San Francisco health tech accelerator Rock Health is debuting its latest class. Out of a few hundred applicants, the program said it selected just 3 percent, making its fifth class the most selective yet.
The startups are focusing on all kinds of issues – from using big data to accelerate cancer care to creating an online community for patients and caregivers to using sensors to lower stress and boost productivity. But a few of the companies have already attracted a bit of attention.
Augmedix, for example, is building a service for doctors powered by the ever-buzzy Google Glass. The company, which is led by a former employee of sensor company MC10, has only said that it’s creating an app for medical doctors. But it’s already raised $ 55,000 in seed funding on Upstart, including from SoftTech venture capitalist Jeff Clavier.
Another startup worth watching is Smart Patients, founded by Google’s former Chief Health Strategist Roni Zeiger. The startup, which we covered back in April when it launched at TEDMED, is creating an online community for cancer patients and caregivers that incorporates social networking and search technology.
Given booming interest in sensor technology, it’s also little surprise that Rock Health tapped wearable sensor startup Spire to be a part of its newest class. A recent graduate from StartX, the accelerator for startups founded by Stanford students, Spire tracks breathing patterns as an indicator of stress.
In addition to revealing the members of its newest class, Rock Health said that its roster of corporate supporters had grown with partnerships with life sciences real estate and venture firm Alexandria Real Estate Equities, pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, and Ogilvy Public Relations. The accelerator also said that later this year it will move out of its digs in San Francisco’s Chinatown to a new space closer to UCSF’s new Center for Digital Health Innovation and SoMa.
Here’s a full list of the startups in the accelerator’s new class:
Amplify Health – As the health care system shifts from “fee for service” to “fee for value,” Amplify Health wants to offer physicians software for managing their patient populations and improving outcomes.
Anapsis – The young (or very stealthy startup) doesn’t appear to have a website up but Rock Health says it’s building a “research platform and marketplace for scientific and statistical computing.”
Augmedix – Augmedix is one of the first startups creating a Google Glass-powered application for medical doctors.
CancerIQ – With a goal of bringing better intelligence and big data to cancer care, CancerIQ is a web-based application that helps researchers and physicians access and understand a wide range of relevant data.
CRIXlabs – Using predictive software, the startup aims to help pharmaceutical companies in their research process to develop safer and more effective drugs.
Fluid – The startup enables patients to diagnose themselves with the flu in minutes, without taking a trip to the doctor.
Lift Labs – For people with Parkinson’s disease or other conditions that cause tremor, Lift Labs is developing a range of tools, including a spoon that makes eating more comfortable.
Sensentia – The company is developing tools for healthcare administration and operations, including a product that enables health insurers to more efficiently handle the volume of real-time inquiries from care providers.
Smart Patients – Launched in April, Smart Patients is creating an online community for cancer patients and caregivers.
Spire – The wearable sensor tracks breathing patterns to help people monitor and control stress.
ThriveOn – A mental health-focused startup, ThriveOn offers customized care programs for individuals.
Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.
- Analyzing the wearable computing market
- Web startups: How to guard against security breaches
- Facebook’s IPO filing: ideas and implications