Healthcare startup incubators focus on IT

Three "incubator" organizations that support healthcare startup companies with cash and mentoring are investing heavily in IT in their respective 2012 classes.

The first of the major health incubators, San Francisco-based Rock Health, was criticized for touting its staff's lack of experience in healthcare and leaning heavily toward personal fitness, flashy smartphone apps, and dicey direct-to-consumer business models in its inaugural class of 2011. But among the 15 companies that Rock Health recently awarded $20,000--as well as office space and a mentoring program--are Nephosity, which makes the MobileCT app enabling health professionals to share medical images on the iPad, and Epi.MD, which offers an online tool for population health management and sharing of electronic health records (EHRs).

Those companies started their three-month mentoring period earlier this month, as did nine startups selected by New York-based Blueprint Health and 12 chosen by Chicago-based Healthbox. Blueprint Health is providing $20,000 in seed money to each participating company, while Healthbox offers $50,000 awards. Both are helping their inaugural classes this year.

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