MATTER Top 10: Our favorite stories of 2022
2022 marks the downtrend of record investments in digital health. Yet, MATTER has persisted with new collaborations and programs to advance healthcare innovation, alongside continued pursuit of equitable health, and drive success for our community.
Join us as we look back at the year with some of our favorite stories of 2022.
10. Baxter-sponsored University Hackathon generated novel solutions from student innovators around home dialysis.
After coaching sessions from MATTER and Baxter innovation leaders, Tayyaba Ali, an undergraduate biophysics and computer science student at Loyola University Chicago, won the Hackathon with the pitch of her novel idea for a dual-channel electrolyte monitoring hydrogel bandage for early detection of leaks, infections and more for patients on home dialysis. She received $10,000, a six-month MATTER membership and an internship at Baxter for the summer of 2023. In addition to Tayyaba, MATTER and Baxter engaged 11 other student innovators in the program.
9. MATTER awarded $50K to four startups at Accelerating Innovation in Aging demo day.
In the program’s first year, nine startups with solutions that address social isolation and loneliness in older adults received mentorship, exclusive resources and interactive curriculum from subject matter experts. Conducted with sponsorship from the RRF Foundation for aging, the program recognized Cameron Graham, co-founder and CEO of Storii, as the grand prize recipient of $20,000, and Aatlas, ConnectCareHero and Zoog each received $10,000 as runners-up.
8. MATTER and the Alzheimer’s Association launch pitch competition.
MATTER and the Alzheimer’s Association have called on innovators to submit their solutions to increase early detection and diagnosis of dementia within primary care settings. Up to five finalists will be selected from the candidate pool to receive mentorship from industry leaders and subject matter experts in preparation for the pitch of their solutions to the Alzheimer’s Association Innovation Roundtable in Houston in February.
7. MATTER and CareQuest Innovation Partners successfully ran the first SMILE Health accelerator.
MATTER and CareQuest Innovation Partners helped five oral health startups advance their solutions with $10,000 stipends, validation studies and more. The program culminated in a final demo day with pitches from the startups and remarks from special guest Lenny Kravtiz.
6. MATTER and Cedars-Sinai Accelerator partner to support next-generation healthcare innovations.
As part of this collaboration, MATTER will provide Cedars-Sinai Accelerator with access to its more than 260 healthcare member startups, helping to identify promising companies aligned to Cedars-Sinai’s strategic focus areas. Simultaneously, companies graduating from the Cedars-Sinai Accelerator program will benefit from an additional six months of support under MATTER’s auspices.
5. MATTER joined the American Medical Association’s In Full Health initiative to advance equitable health innovation.
In March, we announced our participation in the AMA’s newly launched network, and accompanying set of principles, that offers organizations a framework to center equity in their health innovation investment, development and purchasing efforts as they actively work to shift resources and decision-making to uplift populations that have been historically marginalized.
4. MATTER announced inaugural cohort for Momentum accelerator.
In January, we announced the 12 digital health companies participating in our first-ever class of Momentum, an application-based accelerator exclusively for MATTER members. The six-month program was led by MATTER Venture Acceleration Fellows Tom Lee and Jason Smith and culminated in our inaugural Healthcare Inno Expo in September. Learn more about our second Momentum accelerator running in 2023.
3. MATTER partnered with Amazon Web Services to launch AWS Expand.
As MATTER’s first collaboration with a big tech company, the dual-track program prepared Europe, Middle East and Africa based startups to enter and understand the intricacies of the U.S. healthcare market through education, mentorship and exposure to potential customers and partners.
2. MATTER launched Elevate Network for accredited angel investors.
In addition to the launch of MATTER’s Catalyst Network for venture capitalists, Elevate Network surfaces opportunities for investors to connect with healthcare and life sciences companies within the MATTER portfolio, enhancing their deal flow and reducing the friction involved in raising early stage capital for entrepreneurs.
1. MATTER launched 51 Labs, a new accelerator focused on women+’s health.
The inaugural year’s program is focused on menopausal transition and developed alongside Astellas Pharma US, Walgreens, Parkview Health, University of Chicago Medicine and Capita3. The 12-week accelerator is providing the inaugural cohort of 11 startups access to custom curriculum, workshops, industry roundtables and cross-industry mentor sessions to advance their solutions and leadership skills.
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