TheraB Medical Partners with Tekna, Inc. for Product Development
EAST LANSING, MICH. (January 23, 2020) – TheraB Medical has recently formed a new partnership with Tekna, Inc, an ISO 13485 certified full-service product development firm and Class I / II medical device manufacturer.
Originally founded in 1988, Tekna delivers on its Innovation to Realization™ strategy by offering customers a wide range of world-class services including research, business strategy, design, branding, engineering, and operations to create and deliver meaningful solutions. This human-centered and business-minded approach helps grow brands by ensuring the delivery of desirable, cost-effective solutions that will be successful in the marketplace.
MITechNews.com, January 19, 2020
XLerateHealth Partners With U-M to Bring Biomedical Commercialization Program to Flint
FLINT – XLerateHealth, a Louisville, KY-based healthcare startup accelerator, has partnered with the University of Michigan to bring its Fast Forward Medical Innovation’s fastPACE biomedical entrepreneur program to XLH Flint.
FFMI fastPACE is a four-week biomedical innovation and commercialization project-based course designed for life science innovators with an early stage project.
HealthImaging, January 16, 2020
NIH awards $725K grant to detect neonatal brain injury using photoacoustic imaging
The National Institutes of Health has awarded a Wayne State University professor a grant to better detect neonatal brain injury through advanced imaging.
Biomedical engineering professor, Kamran Avanaki, PhD, will use the two-year, $725,000 award to develop a point-of-care, 3D neonatal photoacoustic tomography system to help measure hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in newborns. The injury occurs from a lack of oxygen in the brain near the time of birth and can lead to severe consequences such as cerebral palsy.
Flint, MI – XLerateHealth (XLH), a Louisville, KY-based healthcare startup accelerator, announced today a partnership with The University of Michigan to bring the Fast Forward Medical Innovation’s (FFMI) fastPACE biomedical entrepreneur program to XLH Flint. FFMI fastPACE is a proven 4-week biomedical innovation and commercialization project-based course designed for life science innovators with an early stage project. More than 250 project teams and 500 team members have graduated the fastPACE course and used their experience to secure upwards of $20 million in follow-on funding.
XLH launched its Flint accelerator in 2019 as part of its mission to cultivate impactful healthcare innovation in areas of the country where great innovation often goes unrecognized and underfunded. Six diverse healthcare and life sciences startups completed the 12-week bootcamp program in the inaugural year. Bringing the fastPACE program to the Flint/Genesee ecosystem will help stimulate the local innovation economy, and serve as a primer to help healthcare entrepreneurs prepare for the XLH Flint Accelerator cohort set to kick off in the summer of 2020.
Crain’s Detroit Business, November 10, 2019
XLerateHealth, incubator for startup and early stage companies, chooses downtown Flint
XLerateHealth of Louisville, Ky., generally regarded as the nation’s leading incubator for startup and early stage health care companies, has opened a second operation in downtown Flint and in September held a pitch event for its first cohort of six startups in the Ferris Wheel building.
In 2016, before the Ferris Wheel building was restored in a $7.5 million project by Skypoint Ventures LLC, a venture-capital and real-estate development firm headed by Phil Hagerman, Hagerman began visiting accelerators around the country, including XLerateHealth. “We reached out to a lot of accelerators,” he said, including WeWorks in New York, 1871 and Matter in Chicago, the Beauty Shop in Pittsburgh and Cintrifuse in Cincinnati. “XlerateHealth was the only pure health care accelerator we looked at,” he said.
He returned to visit XLerateHealth, this time with representatives form the Mott Foundation, Genesys HealthCare and the University of Michigan-Flint. They were sold that these were the folks they wanted helping grow health care companies in Flint and Michigan. “We went down there and were blown away. We were really excited to bring them here. Their success rate is amazing,” said Hagerman. “We were pretty raw here, and they brought a lot of sophistication and experience.”
Liberate Medical, a local medical device maker, gets sales green light.
A Louisville area medical device company has received clearance to sell its core product on the open market. Liberate Medical LLC has received the “CE mark” or certification mark from a European Union regulatory body that allows device makers to sell their products. The company will start to sell its VentFree device to distributors, rather than going directly to hospitals.
Louisville Business First, Oct 25, 2019
This Louisville startup fills gaps in the dental industry
Not many people like going to the dentist. But one thing’s for sure — it certainly would make things more convenient if the dentist came to you. Louisville-based startup Kare Mobile Inc. does just that and more through a mobile application, software and specially built full-service mobile dentistry trucks.
Founded in May 2017 by the group’s CEO Dr. Kwane Watson, the company initially took a software-first approach to try to fill the gap between the more than 1.3 million Kentuckians that receive dental benefits from the state’s Medicaid program and dentists looking to fill empty dental chairs. Dr. Kwane Watson, the CEO of Kare Mobile Inc. and Brittany Becker is the chief operating officer for Kare Mobile Inc. were participants in the Louisville-based health care and life science accelerator XLerateHealth, which is a 12-week boot camp for early-stage companies.
Jackie Willmot on Applying Startup Mentalities to Healthcare…
This week Middle Tech Podcast is in Louisville talking to Jackie Willmot about XLerateHealth and capitalizing on the city’s expertise in healthcare while applying startup mindsets to it.
XLerateHealth Awarded $1.7M Grants to Fuel Healthcare Innovation in Under-Resourced States.
The continuation of the grant secures a second year of funding for XLH and its partners to build on foundational assessment and planning work completed in year one.
Grants total over $1.7M for 2nd Year of XLerator Network; Funds will support academic healthcare innovation across the Southeast.
The grant, managed by the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), is a part of funding expected to total more than $3.6M for XLH and its partners through 2021. XLH’s partners on this grant include 24 Academic Institutions with the University of Kentucky serving as the Academic Lead.
XLerateHealth Receives NIH Funding to Continue Development of Healthcare Innovation in Under-Resourced States.
Louisville, Kentucky – XLerateHealth (XLH) is pleased to announce that it was awarded Phase II funding of $1.48M, plus an Administrative Supplement of $250,000, from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue building the XLerator Network.
Grants total over $1.7M for 2ndYear of XLerator Network; Funds will support academic healthcare innovation across the Southeast
Louisville, Kentucky – XLerateHealth (XLH) is pleased to announce that it was awarded Phase II funding of $1.48M, plus an Administrative Supplement of $250,000, from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue building the XLerator Network, one of four Institutional Development Award (IDeA) State region “hubs” supported by the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program.
2019 Louisville Cohort DEMO DAY
Join us for XLerateHealth’s Demo Day on Thursday, October 24th at Play Louisville, 1101 East Washington Street, Louisville, KY 40206. Play is located near the intersection of East Washington and Buchanan Street. Free parking is available in the lot across from Play’s front entrance and in the lot on the side of Play off of Buchanan. Street parking is also available.
Doors open at 5:00PM and presentations start promptly at 5:30PM. We will have light hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and the opportunity to meet the founders at their exhibition booths before the presentations as well as afterwards.
This is a free event, but registration is required. Seating is limited so please secure your seat!
XLerateHealth Recognized as a Top Small Business
Focused Accelerator for 4thYear
XLH is the only healthcare accelerator to receive the national SBA award four times;
$50K grant will fund innovation in Kentucky and underserved states in the Southeast.
2019 Flint Cohort DEMO DAY
On Wednesday, September 18th at the Ferris Wheel Building (615 Saginaw St, Flint, MI 48502), XLerateHealth will showcase their 6 bootcamp companies.
Doors open at 5:00PM – Meet the presenting company founders and enjoy some light hors d’oeuvres.
Presentations start promptly at 5:30PM.
Immediately following the presentations, you will have some additional time to talk with the founders at their exhibition booths.
This is a free event, but registration is required. Seating is limited so please secure your seat!
Louisville Accelerator Announces 2019 Startup Roster
August 23, 2019
Louisville-based XLerateHealth (XLH) helps healthcare startup companies commercialize and develop their innovations. Since 2013, 66 startups participated in the XLH 12-week bootcamp and more than 80% still operate. Bootcamp attendees connect with domain experts, mentors, and coaches who specialize in all aspects of commercialization. The XLH 2019 roster of nine healthcare startups from New York, Texas, Illinois, California, and Kentucky includes Briocare, NohoMed, and Assay Me.
DIABETES LIFE COACH ACQUIRES THRIVE365 
Diabetes Life Coach, a Louisville, KY based healthcare technology company recently acquired Thrive365 (originally developed by Kraft Foods) from XLerateHealth (XLH) and other investors. Thrive365 is the only patented Type 2 Diabetes focused nutritional scoring platform proven to positively affect behavior change and improve the lives of people living with Type 2 Diabetes.
Thrive365 was an XLH portfolio company. XLH, an award-winning healthcare accelerator headquartered in Louisville, KY, worked with Thrive365 from 2016 until the acquisition to help develop a market use case, as well as its care management strategy – ultimately introducing Thrive365 to Diabetes Life Coach.
HIT Consultant, 31 July, 2019
XLerateHealth Unveils 2019 Louisville Cohort of 9 Digital Health Startups
XLerateHealth, a Louisville, KY-based healthcare accelerator announced it has selected nine digital health startups to participate in its 2019 Louisville accelerator cohort. This is the 8th cohort to be selected into the bootcamp program since XLH’s launch in 2013.
Louisville Business First, 30 July, 2019
Meet the Louisville startups selected by XLerateHealth
XLerate Health, a Louisville-based accelerator for health care startups, has selected nine companies from across the country for its 2019 program.
Three of the nine are based here in Louisville, including Prodigy Biosciences, Kare Mobile and DSC Technologies. The other startups in the cohort include Assay Me (New York), Briocare (Frisco, Texas), Cellgorithmics (Chicago), Clinitraq (Irvine, Calif.), Hardin Scientific (Los Angeles) and NohoMed (New York).
Jackie Willmot, CEO and co-founder of XLH, said the accelerator received hundreds of applications for the 2019 season, a new record for the program since its inception in 2013. In an email, she said XLH looks for four things when selecting startups: companies that are solving a market “pain;” companies that have high potential for commercial success and are addressing a large market; founders that are coachable; and diversity in the types of companies and the problems they are solving, in addition to diversity of founders and regions.
Yahoo Finance, 30 July, 2019
XLerateHealth Selects Nine Healthcare Startups For 2019 Accelerator Cohort in Louisville, KY
Selected Startups are Developing Innovations in Gene Therapy, Chronic Condition Management, and Social Isolation of the Elderly
XLerateHealth (XLH), an award-winning healthcare accelerator based in Louisville, KY, today announced the selection of nine startup companies to join its 2019 Louisville accelerator cohort.
BioSpace, July 30, 2019
XLerateHealth Selects Nine Healthcare Startups For 2019 Accelerator Cohort in Louisville, KY
LOUISVILLE, Ky.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– XLerateHealth (XLH), an award-winning healthcare accelerator based in Louisville, KY, today announced the selection of nine startup companies to join its 2019 Louisville accelerator cohort.
VentureNashville, July 30, 2019
Louisville’s XLerateHealth accelerator announces latest startup cohort.
XLerateHealth (XLH), the healthcare accelerator based in Louisville, Ky., today announced its selection of nine startup companies to join XLH’s 2019 Louisville accelerator cohort.
This is the 8th cohort to be selected for the Louisville program since XLH’s launch in 2013. Each company undergoes a 12-week bootcamp. Through the bootcamp, XLH connects participating companies with domain experts, mentors, and coaches who have the expertise to help the entrepreneurs advance to commercialization.
Prior to the cohort announced today, XLH said it had worked with 66 startups in the past six years, more than 80% of which remain operational today.
Becker’s Hospital Review, July 30, 2019
9 healthcare startups join Kentucky accelerator.
Louisville, Ky.-based accelerator XLerateHealth selected nine startup companies to joint its 2019 Louisville accelerator cohort, according to a July 30 news release.
Northwestern Capital Partners, LLC , July 15, 2019
XLerateHealth adds to Flint’s Entrepreneurial Spirit.
Already home to 100K Ideas (https://www.100kideas.org/), the Ferris Wheel is the perfect Michigan location for XLerateHealth to call home. 100K Ideas helps entrepreneurs with business development through advice, support, and mentorship. Having both XLerateHealth and 100K ideas only adds to the entrepreneurial and innovative feel of the building that is also occupied by other business and offers co-working space.
NBC 25 , July 25, 2019
XLerateHealth mentors six healthcare startups in Flint.
FLINT, Mich. – XLerateHealth is showcasing the healthcare startups that have been selected for the company’s first Michigan cohort and boot camp.
“We’re just a little over a year old and we’ve had a lot of traction since that time. So, we’re new and young but hungry. We’ve got quite a few contracts already. So, just looking forward to scaling that,” said Raeanna Lewarne, president and CEO of HealthFreelance.com.
She said program presents an opportunity to network and connect with local institutions.
“Our mission is to help companies to commercialize their businesses.” said XLerateHealth CEO and co-founder Jackie Willmot.
XLerateHealth Selects Six Healthcare Startups
For First Accelerator Cohort in Flint, Michigan
Women Lead Half the Start-Ups; Majority are Based in Michigan;
All Commit to Improving Healthcare
XLerateHealth Launches Healthcare Accelerator in Flint, Michigan
Award-Winning Entrepreneur Program to Help Transform the 20thCentury Industrial Hub into a 21stCentury Innovation Ecosystem
Flint, Michigan – XLerateHealth (XLH), a Louisville-based healthcare technology accelerator, announced today the opening of XLH’s new location in the Ferris Wheel Building in Flint. XLH Flint is funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and 100K Ideas. The move to Flint was spurred by Phil Hagerman, CEO of Skypoint Ventures and co-founder of 100K Ideas, who has made significant investments into Flint to build an innovation economy.
XLerateHealth moves to Flint, aims to attract medical startups.
XLerateHealth is expanding to Michigan and making its home in the Ferris Wheel building in Downtown Flint.
Why this Louisville-based accelerator is expanding to an unlikely location.
An evolution has started in this city – and XLerateHealth wants to be a part of it.
XLerateHealth Launches Early-Stage Startup Accelerator in Flint.
Anyone who has followed the Flint water crisis for the past few years probably thinks of the post-industrial Michigan city as a place that can’t seem to catch a break. Five years after a state-appointed city manager switched the municipal water source to the notoriously polluted Flint River and poisoned residents, the city’s people are still no closer to justice. Many continue to struggle—but that doesn’t mean that Flint is giving up. Instead, there has been an uptick in state and national groups on the ground partnering with city organizations on everything from nurturing startups and creating innovation hubs to community organizing and healthcare initiatives. A new accelerator called XLerate Health (XLH) is one of these new programs in Flint.
Insider News Roundup: XLerateHealth eyes Michigan; Evolent shares sliding; and more.
A Louisville-based healthcare technology acceleratorXLerateHealth launches in Flint, Michigan.
Healthcare technology company opens in Flint’s Ferris Wheel.
FLINT, MI– A company focused on helping healthcare companies commercialize themselves has opened in Flint’s Ferris Wheel building. XLerateHealth, a Louisville-based company started in 2013, connects healthcare companies, customers and providers like hospitals or nursing homes. The company announced its opening in Flint on Monday, June 17.
XLerateHealth launches healthcare accelerator in Flint, seeks to innovate from within.
Improving the lives of others takes commitment and time, but XLerateHealth (XLH) believes that with the right use of technology and an eye toward positive change, a faster outcome might be achieved.