perceiv AI, PhD, Senior Care, SeniorsNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:20 — 29.2MB)

Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease. It’s the most common cause of dementia, impacting around 55 million people globally. It’s a leading of death for the elderly, but mortality isn’t the worst thing about Alzheimer’s disease. Before they die, this disease robs people of their minds, taking away the interests and knowledge that made them who they are. In a tragic way, it steals people’s identities.

That’s the challenge, and it’s a big one. Thankfully, there are incredible entrepreneurs and researchers working to tackle Alzheimer’s disease, and we’ve got one of them on the show this week. You’ll get to hear from Christian Dansereau, PhD, the CEO & Co-founder of Perceiv AI. Christian will share how his Canadian company – which joined the StartUp Health community in 2022 – is using decades of work in artificial intelligence to predict Alzheimer’s years earlier, so that the disease can be treated, slowed down, or even cured.

After Christian, we’ll talk to another founder passionate about helping seniors thrive as they age. Colby Takeda built Pear Suite after spending years running a senior care facility. Pear Suite – which also joined the StartUp Health community in 2022 – is a digital platform designed to empower community health workers, those front line providers and organizations that really understand the needs of the community on a block by block level. While they started with a focus on senior care, they’ve expanded their mission to new, often neglected communities, and their team is expanding as well.

Perceiv AI and Pear Suite offer two complementary takes on helping seniors living longer, healthier lives. It represents the marriage of early diagnosis, deep data, AI, and daily care, delivered by the right people, served up in actionable ways.

Listen in to learn more.

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Innovators: Health Transformer University fuels your health moonshot

Neolth Teams Up with NBA Star Kenny Thomas to Bring Mental Health Tools to Kids

November 2, 2023Business, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, StartupsChildrens Health, Health Moonshot, Health Transformer, Health Transformers, Katherine Grill, Kenny Thomas, Logan Plaster, mental health, Mental Health & Happiness, Mental Health and Happiness, mentalhealthawareness, NBA, Neolth, Teen HealthNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (33.8MB)

According to some estimates, out of the HHS, nearly 50% of kids have experienced some kind of mental health challenge. And not just anxiety about an upcoming test or depression over a breakup, but persistent feelings that interfere with daily activities.

Health innovation companies have been on the case for years, including many from the StartUp Health community. They’re tackling the science – like what’s the best way to treat mental health challenges in teens – and they’re also tackling engagement. You can have the best tools in the world after all, but if a young person doesn’t want to get help, it’ll never go anywhere.

Enter Katherine Grill, PhD, CEO & Co-founder of Neolth, one of our guests on this podcast episode. She’s taken her doctorate in behavioral neuroscience and her experience as a clinician, combined with hundreds of interviews with young people, in order to build a platform that meets kids where they’re at – offering self-guided mental health support in a variety of forms and flavors.

Joining the podcast with us is former pro basketball player, Kenny Thomas. After spending 11 seasons in the NBA, Thomas became an entrepreneur and community advocate, with a focus on youth experiencing financial hardship via his own foundation. And now he’s throwing his influence behind Neolth in order to help young people, particularly those involved in sports, gain access to mental health services.

On this StartUp Health NOW episode, we’ll cover the ins and outs of the Neolth platform as well as some of Dr. Grill’s strategy behind working with a brand ambassador, which is somewhat unique in the world of early-stage health startups.

Let’s get into it.

Innovators: Health Transformer University fuels your health moonshot