Venture Hall names seven health care startups for summer accelerator program

Photo / Tim Greenway Jess Knox, founder of Maine Startup & Create Week, at center, leads a planning meeting for the event in Portland in this file photo from 2016. Knox is also president of Venture Hall, a Portland startup accelerator that is partnering with MaineHealth and Unum US,which have agreed to provide $100,000 each to boost its inaugural program this summer.

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By Staff

Portland startup accelerator Venture Hall announced Thursday that seven companies from across the country have been selected for the inaugural class of its summer accelerator program offered in partnership with MaineHealth and Unum.
To be considered, early startup companies had to have a working prototype and make it through a rigorous application and interview process. The selection of companies was also guided by the scope of their solution to support frontline health care providers across a range of metrics.
Two of the companies come from California, one each from Colorado, Texas and Missouri, and two companies are from Maine.

Members of the 2017 accelerator class and their prototypes are:

Welnys, Texas, a wellness provider marketplace and dashboard for employers: Its platform is running in several cities with paying users that include Paypal and Black & Decker.
Livzo, California, a wellness support and tracking platform for employers: Its platform is in beta-testing with nurses and other wellness providers.
Ella, California, a pain management app based on mindfulness exercises: The company is a Techstars Los Angeles Accelerator 2016 graduate that conducted initial product testing at Cedars-Sinai Hospital.
Cliexa, Colorado, chronic condition management apps: The company is a Boomtown Accelerator 2016 grad in Boulder, Colo. Developed in partnership with Kaiser Permanente.
Janus Choice, Missouri, platform for choosing and enrolling in post-acute care: The company currently has 12 paying hospital clients.
SpinDoc, Maine, artificial Intelligence paperwork filing that integrates with EMR: Its first pilot is currently underway with medical practice in Massachusetts.
Rockport Medical, Maine, SmartSharps sensor-enabled medical needle systems: The product is in the prototype testing phase and the company is working on FDA approval and a business model strategy.

“We’re incredibly excited to bring these teams to Maine to be a part of our accelerator program this summer,” said Jess Knox, president of Venture Hall. “Each of these companies provides a real opportunity to explore different ways of supporting the resilience of frontline caregivers. We’re excited to get them here and start working with them.”

The program begins on June 12 and ends with a special demo weekend on Sept. 8 that is expected to pull in prospective investors.