As a busy summer kicks into full swing, we’re being mindful about the health and wellness of our communities, our country, and our world.
Health Equity is one of our three key impact areas. We've now made 19 public investments in health-centric funds and companies, ranging from female-focused healthtech company Elvie that's innovating in the post-partum space, to SameSky Health, a patient connection platform that provides culturally-aware points of engagement for non-English speakers.
This month we’ll spotlight some new initiatives from a few of our health-oriented portfolio companies in the email below.
In keeping this month's emphasis on health, Impact Engine VP Ander Iruretagoyena, Partner Roger Liew, and Chief Investment Officer Priya Parrish represented the firm at the annual Dirty Donut Bicycle Race in Martin, Michigan. The 41 mile dirt road race combines fitness with– what else?– donut consumption at each stop!
While the rest of the Impact Engine team was far too polite to run a full cost-benefit analysis on calories burnt vs consumed, we were all proud of their strong showing.
Some of the health-themed stories we've been tracking this month:
Yale Medicine | How Bad Is Wildfire Smoke for Your Health?
ABC News | Teenage birth rates in the US reached historic lows in 2022, CDC report finds
NPR |An Alzheimer's drug is on the way, but getting it may still be tough. Here's why
Bloomberg | Pickleball Injuries May Cost Americans Nearly $400 Million This Year, According to UBS
Alcanza Clinical Research announced a new partnership with Climb, a provider of digital clinical trial solutions. "Partnering with Climb will help deliver on a critical component of our commitment to inclusive research," said Carlos Orantes, CEO of Alcanza. "Recruitment and retention among traditionally underrepresented populations relies on patient-friendly experiences and convenience to lower the burden of clinical trial participation."
Martis Capital, a healthcare-focused Impact Engine Fund investment, closed their fourth fund this month. Martis Partners IV locked in $779 million in funding commitments, surpassing its original target of $700M. The firm kicked off investments in their fourth fund with stakes in startups providing value-based primary care and comprehensive dental care.
Timedoc, the Chicago-based virtual patient care management and monitoring platform, announced a new partnership with Premier Health Associates which will deploy their technology in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The two companies recently conducted a 10 week trial which resulted in a 20.5% improvement in patients' blood pressure control readings.