One year after graduating from the Cedars-Sinai (@CSAccelerator) Accelerator powered by Techstars, several health-tech startups are swiftly expanding their innovations into hospitals and other healthcare settings for the benefit of patients.
Eleven companies completed the three-month accelerator program last year, and have since begun to make inroads among healthcare providers in the United States and overseas. By utilizing Cedars-Sinai’s mentors and tapping into Techstars’ network of entrepreneurs and tech experts, these companies have been able to accelerate their growth.
The second accelerator class graduated in March, and the accelerator is now accepting applications for its third class. The deadline is June 9.
“We want to turn ideas into breakthroughs that ultimately lead to better care and better health for patients,” said Darren Dworkin, chief information officer at Cedars-Sinai.
Among the companies in the first accelerator class is WELL, a messaging app that helps administrators and care coordinators reach patients between visits. A year ago WELL had just one customer. The software has since been rolled out to more than 120 clinics and doctor’s offices at Cedars-Sinai. The company also is now connected to 48 other healthcare provider organizations.
“Before starting the accelerator program, our reach in healthcare was 0.00001 percent,” says co-founder Guillame De Zwirek. “The difference is amazing.”
Other accelerator graduates include Stasis Labs, creator of a bedside health monitoring system that connects to the cloud, allowing doctors to intervene before patients experience critical events. Stasis Labs is expanding to overseas markets, including several large cities in India, and was recently featured in INC as one of the top 30 global emerging companies of 2017 as selected by the Kairos Society, a nonprofit that helps fund young entrepreneurs.
Another successful graduate getting significant traction and accolades is Deep 6 AI. It finds patients for clinical trials in minutes, bringing lifesaving treatments and cures to patients faster. The company has signed several hospitals and contract research organizations since completing the accelerator program. Deep 6 AI also won the Enterprise and Smart Data category at the South by Southwest® Conference & Festivals 2017 and met with former Vice President Joe Biden to discuss how it can play a role as part of the Biden Foundation Cancer Initiative.
Another accelerator graduate, Inscope Medical, recently received Food and Drug Administration clearance for a new disposable video laryngoscope that improves and speeds up intubation, and is now poised to capitalize on various health system relationships it made during the program. The company has begun a limited market release in four hospitals and is preparing for a nationwide launch this fall.
A fourth accelerator company, Silversheet, has built a web-based platform that simplifies hiring and onboarding for doctors and other healthcare professionals. The company now has more than 100 customers around the country, including hospitals, urgent care centers and surgical networks, more than doubling its number of users in the last year. It recently launched a hiring solution to help facilities identify and hire the best staff.
Companies interested in applying to the accelerator can do so at the Techstars Cedars-Sinai Accelerator website.
For further information or requests for interviews, please contact Soshea Leibler at 213-215-8000.
