MONEY

Health care start-up execs prep for Jumpstart

Holly Fletcher
hfletcher@tennessean.com

The leaders of nine health care start-ups from around the country are preparing to arrive in Nashville this weekend to start a 14-week program with Jumpstart Foundry to launch their respective products.

The leaders of the start-ups will have the chance to network with the health care community — many of which are potential investors or customers.

"I think (Nashville-based health care companies) are excited about seeing what these innovations can bring and how it might advance their business and either deliver better health care, make more money or be more efficient or all three of those things," said Vic Gatto, Jumpstart CEO and founder.

For Dr. Corey Hebert the program is a chance to return to Nashville.

The graduate of Meharry Medical College co-founded, along with Cary Wheelous, CommunityHealthTV, an online media company that makes health care and wellness lifestyle content for multicultural populations. It has BlackHealthTV and LatinoHealthTV.

"Nashville has been a great place for me. It gave me my start," Hebert said. " I'm excited to be coming back."

This year's batch of companies entering the accelerator have a larger reward dangling before them than those in past programs. Jumpstart redesigned its program to focus exclusively on health care companies and increased the possible equity investment to $100,000 from $15,000. The companies will present their products at the Health:Further conference August 19-20.

The companies:

Breathe, Nashville: Focuses on helping Asthma patients who are not under specialized clinical management.

Care.IT (pronounced "carrot"), Spartanburg, S.C.: Works with employers who have high deductible insurance plans to provide an online marketplace — like Uber or eBay — and medical home for employees. This is founder Sean Elwell's seventh start-up. He was formerly the head of strategy and operations for Aetna's CarePass division.

Community Health TV, New Orleans: Creates videos on health care and wellness for multicultural populations as a way to increase relatability to the information.

Life Detection Systems, San Jose, Calif.: Technology pioneers noncontact and remote vital-sign monitoring.

Life-Links, Brentwood: Geriatric care management company that helps families and caregivers navigate the aging process.

Reemo, Minneapolis: Gesture-controlled technology to help seniors use Internet-connected devices and appliances at home.

ProHydration, Nashville: Brings professional athlete IV hydration options available to amateur athletes.

Stealth company: Company requested that no information be released about it.

Vital Metrix, Huntsville, Ala.: Technology allows noninvasive measurements of cardiac output.