Health Wildcatters is physician led and focuses on healthcare startup companies of all kinds – digital health, medical devices, pharmaceutical and consumer goods and services. Our mentor network includes successful healthcare entrepreneurs, physicians and healthcare industry leaders.
Name of Accelerator: Health Wildcatters
Location: Dallas, Texas
Website: http://healthwildcatters.com/
Managing Director and CEO: Hubert Zajicek, MD
This article is part of our Startup Accelerator Spotlight Series featuring accelerators from around the world. We hope these spotlights will assist the entrepreneur should they consider attending an accelerator program.
In two sentences or less, tell us about your accelerator and its objectives.
Health Wildcatters is a mentor-driven seed accelerator focused on improving healthcare by supporting entrepreneurs and healthcare startups that are developing solutions for the industry. The 12-week program offers health-focused startups in the early stages of funding an initial seed investment, as well as access to mentors, advisors, office space and strategic resources needed to help the startups grow.
Why is your accelerator program unique? Please describe the benefits of participation in your program.
Health Wildcatters is physician led and focuses on healthcare startup companies of all kinds – digital health, medical devices, pharmaceutical and consumer goods and services. Our mentor network includes successful healthcare entrepreneurs, physicians and healthcare industry leaders. Health Wildcatters provides access to 130+ mentors, education sessions, weekly pitch practice, and office space in downtown Dallas during the program. After graduation, Health Wildcatters stays involved with the portfolio companies to continue to look for opportunities for them to continue to raise capital and scale their companies.
What is the most difficult part of working with startups?
So many startup companies have a terrific concept to improve healthcare yet they don’t have the means or expertise to get their solution to their intended audience. Health Wildcatters wants to see them all succeed but realizes that challenges can be insurmountable for some.
What do you enjoy the most; what do you find most appealing about working with entrepreneurial startups?
Seeing the startup idea or prototype become commercially available is a great moment. The teams work hard to develop and deliver innovative solutions while raising capital, and when their solution is delivering value, that makes it all worthwhile. Health Wildcatters is committed to helping entrepreneurs reach these moments.
7 Steps to Assess Your Concept’s Competitive Environment
Tell us about your success stories; What are the most interesting companies to have participated in your program?
There are so many amazing companies with passionate founders in our portfolio. The challenge is to choose which are the most interesting.
- Socrates Health Solutions is developing a non-invasive glucometer and their functioning prototype is simply amazing.
- Digital health is growing fast and simple solutions like Cariloop’s long-term care referral system and Exhale Healthcare Advocates’ patient advocacy tools help ordinary people navigate the extraordinarily complicated world of healthcare.
- Lantern Pharma has built a new business model around an incredible set of compounds which can have a huge impact on prostate and ovarian cancer.
Looking for an accelerator similar to this one? Find My Accelerator can help!
What are the three most important factors startup entrepreneurs should consider when contemplating attending an accelerator?
- Are you ready? If you are still at the idea stage without any traction, you might be too early to get the full benefits of an accelerator.
- Which one is right for you? Evaluate the accelerator programs and who is involved to be sure you will get the most out of it.
- What are the terms? Be sure the financial terms of the accelerator will work for your company.
What else would you like to share?
Applications are open for the 2016 class and the deadline to apply is June 15th. We have 32 companies in our portfolio who have raised $12M+ within 6 weeks of graduating from the program.
Pam Goforth
Pam Goforth is Research Manager for FundingSage, which provides valuable information, tools and resources to entrepreneurs seeking to start, grow and fund a business.
