Sprint (NYSE: S) is making a big push for mobile health innovation in the Midwest with its Sprint Mobile Health accelerator in Kansas City. It’s extended the applicant deadline to January 6. The accelerator is powered by TechStars.
It is seeking 10 teams of entrepreneurs who have either developed their own mobile health technology or have new applications for established technologies. They should be complementary groups that can collaborate together, preferably with experience working together in startups or growth-stage companies.
Participants would get the benefit of Sprint resources, its relationship with hospital CIOs and access to TechStars mentors.
Among the kinds of technology it is looking for:
- Wearable technology such as movement tracking and vital monitoring
- Sensor-driven devices and networks
- Products to help care for parents or children
- Social tools to help users meet personal goals
- Mobile apps that can diagnose conditions
- Medication schedule apps
- Big data tools to reduce admissions and improve outcomes
At the mHealth Summit, Erik Wullschleger of Sprint, who is working on the accelerator, said the long-term goal is to encourage startups to stay in Kansas City. Among the mobile health and health IT companies Sprint collaborates with are TigerText and AirWatch standardizing user authentication
Sprint isn’t the first corporate accelerator TechStars has powered. It has also collaborated on ones with Nike, Kaplan EdTech and R/GA Connected Devices.
[Photo from stock.xchng user malko]