Tal Behar

Thank you, Selin Bucak, for shining a light on the funding disparities in the femtech space. Despite women founding over 70% of femtech startups, male founders consistently raised more capital. In 2022 alone, 57 male-founded femtech companies raised $731 million, while 105 female-founded femtechs raised only $408 million. As a female founder in the femtech space, I have personally faced these challenges. Even with a successful exit under my belt, fundraising remains an uphill battle. This disparity is not just a statistic—it's a reality that impacts the growth and potential of innovative femtech solutions. Despite the funding disadvantage, women-owned businesses generate higher revenues than their male counterparts. The average return on investment for women-owned companies is double that of men-owned businesses. According to the World Bank, women-owned firms in the US are growing at more than double the rate of all other firms and contribute almost $3 trillion to the economy. The numbers for 2023 create hope with some improvement, where femtech companies founded by women raised $7.5 million on average this year, versus $5.7 million raised by men. A shout out of gratitude for all the hard work of my fellow female founders and ecosystem partners. Unfortunately, the work is not done - we still have a long way to go to achieve true equity. It's not only about ensuring women have a seat at the table but also about making sure they have the resources to bring their innovative ideas to life. A big thank you to Rachel Bartholomew for establishing the Femtech Canada organization. Behind every great woman is another incredible woman who believes in her - Femtech Canada is a place where women founders can share, learn, and support one another, encouraging and empowering each other to be the best versions of ourselves. Let's continue to raise awareness about these disparities and work towards a future where female founders receive the funding and support they need to thrive. Sigrun WatsonOrchid Jahanshahi, Hannah Parish, Lauren Reid, Jigna Shah Ana Maria Palusci, Vanessa Williamson, Lisa Heath, Jane J. Wang, Angela Podolsky, Cindy C Comeau, Joanne Fedeyko, Eve Blossom, Jennifer Meldrum, Monique Rudder, Nancy Simonot, Golda Naana Boakye, Vicki Bradley, Sayeh Radpay, Rita Loncar, Monique Moran, Cherry Rose Tan, Louella Woodworth, Jodie Tatlock, Kathryn Speer, Lucia Cesaroni, Susan Richards, Julia Elvidge, Karen Linseman, Jocelyn Wessels, Julia Slanina, Alison Smith, Shelley Kuipers, Danielle Brewin Graham, Diane Wolfenden, Sarah Willson, Sarah Whittaker, Nancy Lockhart #Femtech #WomenInTech #FemaleFounders #Entrepreneurship #FundingEquity #Innovation #Healthcare https://lnkd.in/g252DVrY

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Here’s your recap of last week’s health IT news 🗞️ 👇 🤖 AI Products • Emergency Services, Inc. + Augmedix Go ED: The emergency medicine group adopted the new ED-specific AI ambient scribe solution.    • Color + OpenAI: The cancer care tech company partnered with the GenAI giant to build a AI clinical decision support copilot.    • AKASA Medical Coding: The AI RCM vendor known for its AI prior auth tool AKASA Authorization Advisor released a new GenAI medical coding solution.    • Humata Health: The AI prior auth for providers vendor closed a $25M funding round led by healthcare org-backed funds The Blue Venture Fund and LRVHealth.    • Wellsheet + Concord Hospital Health System: The AI-enabled Smart EHR UI solution announced a client-reported 16.3% reduction in length of stay and 40% decrease in time spent in the EHR via its partnership with Concord Health, as well as the release of its new LLM-generated handoff summary feature. 🍎 VBC • BSIM Healthcare Services + Innovaccer: The healthcare provider—embarking on its first VBC contract—adopted the pop health data platform for analytics. 🩼 Durable Medical Equipment • Parachute Health: The DME e-prescribing and ordering solution released an update that integrates prior authorization. ⚕️Clinical Staffing • Matchwell + Indiana Hospital Association: The clinical staffing service partnered with the hospital member org to create the first state-wide resource pool for temp staffing. 🧑‍💻 Virtual and At-Home Care • Deaconess Health System + KeyCare: The Indiana-based health system adopted the Epic-based virtual care provider for around-the-clock virtual urgent care.    • UC Davis Health + Current Health: The health system launched a new RPM program for high blood pressure in partnership with Best Buy Health’s care-at-home platform. 🧠 Food for Thought: We came across a couple of good resources this past week on the current state of healthcare data information exchange: • This article in Health Affairs from Deven McGraw and Tina Grande provides a comprehensive overview of some of the patient health data abuses we've seen come to light in recent months, as well as a number of policy recommendations to improve the health information exchange landscape for all participants. https://lnkd.in/e_GEQ-JJ  (h/t Alya Sulaiman)    • This episode of Health Gorilla's InteropTalk gives a helpful update on the current state of affairs, with a particular focus on the state of trust across the health data exchange community and how the definition of "Treatment" may evolve. https://lnkd.in/e96AJG-5 (h/t Brendan Keeler) --- Reminder: you can sign up for the Elion Briefing to get the latest healthcare tech news delivered to your inbox each week 📬 👉 https://lnkd.in/e2UJ3ckP

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I’m thrilled to share that FeelBetter is starting a new prospective research study with Brigham and Women's Hospital, building on the success of our retrospective research study. "Many polypharmacy problems aren’t detected until patients end up in the ER and, in seniors with several chronic diseases and conditions, the simultaneous use of multiple medications ultimately contributes to 10-30% of hospitalizations,” said Lisa Rotenstein, MD MBA MSc, the principal investigator of the study. “Our previous study showed that its platform can be used to identify which patients are at the highest risk of polypharmacy-related adverse events. Based on retrospective data, we’re excited to prospectively examine how the platform can potentially be used to improve patient outcomes, healthcare utilization, and cost efficiencies.” #Polypharmacy #medicationmanagement #AI #ACO #VBC #PrecisionHealth #PopulationHealth

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Here’s your recap of last week’s health IT news 🗞️ 👇 Notable partnerships 🤝 • WakeMed will roll out AI clinician assistant Regard across three hospitals by the end of the year.    • Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute adopted Story Health to support patients with AFib.    • Cone Health, Sentara Health, and A Plus Family HealthCare, along with 2 others are partnering with TytoCare to deliver primary care in local school districts.    • Ballad Health is integrating with teleneurology provider Sevaro to provide stroke care in the ED.    • Sturdy Health is utilizing Notable for appointment scheduling, demographic and insurance verification, and pre-registration form completion.    • Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin has implemented the Epic-based virtual care platform KeyCare to provide virtual visits nationwide. Product updates 👩🏼‍💻 • Transcarent launched an AI-powered platform for patients to navigate benefits, clinical guidance, and care delivery.    • Epic announced it will launch a new patient data insight tool relying on its Cosmos database.    • LG Electronics released its hospital-at-home platform, PrimeFocus.    • athenahealth released two new specialty care solutions for women’s health and urgent care.    • SmarterDx announced a $50M Series B funding round.    • Kyruus Health has expanded its network to include virtual behavioral health providers.    • Laguna Health released a new performance dashboard that detects metrics such as burnout risk and empathy in patient interactions.    • Crosby Health, which aims to automate claim denial appeals, announced the launch of its large language model and $2.2M in pre-seed funding.    • Radiometer and Etiometry Inc. are partnering to enhance clinical decision making in acute care settings.    • TurningPoint Healthcare Solutions acquired the AI prior authorization vendor Fairway Health.    • Komodo Health announced updates to its MapEnhance product, adding SDoH insights, and two new specialty data partners, GeneDx and COTA. Posts we enjoyed 👏 • We’ve been watching much of the recent news on nurse strikes as well as the political back and forth on AI regulation, and really appreciated Sarah Gebauer, MD’s take on AI governance: https://lnkd.in/e7Jkb3NC    • We enjoyed Nikhil Krishnan of Out-Of-Pocket's take on AI in healthcare, including his thoughts on defensibility and AI's impact on costs: https://lnkd.in/eVtH4ShC --- Want to stay in the loop? Sign up for the Elion Briefing to get all of the latest healthcare tech news delivered to your inbox 📬 👉 https://bit.ly/49z6AUW

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We all have seen by now that AI holds the promise of reshaping healthcare delivery, and this goes particularly for marginalized communities. Its widespread adoption, however, necessitates careful navigation of potential biases and ethical concerns to ensure equitable outcomes for all! As we embrace AI's transformative potential, we must continue to actively address issues of access, transparency, and workforce readiness in order to promote a future where technology enhances, rather than hinders, health equity initiatives. #HealthEquity #Healthcare #AI

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🚀 Episode #03 of “Excellence In Healthcare” Podcast: Top 4 Take-Aways! 🚀 1️⃣ The Role of Telehealth in Modern Healthcare Telehealth has revolutionized healthcare access, especially for rural and underserved communities. 🌐 A rural clinic’s adoption of telemedicine led to improved patient outcomes and satisfaction by reducing the need for long-distance travel. 2️⃣ Importance of Cybersecurity in Healthcare With the rise of cyber attacks, robust cybersecurity measures are crucial. 🛡️ The Change Healthcare incident in early 2024 highlighted the vulnerabilities in digital healthcare systems and the need for enhanced security protocols. 3️⃣ The Need for Price Transparency and Adequate Payment Structures Transparent billing practices build patient trust and reduce disputes. 💡 A hospital’s implementation of transparent billing led to increased trust and improved financial health. 4️⃣ Leadership and Policy Reform in Healthcare Effective leadership and policy reforms are essential for innovation and addressing current challenges. 🏛️ Engaging with policy representatives, like Senator Raphael Warnock’s health policy assistant, can drive positive change. Tune in to the full episode for more insights! 🎧 #HealthcareExcellence #Telehealth #Cybersecurity #PriceTransparency #Leadership

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🚀 Empowering Healthcare Startups: Key Insights for Success 🚀 Check out this article from MedCity News highlighting key questions #VCs ask #startups, outlined in a panel with Thomas C. Hawes, M.D., MBA, of Sandbox Industries, Emily Durfee of Healthworx and Janet Xu of Distributed Ventures. ✔ Be clear in what problem you are solving, and make sure it's a problem someone will *pay* you to solve. ✔ Have a crisp business model, including both fee-for-service and value-based-care options. ✔Ensure your use of AI is integral to solving the problem. AI without business value is likely going to disappoint the customer and stunt the startup's growth. By focusing on these key areas, healthcare startups can navigate the challenges working with VCs and make a significant impact. #HealthcareStartups #Innovation #DigitalHealth #MentalHealth #DataAnalytics #AIinHealthcare #HealthcareonLinkedIn #VentureCapital Microsoft for Startups

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Venture capitalists on a panel at MedCity News' INVEST conference in Chicago provided insights on the current #healthcarefunding environment, their views on AI, and why diversity still really matters. Key takeaways: 💹 The #digitalhealth funding market has more discipline, seeking founders who are paying more attention to unit economics and contribution margin and thinking critically about the milestones in their business and KPIs. 💹 Most investors want to help their portfolio companies sustainably accelerate profits and build the networks, such as #healthsystem connections, necessary for eventual commercialization. 💹 When considering #healthAI startups, a key question is asked: Is this a product or a company? AI should be an integral part of the core business rather than a trendy add-on. 💹 Diversity still really does matter. A VC on the panel said in all of the term sheets her firm signs, there is a clause that stipulates #diversity requirements for its portfolio companies. https://lnkd.in/gqsJEHBk

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Our true north at Ryght is to help those who strive everyday to help cure cancer, treat patients and make a difference. Chadi Nabhan, MD, MBA,FACP, our esteemed Chief Medical Officer, has written another insightful book which should be the manual for anyone dealing with this dreaded disease. Buy it at the link below.

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UMass Memorial Health Integrates AEYE Health’s AEYE-DS Autonomous AI Screening for #Diabetic Eye Care into EMR System Zack Dvey-Aharon Juan Ding Diane M. McKee Johanna Seddon #AInews #ArtificialIntelligence #AI https://lnkd.in/eCic_Bpm

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Investing in companies that fill needs for health systems is a growth opportunity for both delivery organizations and start ups. Some systems are jumping in on their own, while others are partnering with like minded systems or with established VC firms. While this is a relatively new trend for systems, health plans have been making similar bets for many years. The benefits of becoming a health system portfolio company can be significant. Data, access to beta populations and real world coaching can be extremely beneficial. Start ups get mentoring and systems have to ability to leverage outside resources to solve relevant business problems. I predict a booming business!

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Dr. Vohra-Khullar, Dr. Dbouk, and Dr. Solis discuss Emory’s innovative use of generative AI and ambient listening to reduce physician burnout and enhance patient care. Learn how AI is transforming healthcare! #WomenInMedicine #WomenInAI #Burnout #AI #PatientCarehttps://buff.ly/4guyiag

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It was fantastic to join the Milken Institute’s recent Future of Health Summit to discuss one of the biggest issues in healthcare today: pricing. We had a dynamic conversation about the rising costs burdening patients, systemic inefficiencies, and how deeply broken our approach to healthcare is. The good news is, we have ample opportunities to fix it. Here are a couple of strategies I believe can make a real impact: ➡️ Simplification: The complexity of our healthcare system adds unnecessary administrative costs and creates barriers for patients. By standardizing metrics, coverage policies, and payment systems across insurers, we could save billions annually and significantly improve access. ➡️ Shifting Accountability: Patients facing serious illnesses shouldn’t bear the brunt of deductibles and co-pays that add stress without reducing unnecessary care. Financial accountability should shift to providers, who are better positioned to make cost-effective decisions. If we’re truly committed to lowering healthcare costs and improving the average American’s experience in our system, we have to be willing to shake things up. Thanks to my fellow panelists and everyone at the #MIHealthSummit for driving these critical conversations forward! Check out our full panel, linked in the comments below.

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Telemedicine is dead. Or is it? 📉🩺 We've seen the meteoric rise and fall of giants like Teladoc and other telemedicine companies. The pandemic era sparked unprecedented growth in virtual care, but what happened next? Declining stock prices, wavering investor confidence, and questions about the sustainability of this healthcare model. Don't equate a failed business model (Teladoc was cozy under the sheets with insurance companies and forget to take care of doctors) with a failure of telemedicine. So let's shift gears. 🚀 Telemedicine isn't just a trend—it's a powerful tool that should be synonymous with modern healthcare. 🌟 **The Benefits**: - **Accessibility**: Reach patients in remote areas with ease. - **Convenience**: Eliminate the need for travel and reduce wait times. - **Efficiency**: Streamline processes, from booking to billing. Imagine this: providing guidance to patients, offering second opinions, and educating the masses—all without the friction of traditional office visits. 🏥💡 Telemedicine is here to stay, evolving to meet the needs of our digital age. As we navigate its integration, we must focus on: - **Technology access**: Ensuring everyone can connect. - **Regulatory clarity**: Harmonizing laws across regions. - **Data security**: Keeping patient information safe. Let’s lead the charge in embracing telemedicine as a vital part of healthcare’s future. The fact remains we have an asymmetry between where doctors live and where patients have access to care. Until we train more doctors, make living and working in rural America more attractive, we are going to have to embrace alternative ways of providing care. Telemedicine is one of the solutions. Regardless of Teladoc's stock price. Together, we can create a more connected, efficient, and equitable system for all. 🌍💼 #Telemedicine #DigitalHealth #HealthcareInnovation #PatientCare #FutureOfHealthcare #telehealth #healthcare

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Cortica, an autism-focused care provider, secured $80M in funding co-led by Morgan Health, JPMorgan Chase’s healthcare unit, and Nexus NeuroTech Ventures, with participation from the Autism Impact Fund. Cortica integrates data analytics and scheduling technology to offer primary, specialty, and behavioral care, including applied behavior analysis (ABA), developmental therapies, and family wellness counseling through in-home, telehealth, and school-based programs. Operating 24 ABA clinics in eight states, the funds will support scaling operations, payer contracts, and community service expansion. Previously, Cortica raised $75M in 2023 and acquired Springtide Child Development and the Melmed Center.

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Here's another fundraising roundup spotted in the healthcare wilds 👀 🍃 ✅ Sword Health raised $130M (new valuation: $3B). ✅ Better Health raised $14M to deploy expanded payer partnerships. ✅ Alzheon, Inc. | Preserving Future Memories raised $100M Series E to advance development & commercialization of its Alzheimer’s treatment. ✅ CinRx Pharma raised $73M to continue its ‘Hub and Spoke’ model of startup formation. ✅ Eko Health raised $41M to scale AI-driven heart and lung disease detection. ✅ Anterior (formerly Co:Helm) secured a $20M Series A to unlock admin efficiencies for healthcare payers. ✅ SamaCare raised a $17M Series B to scale specialty drug prior authorization platform. ✅ Plenful secured a $17M Series A to streamline pharmacy operations with AI-powered workflow automation. ✅ Grayce raised a $10.4M Series A led by Maveron amid a caregiving crisis. ✅ Stitch Employment Services Inc PEO raised $8.75M in seed to support independent medical practices. ✅ Posterity Health secured $6M to fund expansion and technology acceleration. ✅ Sware raised $6M to accelerate life sciences innovation by automating FDA-mandated software validation. ✅ Keragon raised $3M, as announced in @Conno Christou’s LinkedIn post. As always, if I missed you, let me know! Each week I'm spotlighting an innovative healthcare startup. I just ask for a bit more transparency. All submissions are confidential; submit yours here 👇 https://lnkd.in/gF4DrAvJ Looking for more fundraising roundups, alongside healthcare industry news and analysis? Subscribe to Hospitalogy, my 2x/week newsletter. Join 33K+ other investors, executives, and healthcare professionals: https://lnkd.in/g-nfRqW6

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