Category Archives: Startups

Edamam

Edamam’s Victor Penev: Building a 24/7 AI Nutritionist for a Healthier World

Business, Food as Medicine Moonshot, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Startups, , , , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:55 — 26.5MB)

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StartUp Health community member Victor Penev, CEO & Founder of Edamam, joins Unity Stoakes to talk about how AI is accelerating the Food as Medicine revolution. Penev shares how Edamam’s mission to organize the world’s food knowledge is leading to a new generation of personalized nutrition tools, including a virtual nutritionist designed to help billions eat better and live longer.

Listen for insights on AI innovation, new reimbursement models for nutrition, and why optimism – grounded in data – drives Edamam’s next chapter.


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.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

Glen Tullman

Glen Tullman: The Playbook for Health Founders in a Time of Change

Business, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Startups, , , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:31 — 28.9MB)

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Transcarent CEO and 7wire Ventures co-founding Partner Glen Tullman joins StartUp Health co-founder Unity Stoakes for a candid conversation on what it takes to lead, invest, and build during one of healthcare’s most volatile and opportunity-rich moments.

Tullman shares why time is the most strategic asset a founder has, why simplicity always wins, and why commitment — not an exit strategy — drives enduring impact.

This 30-minute highlight captures only part of the full Fireside Chat with StartUp Health community members, who joined live to ask their own questions and engage directly with Tullman.

Join the StartUp Health community to access these full, interactive conversations with today’s top healthcare leaders and investors.

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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CoachLinq by InHealth

InHealth’s Next Chapter: Transforming Engagement Into Healthcare’s First-Line Therapy with CoachLinq

Business, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Startups, , , , , , , , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:31 — 21.5MB)

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Perseverance. Proof. A Decade in the Making.
Scaling Health Coaching with Heart and Intelligence.

In this Health Moonshot Update, StartUp Health community members Aubrey Sawyer and Michelle Alencar, PhD, join Unity Stoakes to share the story behind CoachLinq powered by InHealth, the first certified AI health coach and delivery platform. They reflect on ten years of grit, lessons learned about partnership and perseverance, and why engagement – not access alone – is the missing link in healthcare transformation.

Listen to how they’re scaling evidence-based coaching from human connection to intelligent automation, and why StartUp Health’s long-term model of support helped them reach this inflection point.

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.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

Mother of Fact

A Mother on a Mission to Fix Maternal Nutrition: How Mother of Fact’s Nutrition Care Saves Mothers & Babies

Business, Food as Medicine Moonshot, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Startups, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:46 — 27.3MB)

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One-third of maternal deaths are linked to malnutrition or lack of nutrition care. StartUp Health community member Emily Sylvester, MS, RD, is determined to change that.

As CEO & Founder of Mother of Fact, Emily is building a future where every pregnant person has access to continuous, reimbursable nutrition care – embedded into women’s health workflows and culturally tailored to each family’s needs.

In this conversation with StartUp Health Co-founder Unity Stoakes, Emily shares:
• Why maternal care must shift upstream
• How Mother of Fact delivers a 2–3x ROI for clinics
• New data showing major reductions in complications
• Her founder journey after witnessing a preventable tragedy
• The role of equity in the future of maternal health

Listen to learn how wildly different nutrition care can improve outcomes for moms – and help health systems thrive.

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.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

Enhance-d: Empowering Everybody Living with Diabetes to Reach Their Exercise Goals

Business, Cardiometabolic Health Moonshot, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Startups, Type 1 Diabetes Moonshot, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:00 — 27.5MB)

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This week on the StartUp Health NOW podcast, we sit down with Sam Scott, PhD, CEO & Co-founder of Enhance-d, a Switzerland-based company transforming how people with diabetes approach exercise.

Sam shares how his experience working with professional athletes living with Type 1 diabetes inspired a digital coaching platform that integrates CGM and wearable data to personalize workouts and improve glucose control. He also talks about the company’s new clinical pilots with Dexcom, its growing global community of users, and the next generation of AI-powered coaching tools.

Listen in to learn how Enhance-d is helping people with diabetes turn movement into medicine – and why collaboration across sports tech, med tech, and clinical care will shape the future of active diabetes management.

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.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

Breaking New Ground in Anti-Inflammatory Medicine

Bridging Lifespan and Healthspan: Sen-Jam’s Innovations in Age-Related Disease Treatment

Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Startups, , , , , , , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:39 — 29.0MB)

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Discover how long-time StartUp Health community member Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical is revolutionizing healthcare through groundbreaking anti-inflammatory solutions that could bridge the critical gap between lifespan and healthspan. In this StartUp Health NOW episode, co-founders Jim and Jackie Iversen share their journey in developing innovative medications targeting inflammation – the hidden culprit behind numerous age-related diseases and conditions

The episode highlights their impressive progress, including:
– Phase two clinical trials at Duke University
– Positive outcomes in COVID patient studies
– 60+ patents in their portfolio
– Novel approach to alcohol-related inflammation
– Promising collaboration with the National Institute of Drug Abuse

Intriguingly, their research extends beyond traditional applications, showing potential in enhancing GLP-1 medications and addressing substance use disorders through neuroinflammation reduction. The team’s vision shifts healthcare from reactive “sick care” to proactive health solutions, promising more affordable and accessible medications for long-term use.

Ready to explore the future of preventative healthcare? Tune in to hear how Sen-Jam’s innovations could transform the way we approach aging and chronic illness management.

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.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

 

How NEXT Life Sciences Is Redefining Contraception for Men with Plan A™

Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Startups, , , , , , , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:28 — 19.6MB)

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For the first time in decades, a major innovation in reproductive health is on the horizon.

In this episode of StartUp Health NOW, StartUp Health community member Dr. Darlene Walley, CEO of NEXT Life Sciences, joins Unity Stoakes to discuss Plan A™, a long-acting, non-hormonal, fully reversible male contraceptive that could reshape how couples share family planning.

Dr. Walley explains how Plan A works as a medical device, the company’s global license for Vasalgel®, and the breakthrough results from 100% successful delivery device trials across two continents. With FDA-approved development plans and growing clinical momentum, the company is on track to submit for approval by 2027.

Beyond science, this conversation explores a cultural shift: how men are stepping up to share responsibility for contraception and how this innovation could expand access, improve preventive care, and strengthen relationships worldwide.

Listen in for a look at the future of men’s health, reproductive equity, and one of the most anticipated breakthroughs in medical innovation.

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.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

How Suggestic Is Transforming Sick Care into Scalable Healthcare

How Suggestic Is Transforming Sick Care into Scalable Healthcare

Food as Medicine Moonshot, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Startups, , , , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (45.5MB)

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Discover how Suggestic is transforming healthcare by turning food into a powerful therapeutic tool. In this episode of StartUp Health NOW, Unity Stoakes sits down with new StartUp Health community members Shai Rosen and Carver Anderson to unpack their company’s innovative approach to personalized nutrition and wellness technology.

From their unique journeys – Carver’s roots in medical equipment and Shai’s transition from aspiring doctor to tech innovator – the duo shares how they’re bridging the gap between food and medicine through AI-powered solutions. Their pivot to a B2B model reveals a shrewd understanding of how to scale impact in healthcare technology.

Key highlights:

  • Evolution from direct-to-consumer to B2B platform
  • Integration of AI in personalized nutrition
  • Shift from ‘sick care’ to preventative health
  • Building scalable solutions for healthcare organizations

Ready to explore the future of personalized nutrition and how technology is making it more accessible than ever? Tune in to this episode for insights into how Suggestic is revolutionizing the way we think about food and health.

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.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

How Avanlee Care Partners with Health Plans to Provide Simple Tools & Big Outcomes for Seniors at Home

Avanlee Care Partners with Health Plans to Provide Simple Tools & Big Outcomes for Seniors at Home

Business, Caregiving Moonshot, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Startups, , , , , , , ,

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Bridging Home, Family, and Health Plans: Avanlee Christine on Caregiver-First Health Innovation

StartUp Health community member Avanlee Christine, CEO & Co-founder of Avanlee Care, joins Unity Stoakes on StartUp Health NOW to share how a pivot from fundraising to customer development unlocked product traction, investor interest, and partnerships with innovative health plans. From Billings, Montana, Avanlee explains why integrating unpaid family caregivers into care workflows improves outcomes, raises satisfaction, and helps Medicare Advantage plans do more with less.

In this episode:

  • How shifting focus from pitching to building sparked inbound VC interest, including the first venture investor
  • Why 60% of Medicare Advantage members rely on informal caregivers, and how formalizing that communication closes gaps
  • Practical ways caregiver engagement boosts stars, adherence, annual wellness visits, and CAHPS
  • Lessons from scaling a health tech company in Montana, with support from mentors and investors like Esther Dyson
  • Real talk on resilience, motherhood, team building, and staying alive through tough cycles
  • What health plan leaders, quality and risk teams, and investor partners should know about Avanlee Care right now

Listen for:

  • Simple, structured steps health plans can take to bring caregivers into the loop
  • A founder’s playbook for surviving early years, finding product-market fit, and creating momentum outside traditional tech hubs

 

 

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.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

Introducing the StartUp Health Network: A New Era of Collaboration

Why We Opened the StartUp Health Network to the Ecosystem

Business, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Startups, , , , ,

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

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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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