Dear Partner,
Just a year ago, on January 7th, 2016, Governor Baker, Mayor Walsh, Speaker DeLeo, and our state's top healthcare and business leaders convened at Boston Children's Hospital and committed to making Massachusetts the world's best digital health ecosystem.
Public and private partners like you have been generous with time and resources this year, supporting the growth and competitiveness of digital health. Because of your initiative, investment, and collaboration, more coordinated and cost-effective healthcare is being built and deployed across Massachusetts.
Where are we now?
We have
over 350 Massachusetts digital health companies
listed in the cluster directory (including 100+ additions since last January). Startup Health just released their 2016 year-end data, showing Boston as the
#2 digital health investment destination
in the U.S., with almost $1 billion in deals, more than doubling 2015 totals.
PULSE@MassChallenge
is up and running, boasting over 400 applicants and a class of 31 startups
working with strategic partners to solve healthcare challenges. TechSpring
helped build a stronger digital health community in the Greater Springfield region. And, Governor Baker signed an executive order creating a Mass Digital Health Leadership Council
, co-chaired by Dr. Jeffrey Leiden of Vertex, and Assistant Secretary of Innovation Technology and Entrepreneurship Katie Stebbins.
Where are we going?
This year,
the Mass Digital Health ecosystem will continue to grow stronger, more visible, more vibrant, and more connected. The Mass Digital Health Council is developing a three-year growth strategy for the sector.
PULSE@ and TechSpring, along with many other accelerators, will nurture the growth of the next wave of exciting digital health companies. We will launch a
Marketplace Program designed to facilitate stronger entrepreneur-customer connections across all company lifecycle stages.
Thank you for all you've done to accelerate digital health innovation over the past year. We hope you'll continue to help us spread the word and
get people involved. We look forward to what's ahead!
Warmly,
Tim, Laurance, Maeghan and the whole MeHI/MassTech team