Health Equity Accelerator and Incubator Program – US

Imagine a future where you can change the world, starting with your local community. For those with a vision of improving health equity, this sponsored challenge, accelerator, and incubator administered by the Flywheel Foundation, is providing that opportunity — the Health Equity Innovation Challenge.

This Sponsored Innovation Challenge is a business idea competition seeking solutions to problems that the sponsoring institutions deeply care about. The Challenge seeks the submission of scalable and investable solutions to problems that lead to or create significant healthcare outcome disparities. The targeted populations are vulnerable communities specifically, African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, and those at 200% of Federal Poverty.  The Challenge invites applications for social and technological innovations that can be applied and commercialized with demonstrated potential for social and economic impact on the following leading indicator priorities:

• Access: Improve access for colorectal screening, A1c control, and blood pressure, behavioral health, and reduce readmissions
• Quality and Outcomes: Eliminate disparities in mortality rates, mental health, and maternal and child health
• Acute Social Needs: Support systems, community engagement, structural discrimination, and access to renewable energy/energy security
• Social Drivers of Health: Economic stability and upward mobility; food security and access to healthy foods; access to affordable housing and commercial districts; affordable transportation; affordable child care, education access, and quality; climate change, air and water pollution, heat mitigation, and landfill diversion
• Beginning in December 2023, entrepreneurs from across the country are invited to turn their ideas into action and develop innovative community-based solutions to improve health equity in the nation.

Benefits

Up to ten (10) Finalist applicants will be invited to Pitch on May 4, 2024 to receive the following benefits and developmental support:

• Acceptance into a 12-week Accelerator Program with resources needed to rapidly advance the development of the solution product or service, achieve market fit, and find traction as a scalable enterprise.
• An 18-month Residency at the Cabarrus Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship following the accelerator and the support of the Venture Mentor Service program.
• Access to research, subject matter expertise, customer and investor introductions by the sponsor and collaborating organizations
• A $15,000 Non-dilutive Grant
• Connection to the New Ventures Investment Network

Challenge Components

• The Health Equity Innovation Challenge is funded to run for three years, with the goal of developing a portfolio of 20-30 companies with innovative solutions to the challenge priorities. Each year the opportunity to apply for the program will result in screening and selecting that year’s cohort of 5-10 companies for acceleration and incubation. The annual program has three stages:
  • Idea Pipeline and Company Selection
  • Health Equity Accelerator Program and Community Engagement
  • 18-Month Incubation and Capital Access

Eligibility Criteria

• This Challenge is open to persons who are at least 18 years old or the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence and operating companies. Individual entrants may enter either alone or as part of a team.
• Teams must include no less than two (2) eligible individual entrants and each team member must be clearly identified on the team’s entry materials. An individual who enters on behalf of a business entity represents and warrants he or she has requisite authority to act on behalf of such entity.
• All entrants in the Challenge must be seeking, or intending to seek, growth capital funding in addition to the awards to be awarded in this Challenge. Entrants forming companies that intend to license technologies from universities or research labs are encouraged to enter.
• This Challenge is administered out of the United States. Entrants who are not legal residents of the United States are responsible for obtaining any necessary travel documents, including, without limitation, passports and visas, and related immigration papers required to be able to legally attend any required in-person activities related to this Challenge in Concord, NC USA and to legally work on their submissions within the United States.
• The Sponsor cannot render legal advice to entrants or winner, who are solely responsible for obtaining any legal advice they deem necessary or proper in order to participate in this Challenge.

For more information, visit Flywheel Foundation.