Kentucky healthcare accelerator XLerateHealth’s second class of eight startups has a stronger life sciences flavor this year with clinical applications of software. It seems to be a growing trend among accelerators in the healthcare space not only as diagnostic tools become more integrated with smartphones but also as early-stage health IT companies take a greater interest in clinical applications and investor interest continues to build.
Last year the 13-week program offered coaching from two to five mentors, $20,000 in funding and office space in exchange for 6 percent equity. A demo day is scheduled for October 30.
Medbiomarkers developed a web-based tool that’s part biomarker database and part social network. The idea is that by sharing biomarker data across a web-based database, it could accelerate discovery, validation and utility of biomarkers for health monitoring, diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The London-based company also encourages patients and their families to use the website to share their data from fitness tracking and health monitoring devices to receive what the website describes as personalized recommendations with new research insights. It notes that in some cases patients would get paid to share their data with researchers.
NeuroAtlas wants to develop an earlier diagnosis for autism by combining its medical software and 3D non-contrast MR imaging. It would be the first of several neurological disorders for which the Louisville company wants to develop diagnostics.
Kentucky Enterprise Fund/KSTC, Triathlon Ventures, TriStar Ventures, OCA Ventures and Chrysalis Ventures are the accelerator’s venture capital sponsors. Among its healthcare and life sciences partners are Cardiovascular Innovation Institute, Johns Hopkins Health for America, Innovate LTC and The National Space Biomedical Research Institute.
Here’s a summary of the rest of the companies selected for the accelerator.
Personal Medicine Plus sees a way to use a mobile app to help Medicaid patients with pre-diabetes and pre-hypertension do a better job of managing their health. The co-founders’ background includes experience in medicine and public health. Co-founder Dr. Nathalie Hodge told Disruptive Women earlier this year that the app includes a way for users to enter information about their food and water intake, along with a built-in pedometer that gives users the illusion they are walking in different environments. It’s a notoriously difficult challenge to change behavior, specifically for patients with chronic conditions but that hasn’t stopped other companies from taking on this challenge.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Blue Sky Case Management is developing a mobile health tool for case managers that will help them produce care plans for Medicaid waiver participants living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Count It works with employer wellness plans by connecting health and wellness incentives with corporate charitable giving using tracking devices. It sounds a bit like Stickk, but more about companies and less about challenges with friends and family.
Gyroskope Family Network developed a multimedia content, gaming and social platform for seniors that streams TV shows, movies, radio and other programming on-demand. The goal is to enhance video and audio experiences and activities that enhance memory and cognition.
Lift3D wants to jump on the fitness tracking and data analysis train with 3D laser imaging technology. The goal is to allow users to include data from using fitness equipment at gyms in their overall data analysis.
Myliance wants to help seniors and people with disabilities stay in their own homes as long as possible and claims to have developed a “resident care at home concierge” tool for medical and non-medical services.
Full disclosure: Bob Saunders, XLerateHealth’s chairman and co-founder, is an investor in MedCity Media, which includes MedCity News
