As editor-in-chief at StartUp Health, I get a sneak peek at what’s coming next in healthcare. Here’s what I learned this week. — Recently, my six-year-old son asked me a question. “What will the future look like?” I knew exactly what he was thinking — will there be hover boards and can I have one please? — but it still stopped me in my tracks. I gave him a fatherly smile and told…

Allison Kasirer, CEO and founder of Robyn, has used her health tech startup to flip the classroom for “aspiring, expecting and new” parents. — Key Points Allison Kasirer describes Robyn as a “community-driven platform that connects aspiring, expecting and new parents with wellness tools, resources and access to specialists.” A couple days into the official pandemic shut-down, Kasirer, who is the mother of three small boys, realized what a huge impact the outbreak was going…

Jo Bhakdi, CEO and founder of Quantgene, explains why the next phase of “health security” is all about consumer-driven DNA sequencing. — Key Points According to Bhakdi, Quantgene has the world’s most advanced high precision DNA sequencing system, which was initially created to detect multiple types of cancer from blood samples. “Detecting a whole range of cancers in their early stages would be a game changer,” says Bhakdi.

Co-founders Sumeet Maniar and Dr. Ruben Kalra pivoted to address a dramatic increase in anxiety and depression due to the COVID pandemic. — Key Points WellBrain is a digital health chronic pain platform that helps physicians use evidence-based, non-opioid treatments — like guided meditation — for treating pain. Based on the advice of a team of pain care specialists who work closely with WellBrain, Maniar adapted their solutions to the COVID-19 environment. WellBrain launched…

For Dr. Alexandra Greenhill, CEO and co-founder of Careteam, it’s what happens to a patient between visits that needs an overhaul. — Key Points Healthcare is currently reactive, says Dr. Greenhill. Patients show up for an appointment, make a phone call, and then a series of activities happen. If you’re a diligent patient, you’ll do the follow up steps, but the systems aren’t set up to know that a patient failed to comply…

Howard Rosen, CEO and founder of LifeWIRE, is working to see that everyone has easy access to CDC clinical algorithms. — Key Points LifeWIRE is a cloud-based health communication platform. Automated messaging takes place between patients and providers over the medium of their choice, from email to web app to text. During COVID-19, Rosen and LifeWIRE have been working at the state level, offering support with at-home patient monitoring. Patients who have…

Sara Yelpaala, CXO and co-founder at access.mobile, is helping organizations bridge the digital divide one text at a time. — Key Points access.mobile focuses on communicating health information over the mobile platform “with precision and cultural competency” Product was originally developed in East Africa. Currently working in the United States and in South Africa. access.mobile is seeing about a three-week lag between the needs they’re servicing in the United States compared…

This startup founder is working with low-income communities to offer personalized nutrition advice to manage chronic illness. — Key Points Platform was designed to help people with various chronic diseases, with a focus on diabetes, to manage their conditions through diet and exercise. What makes Yumlish unique is its emphasis on providing this diabetes care through a personalized, culturally relevant lens. …

The CEO and co-founder of LifeBio is scaling up reminiscence therapy to help isolated seniors during government-mandated lockdowns. — Key Points Through LifeBio, Sanders and her team work with large insurers to do what they call “loneliness interventions.” They specialize in reminiscence therapy, helping seniors tell their stories as a way to improve mental health and fight depression, among other positive health outcomes.