Life can be hard for entrepreneur’s in healthcare. Sure, we’ve seen an increase in Digital Health investment over the past few years, but it remains exceedingly difficult for new companies to prove their value, align with complex reimbursement models and get that first customer. That’s where Digital Health Accelerators like Startupbootcamp Miami come in. They’re in the business of aligning startups with specific customer needs, and in doing so, can help founders make big leaps in a short amount of time.
This episode’s guest is Christian Seale. He’s the founder and Managing Director at Startupbootcamp in Miami, which focuses on Digital Health. More specifically, they focus on Digital Health Startups that can make healthcare more equitable, efficient and accessible. We’ll talk with Christian about how you can build valuable companies that are fun and profitable, AND deliver a ton of social good.
This is a fun interview with an interesting back-story. We cover a lot of ground including:
- How do Digital Health Accelerators enable innovation? (1:10)
- A very different experience with healthcare in Colombia vs. one in NYC (4:43)
- How Medicaid and other underserved communities are a big opportunity for startups and investors. (6:00)
- Why Startupbootcamp chose Miami and Digital Health (11:18)
- Why accelerator focus is so important (14:30)
- Why healthcare should be focused on the needs of the Latin American community (17:20)
- What it means to make healthcare more equitable, efficient and accessible (19:50)
- Why certain communities are ignored and why that’s a big opportunity (23:00)
- How the biggest pain points for providers are often these overlooked communities (25:35)
- Get commercial traction first and let the investment money come to you (27:00)
- How to tell if someone is teachable/acceleratable (28:40)
- What’s in it for the founders who join Startupbootcamp Miami (31:00)
- How did Startupbootcamp Miami get the health systems on board? (32:45)
- What can a founder do to maximize their experience from a digital health accelerator? (36:00)
- How can mission-driven startups stay focused on their big why as they continue to scale? (39:27)
- How can founders apply to join Startupbootcamp Miami? (41:55)
I hope you enjoy it!
– Don Lee
Prefer to read it? Transcription coming soon!
About Christian Seale
Christian Seale is an entrepreneur and early stage investor committed to transforming healthcare and eradicating healthcare disparities. He has built Miami’s first digital health innovation program and fund as an initial step towards his vision to make the city a globally recognized hub for healthcare innovation.
Christian’s efforts are supported by the Knight Foundation, Miami Children’s Hospital, University of Miami Health System, Univision and private investors. To date, eleven investments have been made in companies from across the US, Latin America and Israel.
Before his work in Miami, Christian was a founding member of Equitable Origin, the world’s first certification for responsible energy production which was featured in the award-winning PBS documentary Oil & Water. He is a Founding Member of NextGen Venture Partners in Boston and previously worked for consumer-only VC firm Maveron, Goldman Sachs and Teach for America. Christian is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and a Fulbright Scholar. He is an active contributor to Univision and TechCrunch.
Christian earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Brown University.
About Startupbootcamp Miami
Startupbootcamp is a global family of industry-focused innovation programs with 20 programs globally and a mentor network across 30 countries. In Miami, Startupbootcamp has partnered with the Knight Foundation, Miami Children’s Hospital, University of Miami Health System, Univision and private healthcare investors for its innovation program and seed fund focused on transforming healthcare from Miami. To date, the Miami program has invested in ten companies from across the US, Latin America, and Israel.
For more, visit: http://www.startupbootcamp.org/accelerator/digital-health-miami/
Office Hour Dates: https://www.f6s.com/sbcdigitalhealthmiamifasttrack/connect
Email: Digitalhealth@startupbootcamp.org
Twitter: @SBCHealth
Mentioned on the Show
It’s Time The Tech Industry Paid Attention To The Healthcare Needs Of The Hispanic Community
Stryker’s MAKO Surgical Acquisition
CVS Caremark takes aim at Hispanic, specialty pharmacy market with Navarro deal
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