Thiv Paramsothy of Hera Fertility
Techstars Physical Health Fort Worth Accelerator’s second cohort of 10 startups gathered at The University of North Texas Health Science Center on Wednesday to make their pitches to investors at “Demo Day.”
“The second class of Techstars companies is working to solve some big problems in physical health that could have a huge impact on patient care, patient safety and whole health,” said Cameron Cushman, HSC’s assistant vice president of innovation ecosystems.
“We see these companies as being major potential disruptors in the world of physical health. They are working to solve tough problems and to bring new solutions to market that will help patients feel better and improve their quality of life.”
Each founder was introduced by a mentor and had a few minutes to make their pitch.
A reception of heavy hors d'oeuvres followed for networking and hunger pang problem solving.
The event is a culmination of an intensive 13-week program in which the startup founders received hands-on mentorship, curated entrepreneurial content and programming, up to $120,000 in funding, and access to a vast network of mentors, investors, alumni and influential corporate executives.
“I love this energy and enthusiasm. I feel like I’m 30 again with a lot of ideas and no money,” joked John Goff, head of Goff Capital, who was joined as a featured speaker by Mayor Mattie Parker and Dr. Sylvia Trent-Adams, president of HSC.
Techstars is a global investment firm that provides access to capital, one-on-one mentorship and customized programming for early-stage entrepreneurs. Globally, Techstars has invested in more than 3,700 startup companies, making it the largest seed-stage investor in the world. These companies represent a combined market capitalization of $98.6 billion.
The firm was invited to Fort Worth as part of a strategy to strengthen the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. As part of that effort, the city also has partnered with Texas A&M, which is building a campus downtown.
“Don’t forget who put you on the map with Techstars in Fort Worth,” the mayor said to the founders in her closing remarks, imploring the young business leaders to stay here. “You could choose to go anywhere in the world, but there’s no better place than here in the city of Fort Worth.”
The accelerator is focused on supporting companies building new technologies, treatments and therapies in the physical health space in areas such as rehabilitation, physical therapy, performance and exercise.
The city, county, and Goff Capital have been critical to HSC’s vision to make Fort Worth the physical health innovation capital of the world, said Trey Bowles, managing director of the Fort Worth accelerator.
“Our partners have enabled Techstars to attract these impressive and innovative startup founders to Fort Worth to build and scale their companies.”
The Companies
Brilliantly Warm is a flexible, safe and warming device that can be worn in a bra to provide total-body warmth at the press of a button. The company’s science-backed, smartphone-enabled wearable slips into any bra for natural-feeling warmth.
The ComeBack Mobility Smart Crutch Tips are an IoT biofeedback device and mobile app that guide patients about how to apply the right amount of force to a recovering limb while using their crutches. For the patient, the solution is designed to improve compliance to rehabilitation protocols, speed the recovery process and reduce the number of revision surgeries.
Comma is an integrated period care company bringing menstrual health to reproductive health. The startup is building the first HIPAA-compliant period tracking app and developing a biodegradable tampon with potential for add-on laboratory services, unlocking menstrual blood as a biomarker.
Xplosion’s digital health platform is aimed at adolescent diabetes management with a strong emphasis on health equity. Through the integration of advanced technologies, such as machine learning and real-time data analysis, Xplosion provides personalized support and tools to facilitate effective self-management of diabetes. By enhancing patient engagement, empowerment and overall well-being, Xplosion addresses the specific needs of adolescents and promotes health equity in diabetes management.
Hera Fertility is a digital-first fertility clinic offering technology-driven diagnosis, telehealth consultations and personalized treatment plans for both women and men relating to infertility, including assisted reproductive technology services. Hera has three products: Hera Discovery (telehealth diagnosis services), Hera Support (app to manage ongoing care and access to fertility care team) and loan financing for patients.
Luba Technologies’ AI-powered fitness coaching insoles are designed to reduce fitness-related injuries and improve performance. The collected data is processed by proprietary AI algorithms, providing the user with digestible, actionable insights about their performance, injury risks and potential areas for improvement.
Maya is a self-learning, voice-based AI agent that helps scientists extract data, update documentation and create proposed action plans from changing data. The tech works on real-time and historical data, and from both public and private sources.
Pulse Charter Connect is taking on the logistics of transporting human organs, in the air and on the ground. The companu’s digital software is a service (SaaS) solution for critical health care logistics, making the process faster, less expensive, safer and with a greater success rate for organ transplant patients. The tech automates an antiquated and inefficient process of organ transport logistics.
Somos is building a health care and wellness super app for Latin Americans starting with a version that aggregates body signals from glucose sensors, wearables and lab tests to help people with pre-diabetes and diabetes understand how their body reacts to food and habits.
Every 30 seconds in America, a leg is amputated. All amputees struggle with their prosthetic socket fit. Vessl’s patent-pending isoform socket is the only socket that automatically adjusts to changes in leg size, thereby empowering amputees to move comfortably.