Happy New Year, Startup50 readers! Welcome back to the final 2 weeks of the Big50 lineup. Yes, the Big50 was big enough in 2017 that it has spilled into the new year.
The week 11 startups dovetail well with the beginning of the year. This is the time of year when everyone makes their resolutions, and plenty of us have resolved to take better care of ourselves in the coming year. Whether it’s spending more time in the gym, eating better, or eliminated unhealthy activities, this is the time of year when we set our sights on our better, healthier selves.
Week 11 features 4 cutting-edge medical and healthcare startups. These aren’t me-too step counters or fitness apps. Rather, these startups are hoping to bring big changes to the medical and healthcare sector.
The medical device and tech market is projected to grow at a 5% or better annual rate over the next few years, according to research firm Evaluate. If the market meets these projections, it will expand to nearly $530 billion by 2022.
We start off the week with a startup that enables developers to create customizable call flows between connected devices and emergency services. Next up is a medical lab startup, followed by a startup that develops software for caregivers. Finally, we wrap up the week with a startup developing wearables for medical and industrial applications.
How these startups made it into the Big50-2017
To recap, the Big50-2017 competition started with more than 160 startups.
Through three rounds of challenges, the Startup50 team whittled that down to the 55 startups we are featuring in the Big50-2017. (Yep, there are 55 startups in the Big50. You know, like giving a 110%.)
The first obstacle Big50 startups had to pass was the fundamentals test. Have they raised sufficient funding, attracted a solid team, developed a viable business idea that tackles a real-world problem? Do they have on-the-record customers, are they targeting a viable market niche, and have they launched an MVP that’s moved the needle?
Next, if the fundamentals were in order, startups had to fight their way through the Online Voting and Social Media challenge.
Those still standing, then had to face the Content Challenge. Startups pitched the Startup50 team their best story ideas for a forthcoming podcast.
The 55 startups featured in the Big50-2017 startups excelled in each of those three challenges.
Come back in fifteen minutes or so, and you’ll see the first of our medical and healthcare startups. Stay tuned. . .
