Y Combinator’s biannual Demo Day is winding to a close after presentations from dozens of tech entrepreneurs. The Silicon Valley-based accelerator has historically had a hand in the development of numerous healthcare tech startups, and this week’s event seems to be no exception.
According to TechCrunch, 28 percent of the 122 startups that presented at Demo Day fell within the healthcare vertical (just two percent behind the leading category, B2B software and services). Read on for a roundup of the digital health and wellness startups featured at the event.
Bot M.D. is meant to be an alternative source of information for doctors, primarily the information they need in the course of their work like drug interactions, medical calculators, some guidelines and protocols, and information on less common diseases. Doctors can even use it to find medical images and videos. The app uses artificial intelligence to present this information in the form of a personable and even humorous chatbot. The app is designed to help doctors all over the world, especially in areas where physicians and information might be in short supply, and earlier this month raised $700,000 in seed funding.
BrainHi is a mobile app for patient communication. Featuring an automated receptionist that can schedule appointments through text, managed missed calls, and answer non-medical questions from social media followers, the company bills itself as a patient-friendly timesaver for administrative staff.
Cloud Workout is a fitness streaming service that will rely on workout instructors’ personalities to develop an audience following, a la Twitch for video gaming, according to TechCrunch. The service is currently being tested in a private beta.
Curebase’s software looks to simplify clinical trials. The all-in-one product streamlines participant eligibility, enrollment, education, and consent, while offering participants easy in-app protocol guidance and providers simpler document scanning and upload.
Hey Doctor is an prescription program boasting quick online visits and a text-based provider chat service for consumers. Already holding deals with several care providers and active in 18 states, the app-based service can prescribe treatments and screenings for a number of different conditions and ranging from smoking cessation HIV testing.
Higia Technologies is developing a non-invasive wearable that scans the wearer’s breast for thermal pattern abnormalities, which can be an early warning sign of breast cancer. Worn discreetly in a bra, the device communicates with a user app that uses artificial intelligence to make its evaluations and, depending on the results, offers follow-up recommendations for further screening.
Papa is a “Grandkids On Demand” platform that connects seniors with vetted college students (Papa Pals) in an attempt to provide in-home assistance, transportation, technology instruction, and loneliness relief. Although it does not offer direct medical services, the $15-per-hour service bills itself as a companionship tool vital for the growing aging-in-place demographic.
Penta Medical offers a wearable cold laser therapy system Bluetooth connected to a web data app. Designed for athletes, trainers, and care providers, the product helps track and manage clinical-grade injury data with range of motion measurements the company claims are accurate to a single degree.
Scanwell Health is a home UTI testing service. By urinating on the low-cost, mail-order test kit and taking a photo of the results using the Scanwell app, the company is able to connect users to an in-house physician and prescribe any necessary antibiotics within a single day. Along with being the only FDA-cleared home urine testing app available, the service also helps users track their personal UTI history and communicate with a patient community.
Togg is bringing health sensors into nursing homes to better monitor aged residents’ sleep, breathing, bathroom visits, and more. The devices are placed on the ceiling of a senior’s room, and according to Wired cost $150 as opposed to the $11,000 they would have run half a decade ago.
