BOSTON (December 18, 2017)—Orbita, Inc., a software platform provider for voice-first health care solutions, was named a finalist in PULSE@MassChallenge, an accelerator initiative focused on driving innovation in digital health. The 32 finalist start-ups were selected from more than 500 worldwide applicants.
PULSE provides a rigorous matchmaking service connecting start-ups with one or more “champion” partners to pursue next-generation digital health projects. Orbita received offers from multiple champions to engage on solutions that leverage Orbita’s first-of-its-kind conversational AI technology. PULSE partners are among the nation’s most innovative health care organizations including entities such as Boston Children’s Hospital, AARP, Cerner, Vertex, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and more.
“We were very pleased to have been selected to participate in PULSE@MassChallenge,” said Orbita president and COO Nathan Treloar. “Our selection as a finalist is both humbling and invigorating. We look forward to joining with our health care champions to transform patient care through the power of voice-first solutions.”
PULSE launched in 2016 as a strategic component of the Mass Digital Health Initiative, a public-private partnership working to establish Massachusetts as a leading ecosystem for digital health innovation. PULSE startups receive free office space, access to experts, and an opportunity to apply for $50,000 in need-based scholarships. They also compete for a share of $200,000 in equity-free prize monies given at the end of the program. Startups are required to attend events including monthly milestone check-ins.
The Mass Digital Health Initiative is part of MassChallenge, a Boston-based nonprofit that operates startup accelerator programs around the world. Companies selected for PULSE do not give up equity to participate. MassChallenge reported that startups who participated in the program’s inaugural PULSE program raised more than $18 million in funding and brought in more than $4.5 million in revenue. According to PULSE, products from some of last year’s participating companies were being used by partners in real-world environments within two months, and by the program’s end, several had turned pilots into paying customer agreements.
Visit boston.masschallenge.org and orbita.ai for more information.
