Five fast-growing startups from across the country — including one from Wisconsin — have been selected to receive a $60,000 investment each and participate in the Birmingham, Alabama-based Prosper Healthtech Accelerator.
The selected startups are:
- Green Bay-based insurance platform AppEase;
- Birmingham, Alabama-based mastectomy bra-fitting tool KnowBra;
- Chapel-Hill, North Carolina-based video-to-speech lipreading technology LiRA;
- Whitsett, North Carolina-based culturally sensitive health hub Oma;
- Los Angeles-based mental-health platform Sanitas Health.
Prosper Healthtech Accelerator invests $60,000 into five high-growth startups per cohort that it considers to be focused on transforming the way health care is delivered and consumed. Accepted startups participate in the 12-week, program, which includes one-on-one coaching, mentorship-driven programming, deals and perks and connections to the gener8tor network of mentors and investors.
The accelerator received more than 90 applications. Companies were chosen based on growth potential and investor readiness.
“Each company brings a unique approach to improving health care through technology, from AI-powered lip reading to culturally competent care platforms," said Kellie Clark, managing director of Prosper Healthtech Accelerator. "These founders have demonstrated their drive to reimagine the way health care is delivered and consumed — a North Star shared by Prosper Healthtech Accelerator. Over the next 12 weeks, we look forward to supporting their growth and helping them make an impact both locally in Birmingham and globally.”
President and CEO of Prosper J.W. Carpenter said the chosen entrepreneurs are "at the forefront of revolutionizing health care and technology, addressing critical needs and improving lives."
"Their dedication to enhancing health outcomes and advancing inclusivity aligns perfectly with our mission to make Birmingham a hub for health technology solutions," he said. "Together, we are creating a brighter, healthier future for our community and beyond."
Green Bay's AppEase was founded by Nicole Tilot and is developing technology to automatically transfer medical data between providers and insurance companies in order to reduce costs and increase the speed of insurance underwriting. Tilot came up with the idea after experiencing related pain points in her job as a financial advisor.
At the end of the Prosper Healthtech Accelerator, the startup founders will pitch their companies to investors, community partners and the public at a showcase event Dec. 12 at Innovation Depot.
The accelerator is powered by gener8tor, a startup accelerator program founded in Milwaukee and Madison. The program is made possible by a partnership with Prosper and Redhawk.
