Boston — January 17, 2013 — Healthbox, a company that has created a platform to discover and foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the healthcare industry, and their anchor partner, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA), today announced they are accepting applications for the second Healthbox Boston Program.
Passionate entrepreneurs with early-stage healthcare technology and technology-enabled startups, delivering potential solutions to healthcare's most pervasive challenges, are encouraged to apply. Companies selected will receive up to $50,000 in seed capital and will participate in an intensive 16-week program out of Healthbox's Kendall Square office. Receiving strategic guidance from leading industry experts, these startups will learn how to grow their companies in a complicated industry. Towards the end of the program, the companies will participate in a large-scale Innovation Day, bringing together hundreds of investors, healthcare leaders and entrepreneurs to hear the pitches of Healthbox companies in the context of industry need.
"Healthbox operates as a catalyst of change, bringing together startups that hold the potential to scale and confront large healthcare problems with an industry that is seeking new solutions," comments Healthbox Founder and CEO Nina Nashif. "We want to continue working within the New England healthcare community, which has an inescapable entrepreneurial spirit."
The inaugural Boston program participants have already achieved tremendous progress, penetrating deep into the industry through the continued relationship with BCBSMA and other leading members of the Boston healthcare ecosystem. Some of these startups have doubled their number of partnerships, tripled their number of pilots and connected with leading angels and venture capital firms. They also have become lifetime members to a robust network of healthcare innovators, positioning themselves to affect meaningful change in the industry and achieve long-term growth.
"Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is committed to advancing healthcare innovation in Massachusetts," said TemiTuoyo Louis, Director, Strategic Investments. "Partnerships with like-minded thought leaders like Healthbox help ensure that we are on the forefront of bringing ground-breaking ideas to life that have the potential of improving the healthcare industry."
Applications are currently being accepted on the Healthbox website at http://healthbox.com/acceleratorprogram/#apply. For more information, to ask questions and to find announcements about the program, please visit the site and follow the Twitter feed @health_box.
About Healthbox
Healthbox (www.healthbox.com) provides a platform to support meaningful collaboration and foster innovation in the healthcare industry. Based in Chicago, Boston and London, in its first year Healthbox has fostered 27 companies and continues to support early-stage healthcare technology and technology-enabled startups to understand the healthcare industry, refine their product offering, gain market traction and attract customers and investment.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (www.bluecrossma.com) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are committed to working with others in a spirit of shared responsibility to make quality health care affordable. Consistent with our corporate promise to always put our 2.8 million members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality.