The UnitedHealthcare Accelerator powered by Techstars announced today that it has selected 10 medical-technology companies to participate in its first cohort.
UnitedHealthcare's first class of startups are addressing issues like quality of care, access to care and gaps in care.
Like other Techstars accelerators, the program will last three months and offer participating companies mentorship and capital along with research and development assistance.
The accelerator will conclude with a demo day, where each of the 10 companies will pitch its business model to an audience of venture capitalists, industry experts and members of the Twin Cities tech community.
The accelerator is led by Matt Miller, a veteran of the local business scene who previously worked at StayWell, Perk Health and Johnson & Johnson's health behavior science group. In a release, Miller said the accelerator interviewed hundreds of startups from 33 countries while recruiting for the first cohort.
"Combining technical innovation, clinical expertise and evidence-based guidance from UnitedHealthcare with entrepreneurial expertise from Techstars will enable these 10 startups to create a ripple throughout the modern healthcare ecosystem," he added.
Minnetonka-based UnitedHealthcare is a medical giant. Ranked sixth on the Fortune 500, it has backed startups in the past through Optum, its technology and healthcare services arm. UnitedHealthcare has been pouring more capital into Optum Ventures, a unit investing in digital-health startups, in recent years. Last year, UnitedHealth Group said it had committed about $600 million to Optum Ventures.
This will be Techstars’ third Twin Cities program. The accelerator established its first, a Minneapolis retail program in partnership with Target, in 2016. Last year, Techstars launched Farm to Fork in partnership With Ecolab and Cargill in St. Paul.
Companies in the first cohort of the UnitedHealthcare Accelerator powered by Techstars are listed below. Descriptions are provided by Techstars.
- Virtue Health: San Francisco, Calif.-based Virtue develops digital therapeutics for underserved health conditions.
- clearstep: Chicago, Ill.-based clearstep uses an AI-powered symptom checker to connect users to the right points of care.
- Phraze: Rochester, Minn.-based Phraze automates clinical documentation requirements with its AI-powered digital medical scribe.
- Mountain Health: Dallas, Texas-based mountain helps users manage healthcare finances while saving money on primary care services.
- Suggestic: San Francisco, Calif.-based Suggestic is an AI-powered personalized nutrition platform.
- Shurpa Health: Chicago, Ill.-based Shurpa aims to solve logistical issues related to healthcare transportation and focuses specifically on managed care organizations.
- Bloom: Empowers seniors to take charge of their health and find community.
- Revealix: Austin, Texas-based Revealix aims to make monitoring diabetic limb health simple. The company's suite of mobile imaging and connected health tools helps reduce amputation rates through the early identification and engagement of at-risk patients.
- WalkWise: Fargo, N.D.-based WalkWise offers a smart walker attachment that helps seniors maintain their independence by monitoring wellness, health and safety.
- Triggr Health: Chicago, Ill.-based Triggr is a real-time texting platform that helps drive meaningful engagement for individuals navigating addiction recovery.
