There are some familiar healthcare reform notes sounded among The Iron Yard’s second class of startups. The digital health accelerator wants to support the development of companies in the Southeast that can respond to some of the challenges facing hospitals and the life sciences industry.
It’s part of an annual program started last year.
Among the targets for these companies are improving communication for patients and doctors to address potential questions that arise between appointments, gaming to improve stroke recovery, improving medication adherence and diagnosing chronic conditions earlier such as pneumonia and coronary artery disease.
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
The three-month program in Spartanburg, South Carolina has partnerships with Mayo Clinic, Health 2.0, pharmacy management software company QS1, and Spartanburg Regional Hospital, among others. In exchange for a $20,000 investment, The Iron Yard gets a 6 percent equity stake. The class culminates in a demo day at the Health 2.0 conference in September.
Investment opportunities in healthcare startups in the South have been on the rise. HealthBox established accelerators in Nashville and Jacksonville, Florida. Dallas-based Health Wildcatters got started last year. Excelerate Health Ventures raised a $7 million fund last year to invest in seed and early-stage companies.
Upstate Business Journal listed the members of the new class. To offer some contrast, here’s a look at the inaugural class.
Recovr researches, develops and distributes interactive Xbox games to help stroke patients recover. The first product is an interactive stroke rehabilitation game that patients can use on their Xbox game system.
aHoyDoc has an online chat service that helps patients ask questions of their physicians and make appointments through their website.
Apothesource develops consumer-facing mobile health tools to improve medication adherence by making it easier to manage dosages. Apps integrate consumer health data with patient-specific health records.
Bee Resilient creates and distributes behavioral health education products.
Excep Apps develops mobile health apps for individuals with special needs, including children with autism.
Hats Off Tech has developed a mobile platform to connect cancer patients, their families, navigators and physicians.
iClinical’s mobile platform is designed for clinical trial analytics and data collection.
Intention Technology produces medical algorithms to assist in the early diagnosis of chronic conditions, including pneumonia and coronary artery disease.
RallyFit produced a social media web-based application that tracks and shares metrics from wearable activity devices.
