Achieving Health Moonshots: April’s Health Transformer Showcase Recap

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On Apr 27, 2023, a select group of participants spent an hour meeting inspirational entrepreneurs from the StartUp Health portfolio who are working to achieve health moonshots that will improve the health and wellbeing of people around the world.

Each Health Transformer had just five minutes to share their novel solutions and progress with an invite-only Zoom room of investors and partners. We’re proud to share their stories with you here — learn about each company's health moonshot story and progress, listen to Q&A, and reach out for more information from the presenters.

Ahmed Marmoush, CEO & Co-founder of Handl Health, is on a mission to transform the way healthcare is purchased.

In the United States, healthcare pricing is not transparent and can vary significantly depending on a multitude of factors. This results in patients overpaying for healthcare, avoiding care, or falling into medical debt, and providers and payers contracting unaffordable rates.

While price transparency legislation aims to solve these issues for patients, the industry was not built to be transparent about pricing, as systems usually take 30–120 days after care is rendered to calculate the cost and share it with the patient. Handl Health — which joined StartUp Health in 2022 — has developed software that enables health plans (insurance carriers and self-funded employers) to comply with healthcare price transparency legislation and uses the data to drive competitive contract negotiations and create value-driven healthcare shopping experiences for plan members, yielding an average cost saving of 28%.

→ Learn more and connect with Handl Health.

Missy Lavender, CEO & Founder of Renalis Health, is on a mission to improve the pelvic health of all persons by creating accessible, innovative digital treatments.

In the US alone, one in three women and 18% of men suffer from a pelvic health disorder. These conditions are chronic, debilitating, embarrassing, and isolating.

Renalis Health — which joined StartUp Health in 2019 — is developing prescribed digital therapeutics to treat pelvic health disorders. Their first product, CeCe, is a mobile-enhanced digital therapeutic for first-line treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) in persons assigned female at birth. CeCe delivers cost-effective, accessible, and engaging behavioral therapy to patients with OAB symptoms via their smartphone or smart device.

→ Learn more and connect with Renalis Health.

Robert Condon, CEO & Founder of Esprit Health, is on a mission to deliver accessible, affordable, healthcare to millions of people in underserved global emerging markets, generating a beneficial social impact to their communities.

Emerging markets are home to more than 4.2B people globally, many of whom do not have access to regular healthcare services. Over 40% of WHO Member States report to have less than 10 doctors per 10k population, with many emerging markets reporting less than three doctors per 10k patients. Accessing care in these markets can often require traveling considerable distances and enduring lengthy waiting times to see a physician.

For patients in underserved global emerging markets looking for access to health services, London-based Esprit Health — which joined StartUp Health in 2022 — provides consultations with doctors and specialists via their m-Health mobile platform, ensuring patients can receive care even if they are separated from doctors, hospitals, or clinics by hundreds of miles.

→ Learn more and connect with Esprit Health.

Amy Cohn, CEO & Founder of Joydays, is on a mission to provide delicious and easily-accessible snacks that are blood sugar friendly and have actual function in not spiking glucose levels.

Diabetes is an epidemic in the United States which affects people in food deserts and underserved communities the most. 7.3 million people in the US have diabetes and 96 million people aged 18 or older have prediabetes. One in five teens have prediabetes. 2.4 million deaths could be prevented just by reducing 20% of the sugar in processed foods.

Developed with diabetes dietitians, Joydays — which joined StartUp Health in 2022 — has created affordable, low glycemic, and tasty cookies that do not cause blood sugar spikes, allowing people with all diabetes types (other health conditions) to feel better after consumption.

→ Learn more and connect with Joydays.

Are you a scientist or innovator focused on T1D innovation who would benefit from education about how to navigate and build a company that will be successful in attracting mission-aligned capital, customers, and collaborators to pursue scientific discoveries in the field of Type 1 diabetes? Learn more and apply for one of the first 25 T1D Fellowships.

Health moonshots are fueled by passionate families, foundations, and industry organizations committed to achieving health moonshots. Learn how you can join other champions of the T1D Moonshot or one of our other global health moonshots.

Passionate about breaking down health barriers? If you’re an entrepreneur or investor, contact us to learn how you can join our Health Equity Moonshot.

Investors: Learn how you can become a Health Moonshot Champion and invest in Health Transformers.

Digital health entrepreneur? Don't make the journey alone. Learn how Health Transformer University fuels your health moonshot.

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