The Digest for Health Transformers & Changemakers
Lisa Suennen has invested in health innovation for over three decades – and she says the math hasn’t changed. In this chat with the StartUp Health community, the AHA Ventures managing partner shares where she’s leaning in across heart and brain health, why she’s wary of AI-for-AI’s-sake, and the one thing she says matters more than any pitch deck.
The video and podcast are excerpts from the full session. Members stayed for the live Q&A, where Lisa went deeper on fragmented care, consumer vs. clinician models, and scaling value-based care. Want to be in the room next time? Join StartUp Health to attend expert sessions live, build your relationships with investors and industry leaders, and ask your own questions.
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An invite-only evening for the founders, funders, and partners building the next Health Moonshots.
The next era of health won’t arrive by accident. It will be built by people who choose to build it together.
On January 12, 2027, during JPM Healthcare Week, StartUp Health community members, investors, clinicians, and partners will gather in San Francisco at the iconic First Citizens Innovation Center for Apollo House to explore AI, prevention, and the next Health Moonshots – and what it will take to help billions of people live longer, healthier lives with care that is AI-powered and deeply human.
Last January, the room was standing-room only. During the evening’s events, Vinod Khosla joined Unity Stoakes for a fireside chat and reminded us that “the most important currency we have in healthcare is trust.”
Space is limited. Members receive priority access.
Nearly $550M flowed into health innovation this week, from AI-enabled oncology drug development to brain implants, tech-enabled health insurance, respiratory therapy, and rural care. Companies across the US, Brazil, India, Europe, Asia, and Africa raised rounds. Here is who raised and who backed them.
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When StartUp Health community member Jean Anne Booth showed her 80-year-old mother a spreadsheet of medical alert options, the answer was immediate: “I’m not wearing it.” That moment launched UnaliWear and the Kanega Watch, a four-time Wirecutter top pick with a patented battery system built for true 24/7 wear and fall detection on the wrist that learns each wearer’s lifestyle to cut false alarms. In this update, Jean Anne explains why designing for dignity is a safety feature, and why the best time to talk about a medical alert is before you need one.
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“Deep gratitude to the entire StartUp Health team for your consistency, discipline, and belief in builders who refuse to give up on meaningful change. Some ecosystems help you grow. Others help you endure. StartUp Health does both,” says Vitali Karpeichyk, CEO & Co-founder of MindMuscle (fka PigPug Health).
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With more than 2,500 videos, 11,000+ subscribers, and nearly a million views on YouTube, our video channel spotlights Health Transformers in action, showcasing how the right mindset, moonshot vision, and the spirit of an entrepreneur make anything possible.
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Deanna Harshbarger, CEO of Cala Health, on being named a Top MedTech CEO of 2026 by The Healthcare Technology Report.
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Mehmet Kazgan, CEO & Founder of cliexa, on the positive impact of the company’s collaboration with ERC Pathlight, using AI to reduce friction across behavioral health workflows.
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Richard Bennett, CEO & Co-founder of Epicured, on the grand opening of the company’s Staten Island facility, bringing food as medicine to New York’s Medicaid waiver program.
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Ole Kjerkegaard Nielsen, PhD, CEO & Co-founder of GO-Pen, on Mexico becoming the first country in the world to use the company’s insulin pen.
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