The Sprint Techstars accelerator announced its second class of companies, including a mix of new companies and a few that are already reasonably well-known. The companies will be based in Kansas City and will receive $120,000 in funding from the accelerator.
"Sprint is proud to be working with Techstars again to bring this world-class accelerator program to Kansas City,” Kevin McGinnis, vice president of Pinsight Media+, a division of Sprint, said in a statement. “We are looking forward to helping these companies grow and develop since we saw the positive effect of the experience last year – not only for the startups at the accelerator, but also for the opportunities it affords to promote entrepreneurship among our employees and help advance the region’s already vibrant startup community.”
As we reported in December, this class will also work with the University of Kansas Medical Center. Read on below for the 10 companies participating in the latest class.
Alcohoot is one of a flurry of mobile-connected breathalyzer companies that cropped up a few years ago. Although Alcohoot is still focused on its breathalyzer product, other competitors like Breathometer have used that space as a jumping-off point into respiratory health.
HealthID Profile is a startup working on mobile bands and cards that use near-field communication to store personal health information so it can be easily called up on a smartphone. The company also dabbles in medication reminders and chronic condition management tools.
Hidrate is working on an idea that's seen a few crowdfunding campaigns and proofs-of-concept but has yet to take off in a big way: a mobile-connected hydration-tracking water bottle. It's the brainchild of a foursome of recent graduates from the University of Minnesota.
iDoc24 is a fairly established telemedicine company with a dermatology focus. Its flagship app, First Derm, already has 100,000 downloads and several efficacy studies under its belt. First Derm allows users to anonymously take pictures of external skin problems and send them to a licensed dermatologist, who will respond to inquiries within 24 hours of receiving the pictures with an assessment of the problem.
Jolt is building another product that's just starting to emerge as a category: wearable head-worn sensors for concussions. Boston-based Jolt is working on a multi-sport device geared at young athletes.
Ovatemp, another Massachusetts-based company, is working on a connected thermometer and mobile app to help women track fertility. The app, which launched last May, is designed to help women conceive naturally, based on a process called Fertility Awareness Method (FAM).
Oxie is a small, neck-worn air purifier and sensor. The device, from a Tel Aviv-based company, will help users to breathe cleaner air and learn more about the air they're breathing.
Rex Pet Health, out of Houston, Texas, is building a platform to connect pet owners with veterinarians. Users can compare prices, reviews, and services, and even allows owners to schedule appointments for their pets within the platform.
Social Code, not to be confused with digital marketing group SocialCode, is a platform providing targeted online patient communities for people with particular diseaseas and conditions. The online community is meant to foster better health via social connections, behavior change and patient education.
Triomi is a mobile-connected 12-lead ECG. The 12 leads role up into a neat package and, combined with the app, are designed to allow doctors to take ECG readings on the go -- in home care settings, in transit between care settings, or in global health contexts.