Techstars Central, a Boulder, Colorado-based global platform that provides access to capital, mentorship, and programming for early-stage entrepreneurs, is re-starting a health care-focused accelerator in Los Angeles.
The company on Sept. 6 announced that it is now accepting applications for the first cohort of 12 health care companies that will start a 13-week program in March.
“Techstars has deep experience and an exceptional track record investing in health care, especially in Los Angeles,” Matt Kozlov, managing director of the Techstars Healthcare Los Angeles program, said in the announcement.
Techstars is a global platform that provides investment and innovation, helping tech entrepreneurs and their teams connect with other startup executives, mentors, accelerator program alumni, investors and corporate partners – all to help their companies grow. Locally, the announcement said, nearly 200 companies have gone through a Techstars program in Los Angeles and have raised more than $1.4 billion.
Currently, Techstars runs three programs locally: Techstars Los Angeles (in partnership with New York-based JP Morgan Chase & Co.); Techstars Music; and Techstars Space.
Techstars had previously co-sponsored a health care-focused program in Los Angeles with the Cedars-Sinai Accelerator, part of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center campus in Beverly Grove/West Hollywood.
UnitedHealthcare, a subsidiary of Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group Inc., was also a sponsoring partner.
The consortium’s program shepherded seven cohorts of health care startup companies and co-invested in more than 70 companiesBut that collaboration ended around the time of the pandemic.
Cedars maintained its accelerator program, while Techstars incorporated health care entrepreneurs into its main Los Angeles accelerator program, which is now located in Culver City.
With last week’s announcement, Techstars is collaborating once again with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and UnitedHealthcare and has added two sponsors: Canton, Massachusetts-based health insurer Point32Health and Irvine-based UCI Health.
As part of the 13-week program launching next March in Los Angeles, participating companies will receive capital, mentorship and instruction from the Techstars global network and the U.S. health care and health-tech ecosystem.
The application deadline is Nov. 30.
