Category Archives: Startups

Cybersecurity: How Startups Can Stay Secure as Healthcare Ransomware Attacks Skyrocket

March 17, 2023Business, Health, Innovation, StartupsNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:29 — 24.3MB)

According to multiple news sources, cyber attacks surged in 2022. That doesn’t necessarily surprise anyone, but what may be a surprise is learning that healthcare is the most targeted sector.

Turns out, patient records have a high resale value, and ransomware attacks on hospitals can be profitable.

This increase in cyber threats coincides with waves of new companies making data more accessible to patients. So on one hand we’ve got a groundswell of startups fighting the good fight of leveraging patient data and new technology to improve lives. On the other hand we have an increasingly aggressive and sophisticated network of cyber criminals who are a constant threat to our healthcare system and, ultimately, patients’ lives.

Bridging these two worlds is our guest, Steve Cagle, CEO at Clearwater. In this episode, Steve helps us understand the magnitude of the cybersecurity threat in healthcare and, more importantly, gives us practical strategies that founders can employ in order to keep patient data safe and keep their company compliant with current regulations. Steve also explains how, by making a few smart moves, a startup can turn cybersecurity from a business threat to a competitive advantage, particularly as they pitch to wary health systems and payers.

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.

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Expanding Globally: How This African Startup Is Building a Roadmap for the US Market

March 10, 2023Business, Health, Innovation, StartupsAugmental Technolgies, Health Moonshot Update, Health Moonshots, Health Transformers, Logan Plaster, Moonshots, StartUp Health NowNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:43 — 22.6MB)

Welcome to StartUp Health NOW, the podcast where we celebrate the entrepreneurs and innovators who are transforming health.

One of our favorite things about the StartUp Health community of nearly 500 companies and upwards of a 1000 entrepreneurs is how global it is. It is so easy to get caught up in your local challenges and your standard ways of doing business and forget that there is this global village of entrepreneurs, many of whom are thinking in wonderfully different and creative ways about the same challenges you’re facing. We need each other, and we need to build strong lines of communication.

One way that we see cross-border innovation is when a startup attempts to break into a new global market. On this podcast episode, we’re bringing you one such story, a snapshot of a startup working to expand from South Africa to the United States. The conversation is with Herman Lintvelt
and Michael (Fox) van der Linde, the founders of Augmental Technologies, a StartUp Health portfolio company providing digital coaching and content that supports families with children who have ADHD, autism, Tourette syndrome, and other neurodivergent conditions.

We wanted to learn some of the practical ways they’re adapting to a new market environment. Like, are they setting up a physical office in the United States or going all virtual? How are they handling marketing and branding? How did they locate collaboration partners?

And we also wanted to hear what they’re bringing with them that’s unique to South African entrepreneurs. We need a diversity of perspectives – different styles of ingenuity – in order to break out of the intractable problems we experience in health. Entrepreneurs from resource-constrained environments have to solve business challenges with their own blend of creativity and pragmatism. As Augmental Tech brings their platform from South Africa to the United States, they’re bringing that ingenuity with them, and using it to build a market advantage.

In our chat they offered us a slice of life of a startup in the midst of international expansion and share a number of helpful nuggets of wisdom that’ll be useful to entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. Enjoy!

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.

Entrepreneurs: How to get investment from StartUp Health startuphealth.com

Passionate about Type 1 diabetes? If you’re an entrepreneur or investor, contact us to learn how you can join our T1D Moonshot.

Prioritizing Health Equity Through Sustained Action and Equitable Innovation

March 3, 2023Business, Health, Innovation, StartupsAletha Maybank MD, AMA, American Medical Association, Dr Aletha Maybank, health equity, Health Equity Moonshot, Innovation, KP Yelpaala, Logan PlasterNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:52 — 47.2MB)

Last year StartUp Health launched a Health Equity Moonshot with the goal of creating a guiding equity framework for how we support health startups. That work has been led by our Chief Impact Officer Kaakpema “KP” Yelpaala. One of the first things KP did was to build a cross-disciplinary impact board who could help us guide our policies, and one of the first people he turned to for that task was today’s guest, Aletha Maybank, MD, MPH.

Dr. Maybank is the Chief Health Equity Officer & Senior VP at the American Medical Association. In the world of health equity, that’s a big deal because she guides critical policy decisions for an organization that numbers more than a quarter of a million healthcare professionals.

We wanted to have Dr. Maybank in for a Fireside Chat to get a candid look at the work she’s been doing at the AMA and hear her vision for the future. In the conversation, which was hosted by KP Yelpaala and held in front of a virtual audience of Health Transformers from our portfolio, Dr. Maybank draws a line between intention and outcomes and explains why more institutions need to do the hard internal work of examining inequitable structures.

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.

Entrepreneurs: How to get investment from StartUp Health startuphealth.com

Passionate about Type 1 diabetes? If you’re an entrepreneur or investor, contact us to learn how you can join our T1D Moonshot.

How One Founder Raised $5M to Help Women Detect Breast Cancer Earlier

February 24, 2023Business, Health, Innovation, Insights, StartupsBreast Cancer, Cancer, Funding, Gabbi, Health Mindsets, Health Moonshot, Insights, Kaitlin Christine, Logan Plaster, Mindsets, Moonshot Mindset, womens healthNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:22 — 24.2MB)

On this StartUp Health NOW episode, we go to Portland, Oregon, to meet a Health Transformer helping women assess their risk for breast cancer. We chat with Kaitlin Christine, CEO & Founder of Gabbi, because she successfully raised more than $4M in 2022, at a time when many other young startups were struggling to raise. We stress with the startups in our portfolio that raising capital is just one small piece of the health moonshot journey, but there is no denying that it can give rocket fuel to a great idea, so we wanted to hear how she did it. What were the strategies and mindsets that helped her grow from a passionate solopreneur to building her first executive team and scalable product? And, what lessons could she share with other founders who find themselves facing a similar challenge?

Entrepreneurs: How to get investment from StartUp Health startuphealth.com

Passionate about Type 1 diabetes? If you’re an entrepreneur or investor, contact us to learn how you can join our T1D Moonshot.

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.

New Hubs for Health Innovation: Why These Health Transformers Are Building Their Startups in Columbus, Pittsburgh & Baltimore

February 17, 2023Business, Health, Innovation, StartupsBaltimore, Beth Sanders, Columbus, Health Transformers, LifeBio, Logan Plaster, Max Sims, MindTrace, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Shameet Luhar, Vheda HealthNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:00 — 31.1MB)

Every quarter we publish a little thing called the StartUp Health Insights report. It’s all about health innovation funding, and one of the data points we track is where in the world health innovation funding is landing. We call these health innovation hubs, and the same three or four cities always dominate the list. Companies in San Francisco, New York, Boston, and London account for the vast majority of dollars raised in healthcare.

However, at StartUp Health, we know it takes a global village to transform health and there is so much inspiring work happening outside of these cities. Steve Case, former CEO of AOL and an early investor in StartUp Health, famously launched the “Rise of the Rest” campaign which was aimed at showcasing the innovation happening in so-called “flyover cities” like St. Louis, Detroit, and Omaha.

We agree with Case that it’s imperative that we back entrepreneurs in more places in order to benefit from a diversity of thought and experience. At StartUp Health we’ve invested in companies from 29 countries, so we wanted to take an episode of the podcast and dedicate it to a few of these stories. Great startups being built in, let’s call them, “less conspicuous” cities.

In this StartUp Health NOW episode, you’ll hear interviews with Health Transformers from our portfolio who have chosen to build their companies near Columbus, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh. And not because they couldn’t pay the San Francisco rent, but because these environments held hidden gems and opportunities for their businesses, from local talent to affordable workspaces to engaged professional networks.

Entrepreneurs: How to get investment from StartUp Health startuphealth.com

Passionate about Type 1 diabetes? If you’re an entrepreneur or investor, contact us to learn how you can join our T1D Moonshot.

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.

Inside Healthcare Sales: Building a Revenue Strategy for Your Health Moonshot

February 10, 2023Business, Health, Innovation, StartupsCollin Stewart, Health Tech, Healthcare, Innovation, Jamey Edwards, Logan Plaster, Revenue, StartUp HealthNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:57 — 43.0MB)

Welcome to StartUp Health NOW, the podcast where we celebrate the entrepreneurs and innovators who are transforming health.

As we’ve reported recently, the health tech funding landscape has tightened in the last year. In other words, it’s harder to raise money for your business. But there’s an upside to this cooler market: There’s a heightened emphasis being put on the fundamentals of business like cash flow and profitability. That means less noise being generated around innovations that turn out to be smoke and mirrors and more focused on smart, sustainable business ideas. That’s good news for the right kind of founders, the ones we call Health Transformers.

But, it still isn’t easy. When a startup is facing an ever-shrinking runway and having to show strong revenue numbers, it can be difficult to take the time to formulate a cohesive sales strategy that allows the business not only to survive the long sales cycle in healthcare, but thrive long term as it seeks to achieve its audacious health moonshot.

To help founders tackle this challenge head on, we invited Collin Stewart, the CEO of Predictable Revenue, to join us for a recent Fireside Chat. The conversation was hosted by Jamey Edwards in front of a live virtual audience of founders from the StartUp Health portfolio. They cover themes like being radically open to market feedback and even pull some wisdom from Collin’s days as a professional musician.

Entrepreneurs: How to get investment from StartUp Health startuphealth.com

Passionate about Type 1 diabetes? If you’re an entrepreneur or investor, contact us to learn how you can join our T1D Moonshot.

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.

Raising My First Million: The Health Moonshot Mindsets & Tactics That Helped Perceiv AI Close $1.5M During a Down Market

February 2, 2023Business, Health, Innovation, Insights, Startups, UncategorizedChristian Dansereau, Funding, Health Mindsets, Health Moonshots, Health Transformers, Insights, Logan Plaster, Mindsets, Perceiv AI, WisdomNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:35 — 19.8MB)

Welcome to StartUp Health NOW, the podcast where we celebrate the entrepreneurs and innovators who are transforming health.

It’s no secret that 2022 was a down year for health innovation funding. Earlier this month we published our Year-End Insights Report, which showed a 50% drop-off in digital health funding compared with 2021. Of course, you have to take those numbers in context. For one, 2021 was a crazy, exuberant year for funding, fueled by a COVID-induced rush to virtual healthcare. Second, when you look at health innovation funding over 10 years, we’re still on a dramatic upward growth curve.

That said, 2022 was a scary year for startups that needed to raise funds, so we called up a founder in the StartUp Health portfolio who’d made it happen. Christian Dansereau, PhD, CEO and Co-founder of Perceiv AI, closed his first round, $1.5M, in November 2022, while many other companies were experiencing down rounds, acquisitions, and or even closing their doors.

So, how’d they raise their first million plus in spite of rocky market conditions? What strategies and mindsets did they use that other founders can learn from? In this podcast episode, we get tactical about lead gen, decks, and nailing your first meeting, and also talk about the importance of aligning with partners at a health moonshot level.

Learn more and connect with Health Transformers like Perceiv AI.

Entrepreneurs: How to get investment from StartUp Health startuphealth.com

Passionate about Type 1 diabetes? If you’re an entrepreneur or investor, contact us to learn how you can join our T1D Moonshot.

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.

Facing the Music: Critical Lessons in Healthcare Leadership

January 27, 2023Business, Health, Innovation, StartupsElizabeth Dale, Healthcare, Jefferson Health, Leadership, Logan Plaster, Mindsets, Moonshot Mindset, Stephen Klasko, Steven Klasko, WisdomNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:47 — 30.0MB)

Welcome to StartUp Health NOW, the podcast where we celebrate the entrepreneurs and innovators who are transforming health.

What can music teach us about the confusing, inspiring, sometimes frustrating world of healthcare?

According to Dr. Stephen Klasko, our guest in this first StartUp Health NOW episode of 2023, the answer is a lot.

Dr. Klasko was the President of Jefferson University and CEO of Jefferson Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. He launched JeffConnect, a pioneering initiative in telemedicine, and grew Jefferson Health from three hospitals to 14.

He’s the author of the new book How the Message in the Music Can Save Healthcare in America, in which he throws back to his roots as a radio DJ in order to help the reader think more creatively about the changes that need to take place in healthcare.

Now, he’s getting involved in the startup scene through his work as an executive in residence at General Catalyst and as a member of StartUp Health’s Health Moonshot Impact Board. We wanted to bring Dr. Klasko in for a special session with our Health Transformers because he’s solved healthcare problems at the highest level and understands just how interconnected this ecosystem really is. Bonus: he tells it like it is.

The conversation, which took place in front a live audience of founders from the StartUp Health portfolio, was co-hosted by Elizabeth Dale, who worked closely with Dr. Klasko at Jefferson.

Learn more and connect with Health Transformers.

Entrepreneurs: How to get investment from StartUp Health startuphealth.com

Passionate about Type 1 diabetes? If you’re an entrepreneur or investor, contact us to learn how you can join our T1D Moonshot.

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.

Is Value-Based Care Finally at a Tipping Point? Cityblock and Enlace Health Share Thoughts from StartUp Health @ HLTH

November 23, 2022Business, Health, Innovation, Startups2022 StartUp Health Festival, Bill Nordmark, Cityblock, Cityblock Health, Dr Kameron Matthews, Enlace Health, Fee for service, Health, Health Tech, Healthcare, HealthTech, HLTH, HLTH 2022, Kameron Matthews, Kameron Matthews MD, Logan Plaster, StartUp Health @ HLTH, Value-Based CareNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:22 — 22.2MB)

Welcome to StartUp Health NOW, the podcast where we celebrate the entrepreneurs and innovators transforming the future of health.

Value-based care has the dubious distinction of being the oldest new idea in health innovation. For decades we’ve talked about the benefits of creating medical payment structures that tie compensation to the patient’s outcome, rather than simply paying for services. It’s pretty clear that if a hospital makes its money off of performing certain tests or procedures, it’s going to have a bias – whether overt or subconscious – towards doing more of those tests and procedures. There’s no financial incentive to give the patient a lower-cost option that’s just as effective.

The alternative to America’s “fee for service” model is one where financial risk is shared by multiple entities, and pricing is bundled in a transparent way. This so-called value-based structure does away with surprise bills, and makes sure that doctors and hospitals are financially incentivized to keep patients healthy. Of course, that’s an oversimplification, and we could have a whole other episode about the role of fee-for-service medicine, but that’s not our subject for today.

Today, we’re getting a look at how value-based healthcare companies are faring through the lens of two StartUp Health companies, Cityblock Health and Enlace Health.

Recently, StartUp Health brought together nearly 100 of our portfolio companies at HLTH in Las Vegas, and while on the show floor, we caught up with some of our top founders in the StartUp Health Studio. That included Bill Nordmark, CEO of Enlace Health, which last year raised a $60M series D, and Dr. Kameron Matthews, Chief Health Officer at Cityblock Health, which is now valued at more than a billion dollars. Both of these companies are making value-based care business models a reality. For Enlace, it’s about building a new infrastructure that allows other companies to operate successfully within a new financial model. For Cityblock, it’s about deploying value-based care at scale in a way that addresses the needs of vulnerable populations.

Listen in for Logan Plaster’s chats with Bill Nordmark and Dr. Kameron Matthews, held in the busy StartUp Health Pavilion at HLTH in Las Vegas.

Learn more and connect with Health Transformers.

Entrepreneurs: How to get investment from StartUp Health startuphealth.com

Passionate about Type 1 diabetes? If you’re an entrepreneur or investor, contact us to learn how you can join our T1D Moonshot.

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.

Why Any Digital Health Startup Needs an Interoperability Strategy w/ Troy Bannister, Particle Health

November 8, 2022Business, Health, Innovation, StartupsAccess to care, Cost to Zero, Health, Health Data, Health Moonshots, Healthcare, Interoperability, Jamey Edwards, mindset, Moonshots, particle health, troy bannister, WisdomNicole Kinsey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:42 — 49.2MB)

Troy Bannister is the CEO & Founder of Particle Health, a StartUp Health portfolio company that is shaping the new standard of healthcare data exchange with a user-friendly API platform. Fresh off their $25M capital raise, Troy shares his views on the future of interoperability and why interoperability needs to be a core pillar in any healthcare startup’s playbook. Healthcare’s future is about data, and in front of a live, interactive audience of Health Transformers, Troy chats with StartUp Health’s Jamey Edwards for a deep dive on how to develop an interoperability strategy and partner with the right company to fulfill your moonshot mission.

Join us at the StartUp Health Festival @ HLTH, Nov 13-16, 2022, in Las Vegas to meet Troy Bannister, Jamey Edwards, and hundreds of other Health Transformers in person: https://www.startuphealth.com/startuphealthfestival

Learn more and connect with the team at Particle Health.

Entrepreneurs: How to get investment from StartUp Health startuphealth.com

Investors: How to invest in StartUp Health Moonshots healthmoonshots.com
Want more content like this? You can subscribe to the podcast as well as other health innovation updates at startuphealth.com/content.
Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

Passionate about Type 1 diabetes? If you’re an entrepreneur or investor, contact us to learn how you can join our T1D Moonshot.

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.