LaunchKC, Nueterra Capital announce health accelerator with $50K, plus resources for each startup in cohort
June 27, 2019 | Austin Barnes
Adding its third vertical in less than a year, LaunchKC will expand its grant opportunities deployment with the new LaunchKC Health Accelerator aimed at improving patient outcomes, the program announced Thursday.
“LaunchKC continues to see momentum, headed into its fifth year, having invested over $2 million in cash grants to attract or retain 38 tech startups in Kansas City, as well as continuing to strengthen its mentorship ecosystem,” the program — facilitated by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri, and the Downtown Council — said in an invitation to the program’s July 9 formal launch.
Click here for more details about the happy hour event that will celebrate LaunchKC Health.
“We all agree that the current healthcare system is not sustainable and is in need of disruption. With the formation of the Launch Health Accelerator powered by Nueterra Capital, we’re looking for companies with fresh ideas on how to make healthcare more accessible, with more predictable outcomes and transparent costs. I’m hoping we see service and technology ideas that give rise to improving care and lowering costs that can be readily integrated into existing clinical workflows, and some that are truly disruptive.”
— Jeremy Tasset, Nueterra Capital CEO
Continuing its trend of local partnership-driven programs, LaunchKC on Thursday named Leawood-based Nueterra Capital the official investment partner for the LaunchKC Health program.
“Nueterra has been on the frontlines of reforming our healthcare system, and LaunchKC is looking forward to their leadership and investment experience across the spectrum of healthcare and services,” said Drew Solomon, chair of the LaunchKC program.
Nuterra Capital and LaunchKC are looking for startups dedicated to making healthcare outcomes more predictable, delivery more accessible, costs more transparent, and technology that empowers patients to be true healthcare consumers.
Chosen startups will receive a minimum $50,000 equity investment from Nueterra Capital, software development work, healthcare and business legal advice, accounting, marketing, and business mentoring from LaunchKC partners, the firm explained.
The inaugural LaunchKC Health Accelerator cohort is expected to begin work in the program by late summer.
LaunchKC partnered with the nbkc bank-backed Fountain City Fintech accelerator in December and added Black & Veatch sponsored IgniteX, clean-tech accelerator to its line-up of entrepreneurial support endeavors in April.
Click here for an inside look at the 2019 restructuring of LaunchKC.
“The bottom line of the new platform is to attract scalable companies to the city to create more jobs and opportunities while growing our economy,” Solomon at the launch event for IgniteX.
With more than 2,000 applications submitted to LaunchKC in its five-year history, applications for Launch Health are now open.
Click here to apply for the Launch Health Accelerator.
“We’re participating as a sponsor for the LaunchKC Health Accelerator because we know that the future of healthcare depends on innovation,” said Jeremy Tasset, managing partner and CEO at Nueterra Capital, in a release. “As a venture capital firm focused on disrupting traditional healthcare models, we’re in a unique position to help identify, evaluate and support early-stage companies that have the potential to improve healthcare delivery.”
Featured Business

2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Startup Crawl returning Oct 5 for First Friday with festival-style entertainment, innovation
Editor’s note: Startup Crawl and Startland News are both programs of the Kansas City Startup Foundation, though the content below was produced independently by Startland. Startup Crawl has a carnival feel to it, said Lauren Conaway, noting the returning event is positioned to help startups collide with people who wouldn’t typically encounter the early-stage businesses.…
MECA students to Goodwill: Everyone has a mission now — what else are you selling?
Editor’s note: MECA Challenge and Startland News are both programs of the Kansas City Startup Foundation, though the content below was produced independently by Startland. For more information on the relationship, click here. Goodwill must innovate and change with the times if it’s going to survive after 125 years in business, said Ed Lada. “The…
Prestio drives users to auto dealerships without traditional car buying pain points
Gone are the days of traditional car buying for Ben Anderson, the first customer of Kansas City-based startup Prestio. Anderson, an accounting professional at CBIZ, had grown deeply frustrated by auto dealerships, he said. In fall 2017, he turned to Prestio –– a first-of-its-kind software-as-a-service platform that allows customers to buy, trade, and finance vehicle purchases…
Crema co-founder details expansion experiment at Thinking Bigger breakfast
Crema’s work is all about proximity, said George Brooks, seeking to clarify potential misperceptions about the digital product agency’s foray into markets outside Kansas City. “We’ve been running an experiment,” the Crema co-founder told a crowd at Thinking Bigger Business Media’s recent Big Breakfast. “We’re from Kansas City, but probably 80 percent of our clients…
