The American Hospital Association announced it is providing early financing for investment funds run by leaders focused on improving healthcare access, quality and affordability. The funds were selected because they finance historically marginalized entrepreneurs who have limited access to the capital needed to develop innovative solutions in healthcare.
SteelSky Ventures, one of the funds receiving early AHA support, is a female-led venture capital firm focused on companies working to improve health outcomes for women. Companies the SteelSky Ventures fund invests in include medical devices, consumer health, digital health, new healthcare delivery models, ePharmacy and retail therapeutics. The AHA is joined by Henry Ford Health System, MultiCare Health System and several other healthcare companies among the fund’s investors and strategic partners.
In January, AHA announced its partnership and investment in Jumpstart Nova, a fund that will invest exclusively in Black founded-and-led healthcare companies across health IT, digital health, tech-enabled services, diagnostic devices, biotech, medical device manufacturing and consumer health and wellness sectors. The portfolio companies within the fund will be startups focused on developing solutions to improve access and affordability with a particular focus on communities facing disparities in health outcomes. AHA is joined by HCA Healthcare, Atrium Health, Henry Ford Health System and LHC Group among the fund’s investors and strategic healthcare partners.
The investments are part of AHA’s broader goal to support entrepreneurs that have been historically marginalized in the financing process compared to other firms.