MedCitizens

StartUPDATES: New developments from healthcare startups

Check out news from Equiva, PrecisionGx, Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health, Jasper Health, and Anagenex.

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Equiva, an innovator in patient engagement and health relationship management solutions, commends the health systems participating in an initiative recently launched by the American Hospital Association, the Joint Commission, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The initiative is called: Advancing Equity Through Quality and Safety Peer Network.  The new peer network is focused on “improving health equity and lowering health disparities in the structural DNA of hospital operations and health system delivery,” said American Medical Association President Dr. Gerald Harmon. 

 “Health inequity is far too prevalent. We must focus more fully on both availability and access,” said Equiva CEO Nir Altman. “Digital solutions must be less complex and costly — so they can be more widely adopted to serve all people regardless of race, ethnicity, age, disability, socioeconomic status, etcetera.”

Altman adds that Equiva’s mission is rooted in health equity and is supported by all in the organization.

It reads: “Humanity will be better served when every person is connected to the individuals, information, and experiences that support overall well-being. Patients, loved ones, and healthcare professionals deserve a more equitable, less fragmented system where transformative technology yields powerful intelligence that promotes targeted care and wellness. This is the future we seek for all, and we can’t think of a more exciting goal.”


PrecisionGx has closed a Series A financing round, led by FCA Venture Partners with participation from Commerce Ventures.

Its AI-enabled claims audit technology creates automated claims intelligence that can be deployed earlier in payment workflows, including in pre-pay and pre-adjudication positions, to prevent overpayments before they happen. Early customers include some of the largest health insurance and pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. representing billions of patient events and over $250 billion in claims in 2021.

“With this round, we are excited to invest in bringing broader and earlier financial impact to payers and pharmaceutical partners, across medical, prescription, discount, and rebate payments. Ultimately, if we want to make healthcare more affordable for patients, we have to solve inaccurate payments. The only way to do that at the scale we need is with automated intelligence that can run within existing payment workflows,” said Kasey Sousa, CEO and co-founder of PrecisionGx.

To read more, click here.


Jasper Health has inked a deal with Walgreens to make the startup’s cancer care services available through the Walgreens Find Care platform.

“In recent years, significant advancements in oncology treatments and medications have been made, but the need remains for a better cancer care experience for all,” says Greg Orr, Chief Commercial Officer and General Manager of Jasper Health. “By working with Walgreens to expand access to our cancer care services, we hope to help more people navigate the complexities of our healthcare system, lessen their distress, and improve their quality of life.”

Jasper Health recently introduced its Coach+ service to its offerings, providing members with additional support for their mental health, sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and financial needs.

To read more, click here.


Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health, a venture fund focused on early-stage (primarily seed) healthcare disruptors and innovators, has closed Fund II at $64 million, significantly larger than its first fund. Fund II’s limited partners include more than 300 healthcare organizations, healthcare executives across the U.S., as well as some international investors.

The goal for Fund II is to invest in 40-50 early-stage companies — mostly in the U.S. but with some allocations to non-U.S. companies. Fund II already has made several investments in some of the most compelling healthcare startups in health tech, digital health, medical device, telehealth, artificial intelligence, pharmatech, science and marketplaces.

To read more, click here.


Anagenex is a drug discovery company that pairs large-scale data generation with machine learning to discover the next generation of small molecule medicines. It closed a $30 million Series A financing round led by Catalio Capital Management, with participation from existing investors Lux Capital, Khosla Ventures, Obvious Ventures, Air Street Capital, and Menlo Ventures. Catalio Capital Management will also get a seat on the board of directors as well as an observer role.

“Traditional small molecule drugs, which account for the majority of FDA approvals, remain the best and most cost-effective medicines for most patients,” said Anagenex CEO Nicolas Tilmans. “However, they are still very challenging to develop. At Anagenex we’ve built a closed-loop iterative system inspired by evolution that alternates between massive lab experiments and next-generation, machine learning-powered predictions so that we can deliver novel small molecule medicines to patients faster.”

To read more, click here.

Picture: akindo, Getty Images