Health Wildcatters, the Dallas-based seed accelerator exclusively focused on healthcare, has welcomed nine new startups to its program, bringing its total portfolio to 118 companies. Now in its twelfth year, Health Wildcatters continues to be a cornerstone of the North Texas healthcare and entrepreneurial community, operating out of its headquarters at Pegasus Park.
This year’s group of startups showcases talent from across Texas and worldwide. The Lone Star State is represented by companies from Dallas, Lubbock, and Tulsa, while international founders hail from England, Sweden, and Switzerland. The lineup spans various healthcare innovations, including Health IT, Medical Devices, and Pharma.
“I’m excited to bring startups working on such important topics as cancer, COPD, obesity, chronic pain, and mental health, among others, into our portfolio and to Dallas,” said Dr. Hubert Zajicek, CEO of Health Wildcatters.
“We’re proud to start working with these healthcare innovators who are moving the dial in improving patients’ lives,” he added.
Health Wildcatters headquarters at Dallas’ Pegasus Park, a 26-acre biotech, life sciences, and social impact office campus development. [Photo: Health Wildcatters]
Among the Texas-based companies are ClearSight Therapeutics from Dallas, developing treatments for unmet needs in eye care, and Delta Robotics from Lubbock, working on advanced Nitinol artificial muscle technology for robotics and prosthetics.
International participants include Keyron from London, developing an endoscopically implantable device aimed at reversing type-2 diabetes, NASH, and obesity, and MucoLife Therapeutics from Gothenburg, Sweden, focusing on treatments for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Over the past eleven years, Health Wildcatters’ portfolio companies have collectively raised over $300 million, the organization said, pointing to its accelerator’s impact on the healthcare startup ecosystem.
The nationally ranked, mentor-driven Health Wildcatters accelerator welcomes applications from healthcare companies specializing in healthcare IT, SaaS, digital health, and mobile health, as well as medical device, diagnostic, and pharmaceutical startups.
Meet the startups
Information via Health Wildcatters
- Acute XR (Charlottesville, VA): Creates fun, immersive, and therapeutic video games for children and adolescents with mental health conditions.
- ClearSight Therapeutics (Dallas): A biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for unmet needs in eye care, including OTC medicines, pharmaceuticals, and drug delivery platforms.
- Delta Robotics (Lubbock): Developing advanced Nitinol artificial muscle technology to revolutionize the robotics and prosthetic spaces.
- Keyron (London, England): A UK- and U.S.-based medical device company developing ForePass®, an endoscopically implantable device to reverse type-2 diabetes, NASH, and obesity.
- MucoLife Therapeutics (Gothenburg, Sweden): Revolutionizing the treatment landscape of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by developing first-in-class mucolytic treatments targeting mucus obstruction in the airways.
- Rhythmm AI (Tulsa, OK): Reengineering healthcare administration with AI-powered prior authorization software that intelligently automates complex paperwork, research, and approvals.
- Sensars (Switzerland): Developed a novel approach of neurostimulation for the treatment of peripheral neuropathy using an intra-neural approach, focusing primarily on treating diabetic neuropathy patients by alleviating their pain.
- TeachMeMedical (Clarence, NY): Addresses critical challenges in the healthcare industry, including high readmission rates, escalating costs, and the pervasive issue of health illiteracy.
- TSP Therapeutics Inc. (Indian Rocks Beach, FL): A registration-stage oncology company developing and commercializing histamine signaling therapies for use with immunotherapies to help save the lives of immunotherapy-resistant cancer patients.
The new startups were formally introduced to the Health Wildcatters ecosystem and DFW community in a VIP Team Reveal on Thursday. Earlier this week, the cohort kicked off with onboarding activities, introductions, a program overview, and an elevator pitch practice session, capping off with a team trip to Cidercade.
The latest cohort joins a group of healthcare innovators poised to impact their respective fields. Notable exits from Health Wildcatters’ portfolio companies include healthcare technology company MediBookr in 2021 and Invertex, a Tel Aviv-based computer vision company acquired by Nike in 2018. Other notable companies include Lantern Pharma, Cariloop, Beam Wellness, Aurie, Orb Health, and D&P Bioinnovations.
According to the organization, Health Wildcatters’ 2024 accelerator provides an initial investment of $30,000, with the potential for up to $350,000 in follow-on funding. In exchange, startups typically offer 8% equity for the initial investment, with additional equity available through convertible notes tied to the follow-on funding.
In addition to its core accelerator program, Health Wildcatters is gaining recognition for its impactful initiatives beyond seed funding. Recently, the U.S. Small Business Administration named Health Wildcatters a Stage One winner in the 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition, awarding a $50,000 cash prize to its “Women in Science and Healthcare” (WISH) initiative.
With this funding, Health Wildcatters plans to expand the WISH Network by launching a pilot program that will extend resources and support to women entrepreneurs at university partners in North Texas. The initiative aims to build a stronger pipeline of female-led startups in healthcare, providing mentorship, access to capital, and connections to industry leaders, ultimately driving more diverse innovation in the sector.
Earlier this year, Health Wildcatters was also officially selected by ARPA-H to serve as a “spoke” for both the Investor Catalyst Hub and the Customer Experience Hub (CX ARPA-H Hub) based at Dallas’ Pegagus Park. The partnership aims to foster innovation in health science and accelerate the transformation of ideas into market-ready solutions
Get on the list.
Dallas Innovates, every day.
Sign up to keep your eye on what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth, every day.
R E A D N E X T
-
Recognized for its pioneering mental health and wellbeing solutions tailored for athletes, ZAMA Health has been acquired by Seattle-based Volt, which offers "hyper-personalized" strength training that "dynamically adapts" to individual athletes.
-
That mission led to the creation of SilverStone Health, a fast-growing home health company, after Montiel acquired and rebranded Dallas-Fort Worth-based Comfort Care Hospice in 2020, This year, the company has expanded its continuum of care beyond hospice to include a full spectrum of home-based medical services, providing patients with seamless continuity of care across home health, wound care, telehealth, palliative care, hospice, and specialty physician services.
-
Jeffrey Keyser, co-founder and former Co-CEO of Renibus, steps into the role of president and CEO. Bolstered by an expanded Series B funding round in 2023 and a promising lead drug candidate, it signals a new chapter for the Southlake-based biopharmaceutical firm.
-
Mazzy Health, a mental health platform, aims to increase access to therapy and resources for adolescents, teens, and young adults. The startup launched its teletherapy services in Texas during Mental Health Awareness Month in May.
-
The Techstars program pumped up the volume in its second year, reviewing more than 3,500 applications—four times more than last year. Founders from around the world will travel to Fort Worth for the "one-of-a-kind," whole health-focused program.
