StartUPDATES: New Developments from Healthcare Startups

2022-12-16

According to recent research from Medscape and Walmart, rural Americans have lower cancer survival rates than urban residents. Additionally, only 25% of rural healthcare professionals think their patients have adequate access to mental health services. To extend beyond brick-and-mortar facilities, the Cancer Support Community (CSC) announced a partnership with Equiva Health to provide oncology resources to patients via Equiva-powered, broadband-enabled tablets. The devices are an easy-to-use vehicle for making important services readily available anytime, anywhere. “We must overcome rural access barriers by advancing telehealth solutions that can seamlessly connect people to resources, to support, to their communities, and to the oncology community at large. We chose Equiva as our partner based on their proven success in using digital technology effectively and efficiently,” said CSC CEO Debbie Weir. A pilot at the CSC Gilda’s Club Minnesota chapter is targeting individuals in rural and other underserved communities, including efforts to help individuals who qualify the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) apply via an ISP partner. This $14.2 billion program helps ensure households can afford the broadband they need for healthcare, school, work and more. A global network of 175 locations, the CSC delivers more than $50 million in free support and navigation services to patients and families. “CSC’s commitment to health equity aligns well with Equiva’s own philosophy wherein we believe that patients, loved ones, and healthcare professionals deserve a more equitable, less fragmented system where transformative technology yields powerful intelligence that promotes personalized care and wellness,” said Equiva CEO Nir Altman. BehaVR, a leader in digital therapeutic VR treatments that address pervasive anxiety, stress, pain and addiction has announced a merger with Oxford VR, which is a leader in VR-based treatment of serious mental illness whose gameChange product was recently granted FDA Breakthrough Device designation. The combined company under the BehaVR brand is also announcing the close of $13 million in Series B funding. This round was led by Optum Ventures and Oxford Science Enterprises, with participation from Confluent Health and Accenture. BehaVR Founder and CEO Aaron Gani will lead the combined company. Gani’s leadership team will include psychiatrist, researcher and author Dr. Daniel Freeman. “The demand for mental health services far outstrips available resources. Providers need help, and that help is available today through our clinically-validated and evidence-based digital programs,” said Gani. “In bringing together two innovative virtual reality therapeutics teams, we are positioned to serve the widest range of patient populations possible at a time of intense need.” To read more, click here. Override, a multi-specialty, virtual chronic pain solution founded by former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Dr. David Shulkin, and his daughter, Jennie Shulkin, has emerged from stealth mode and raised $3.5 million in seed funding. Led by 7wireVentures and Martin Ventures, the round also included participation from SignalFire and Confluent Health. Override has also acquired pain management coaching business Take Courage Coaching. To read more, click here. Cabinet Health, which describes itself as a sustainable healthcare sompany, has raised $17 million in growth funding. A mix of debt and equity, the funding will be used to support its growth and expansion into new categories including prescriptions and retail channels. Global Impact Fund led the round with participation from other investors including Natureza and Unreasonable Group. Founded in 2018 by Achal Patel and Russell Gong, Cabinet Health is the first sustainability-focused healthcare company designed to lead the $1.2 trillion pharmaceutical industry in addressing its plastic crisis, according to a press release. Achal Patel, co-founder and CEO of Cabinet Health, said in the announcement: “With our world-class group of mission-driven experts and fresh round of funding, we’ll be able to take our vision to the next level to eliminate single-use plastic from the medicine and healthcare industry.” To red more, click here. Juno Medical has raised $12 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Julian Eison, Managing Partner at NEXT VENTURES, and Serena Williams, Managing Partner at Serena Ventures. Juno’s tech-enabled healthcare model is designed to support transparent pricing and exceptional care. The funding will support Juno’s continued development of its technology platform and expansion into new markets, including Atlanta, Los Angeles and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Vast Ventures, which led Juno’s seed round, Empire State Development’s New York Ventures, TXV Partners, Genius Guild, Gaingels, and previous investors Atento Capital and Humbition also took part in the funding round. “Juno’s vision is to reimagine the future of healthcare by finally making exceptional, family-centered care accessible and affordable for the 99% all across the United States,” said CEO Dr. Akili Hinson. To read more, click here. Picture: akindo, Getty Images