HCF’s healthtech accelerator is looking for more startups

25 October 2016

Mutual health insurer HCF’s startup accelerator, HCF Catalyst, is looking for new ideas for the sector, announcing the return of the program for 2016.

Launched last year, HCF Catalyst in partnership with Slingshot is Australia’s first corporate-supported healthtech accelerator and counts Curo Technologies, the phone app that helps elderly people to maintain their independence, among its initial successes. Melbourne-based Curo scored a $1 million investment from HCF in a deal signed last month.

HCF’s chief strategy officer Sheena Jack said the company was keen to adopt new technologies and business models to meet the needs of their 1.5 million members.

“The first year of HCF Catalyst demonstrated that startups can make a lasting impact in the healthcare industry and we are eager to work with a new cohort of entrepreneurs to develop innovative and disruptive ideas that can improve the wellbeing of everyone,” she said.

HCF Catalyst has revealed four key themes for this year’s round as it seeks applications from entrepreneurs for the 12-week program help them develop the business models and investment to succeed.

They are:

• Making health care more affordable
• Making health care more understandable
• Delivering high quality health care
• Making health care more customer-centric

People can apply for HCF Catalyst online here. Applications close on 25 November, 2016, and finalists will pitch their ideas at Atlassian’s Sydney HQ on 6-7 December.