7 Health Tech Accelerators You Should Know About

You don’t have to look far to find a health IT accelerator. At least, not as far as you used to.

Programs to give healthcare entrepreneurs a boost are appearing throughout the country, providing opportunities for innovators who don’t live in a major tech hub — and don’t want to move to one.

Here are a few accelerator programs to know about, with special attention to those away from the coasts:

  • The Iron Yard is based in Spartanburg, S.C., and seeks companies involved in areas such as wellness apps and enterprise software. It provides $20,000 in seed capital and three months of mentoring and workshops in areas such as fundraising, user interface development and lean startup methodology.
  • Healthbox is operating programs in Chicago, Nashville and Jacksonville, Fla., in addition to Boston and London. (OK, technically, Jacksonville is on the East Coast, but still.) It’s a four-month program that provides startups with $50,000 in seed capital along with office space, mentoring and training. Healthbox asks for 7 percent in equity. According to the accelerator’s website: “Competitive applicants will address a specific and pressing challenge in the healthcare industry. For example, solutions of interest may improve patient engagement, provider effectiveness or preventative health and wellness.”
  • DreamIt Health started in Philadelphia and has expanded to Austin and Baltimore. The Baltimore version, which will last four months, is selecting as many as 10 firms from around the world and offering as much as $50,000 in stipend money and professional services. Applicants should be “working to use IT to solve significant industry problems faced by key healthcare stakeholders including providers, payers, public health, biopharma, device makers, employers and patients themselves.”
  • The Sprint Accelerator, powered by Techstars, is a program launching in Kansas City with a focus on mobile health technology. The three-month intensive mentorship program will begin in March, with startups receiving as much as $120,000, including $20,000 in seed funding and an optional $100,000 convertible debt note.
  • Health Wildcatters is a new accelerator in Dallas that invests as much as $35,000 in each firm. It’s open to a broader range of startups than some of the other programs, stating on its website: “Many healthcare IT, SaaS, digital health and mobile health companies are a fit, but we also encourage medical device, diagnostic and even pharma companies to apply.” Wildcatters takes an 8 percent equity stake. The site explains that in Texas parlance, wildcatters are “independent oil entrepreneurs willing to take chances with regard to where they drill” and that their success comes from “low operating costs and the ability to mobilize quickly.”
  • XLerateHealth runs a 10-week program in Louisville, Ky. Selected teams get a $20,000 stipend and donated professional services worth an estimated $50,000. The goal is to “help early stage healthcare companies build out their commercialization strategy, which includes their intersection with Payers, Providers (hospitals, ACOs, nursing homes, home health and group practices), and customers (employers and/or consumers).” XLerateHealth receives a 6 percent equity stake.
  • Innov8 for Health operates several programs in Cincinnati. This month it’s holding a Health Startup Showcase in which firms present their solutions to entrepreneurs, potential customers and investors and compete for $5,000 in cash and in-kind services. Last year it helped to launch seven companies in a 12-month accelerator program providing each firm with $20,000 in seed funding.

There are, of course, plenty of other programs. Paul Sonnier has compiled a more comprehensive list at Story of Digital Health.

With the rise of open platforms and the growing number of support networks, health IT entrepreneurship has become a viable career option for many.

And, now more than ever, it’s possible to innovate close to home.

About the author

James Ritchie

James Ritchie is a freelance writer with a focus on health care. His experience includes eight years as a staff writer with the Cincinnati Business Courier, part of the American City Business Journals network. Twitter @HCwriterJames.

4 Comments

  • Hi John: I am proud to say that the Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, did the honors of ribbon cutting at TechSandBox on Tuesday.
    http://www.techsandbox.org/

    I am a volunteer on the IT SIG and much of what we talk about involves solutions for healthcare. Next meetup will feature Chris Herot of SBR Health and Steven Shi of Virgin Pulse.

    The next time you are up Boston way (and I know you have travelled a lot this year), please consider speaking at TechSandBox where there is plenty of space in the town where the Boston Marathon starts, Hopkinton.

  • Hi Pat,
    Just so it’s clear, James wrote this article. However, congratulations on the ribbon cutting. It must be a really exciting time there.

    I’d love to stop by and speak the next time I’m in Boston. I love startups and healthcare. You’re right I’ve traveled too much this Fall and Boston got cut from the travel plans, but I bet it will return next year.

  • John, you are always so good (and honest)! Just as I was hitting the ‘send’ button I noticed it was not your article. My apologies to James!

    Yes, keep us on your list. On Monday night we saw the French robot (video only) that is using Nuance technology… another great presentation about new ideas to disrupt healthcare from two AI speakers, Bill Taylor and Bill Millward. Wound care is on the list for the Life Sciences so that should be interesting, too!

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