Launchpad Digital Health - Backs Five Companies, Funded & Achieving Liftoff

SAN FRANCISCO-SOMA DISTRICT, Calif., Sept. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Launchpad Digital Health (www.launchpdh.com) today announced that it has funded its first five companies.  These exciting digital health companies, managed by terrific entrepreneurs, are now launching their products.  These are truly high quality companies preparing for the rigors of the healthcare marketplace, and they meet the standards we set for our next generation accelerator.

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"This fantastic group of companies has hit the ground running, already capturing significant market presence.  We are pleased that all of our companies received additional outside funding, and several of these are closing substantial institutional co-investors alongside us," said Fred Toney, co-founder and chief executive officer of Launchpad Digital Health.  Our first group of companies and its leaders, who are co-located here in San Francisco with us for the next year, are:

AddApp – Whether it's noticing what helps you get a great night's sleep, running further or picking out the days you're most active, AddApp provides you with personalized insights to help you be at your best, everyday.  AddApp's data-driven approach finds relationships in data you already track from sensors and apps.  You have data; we've got insights. 
– Founder:  Kouris Kalligas

Lyfechannel builds mobile programs for patients new to chronic diseases—bridging the gap between doctor instruction and patient action.  Programs in diabetes, pre-diabetes, COPD, smoking cessation and heart health, each help patients build core habits in physical activity, diet and drug adherence—keys to long-term disease management.  Lyfechannel reimagines proven patient programs for the 3-5 minute attention windows of the mobile phone user.  Through connectivity with support team members and EHR integration, we create greater patient engagement required for better health outcomes.  Current customers—including pharmaceutical companies, EHRs and the U.S. Dept. of HHS—use our programs and population management tools to change the health trajectory of specific populations and conditions. 
– Founder:  Dave Vockell

Medable – the fastest path to a medical grade app.  Medable is a SaaS (software as a service) allowing companies, providers and payers to make digital health applications truly "medical grade."  This platform allows for supporting patient engagement clinical applications, storing personal health information and complying with HIPAA and other regulations. 
– Founders:  Michelle Longmire, M.D.; Tim Smith; James Sas; Trevor Goss

QueueDr allows doctors to fill openings in their schedule in less than one minute.  Using text messaging, offices alert selected patients of an open appointment with the press of a button, saving valuable time and dramatically shortening the patient wait.  The first patient to respond has the appointment—it's invigoratingly simple.  This captures revenue that is currently lost by the practice, resulting in an immediate payback for the physician office, while patient satisfaction improves.  Early customer feedback:  "it doesn't get any better."  – Founder:  Patrick Randolph

Sense.ly – the "virtual nurse" providing proven, personalized monitoring and follow-up care, with a strong focus on chronic diseases. Sense.ly combines innovative avatar-based technology and advanced sensor capabilities to generate actionable, real-time data and intelligent analytics, enabling better, timelier healthcare decisions. Sense.ly empowers clinical practices to scale and succeed in the midst of healthcare reform, declining reimbursements and technology disruption. For chronic patients and their caregivers, Sense.ly offers the best continual care, even between office visits.  For payers, Sense.ly improves outcomes and patient satisfaction while lowering the total cost of care.  Customers include major providers and payers. – Founders: Adam Odessky; Ivana Schnur, M.D., Ph.D.

We are thrilled with the quality and early progress of our first group of companies, as well as the many important partners of Launchpad Digital Health that will help to make these companies, and those of our future cohorts, more successful:

As a co-investor in Sense.ly, Steven Xi, managing partner at Eastlink Capital, stated, "we are very excited about co-investing with Launchpad Digital Health, as we bring our deep technology background to combine with the healthcare focus of digital technologies that is the core of Launchpad Digital Health's platform."

As a partner to Launchpad Digital Health, Scott Murano, a corporate law partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, stated, "We are delighted to be investing in the Launchpad Digital Health companies as we help them grow into successful enterprises during this important expansion phase.  We also are pleased to support and mentor these promising companies as they traverse the healthcare regulatory space."

As a partner to Launchpad Digital Health, Chris Gruwell, president of Platinum Advisors, stated, "I am so excited about the new accelerator at Launchpad Digital Health located in the HatchToday offices at SoMa in San Francisco.  This is ground zero for digital health startups and we are happy to be a part of the successful ramp up of companies in this sector.  Public policy is a permanent part of the healthcare landscape, and we can help these companies navigate this field."

As a co-investor, Thomas Kratochwill, Director Project Management, Sappi Europe SA, stated, "when we decided to spin out our digital health company, AddApp, we looked for a partner and a location that could direct and lead the company through its rapid early growth phase, but we needed a partner with a longer healthcare industry horizon than traditional accelerator programs, and Launchpad Digital Health provides just that in the place where digital health startups are thriving, San Francisco."

Launchpad Digital Health will soon begin accepting business plan applications for its next class of companies in the digital health sector.  Applications will be accepted through year-end 2014.  Launchpad Digital Health expects this new class of companies to begin its one-year program in early 2015, based at its SF-SoMa offices located at 645 Harrison Street in San Francisco.  Submissions may be made via the accelerator's submission page on its website, www.launchpdh.com.

About Launchpad Digital Health

Launchpad Digital Health is a focused next generation accelerator—more capital, more time and more intensity for its portfolio companies and their founders.  Each company accepted into the accelerator program receives:  1) more capital in the form of up to a $300,000 investment, 2) more time commitment in the form of a full one year-long program co-located with other startups in digital health sector and the Launchpad Digital Health founders, and 3) more intensity in the form of weekly ongoing engagement with Launchpad Digital Health's founders, partners and mentors as critical business decisions are made continuously with advisors assisting all along the way.  The founders of Launchpad Digital Health have funded and operated a myriad of companies throughout the healthcare and technology sectors, including digital health companies, for the past two decades.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR), the leading Silicon Valley- and San Francisco-based law firm in the technology and healthcare sectors, is a substantial investor in the Launchpad Digital Health portfolio of companies.  Partners or investors in Launchpad Digital Health include a significant team of advisors, mentors and companies including:  WSGR; EisnerAmper LLP; Merrill Lynch Venture Services (BofA); Woodruff Sawyer; Platinum Advisors; and Mavericks Capital, among many others.

To find out more, visit us at www.launchpdh.com and see how your startup can benefit from this next generation accelerator program.

This document contains forward-looking statements. Any statements contained in this document that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements relating to Launchpad Digital Health's anticipated plans or needs. These forward-looking statements are based upon Launchpad Digital Health's current expectations. Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including, without limitation, risks associated with market conditions, customer demand, and risks and uncertainties associated with Launchpad Digital Health's business and finances in general. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this document. Launchpad Digital Health does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, changed assumptions or otherwise.

SOURCE Launchpad Digital Health LLC