For its first healthcare accelerator program, Amazon's cloud division tapped a diverse group of startups working in virtual reality, voice assistant technology, remote monitoring and social determinants of health.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced in June a healthcare accelerator to help incubate early-stage digital health companies that can collaborate with the tech giant's healthcare customers and partners.
The aim, Amazon said, is to connect growth-stage digital health solutions with AWS’ healthcare provider organizations to accelerate care in the cloud and for potential pilots and collaborations between providers and companies.
The 10 companies were selected from 427 applications from 31 countries around the world by a panel from AWS and KidsX, a pediatrics digital health accelerator launched from Children's Hospital Los Angeles and a partner on AWS' accelerator program.
The application criteria called for healthcare-focused startups that had a validated solution along with existing revenue, customers and U.S.-based operations, Sandy Carter, vice president of worldwide public sector partners and programs at AWS, said in a blog post.
The first AWS healthcare accelerator cohort represents a diverse group of healthcare solutions backed by diverse leadership, with 90% of the cohort having diversity of leadership and 70% being female-founded, Carter said.
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Over four weeks, the 10 startups will be virtually connected with AWS partners, AWS technical experts, subject matter experts and AWS healthcare customers. The startups receive technical, business and go-to-market mentorship from experts from AWS and the KidsX network, up to $25,000 in AWS Promotional Credit and collaboration opportunities with AWS healthcare customers, Carter wrote in the blog post.
The 10 early-stage companies tapped for the program are:
- Aiva, a Los Angeles-based startup that offers a voice-powered care assistant for hospital patient rooms and senior living communities.
- b.well, a Baltimore-based, all-in-one integrated solution for consumer engagement, holistic health management and cost containment.
- Ejenta, headquartered in San Francisco, which automates remote monitoring and remote care delivery using artificial intelligence exclusively licensed from NASA. The company's technology learns from connected devices and electronic health record data to monitor patients, predict health and connect care teams.
- Giblib creates a content streaming-service-like educational experience for healthcare providers. It allows for the streaming of surgical videos and medical lectures from subject matter experts at the leading medical institutions on demand to receive continuing education credits.
- Gyant, a company that developed a 24/7 AI virtual assistant and digital front door solution for health systems that allows them to optimize digital patient journeys. It navigates patients to the right care setting and resources while also providing appointment scheduling.
- Kaizen Health, a Chicago-based company that provides a logistics platform that connects healthcare and transportation to reduce the barriers for access in healthcare.
- Medical Informatics Corp is a Houston-based provider of an FDA-cleared patient monitoring and predictive analytics platform. Its Sickbay platform expedites care and reduces patient risk in near real time and at scale, especially in the most complex critical care environments such as intensive care.
- Neuro Rehab VR develops virtual reality training exercises to help aid and expedite neurological physical therapy recovery. The Fort Worth, Texas-based company developed a platform that allows providers to track their patients in real time and has shown increased patient engagement.
- OneRecord, headquartered in New York, developed an app that helps patients build a consolidated health record of their entire medical history in a single place.
- Pieces, a healthcare AI and technology company that connects health systems and the community to address clinical and social determinants of health. The company says it connects care providers to actionable data, people to services and caseworkers to information.
The accelerator will culminate in a virtual demo day Oct. 28. Demo day is a showcase event featuring presentations from the startups and AWS executives.