BKR Capital’s Post

Loneliness, which US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared an epidemic in a public advisory in spring, and the associated risks — among them depression, anxiety, dementia, and premature death — have grown more palpable in recent years. The isolation that resulted from the pandemic exacerbated this crisis. Each startup is aiming to address the loneliness epidemic in its own way. Some work within the healthcare system to help identify those who might be at risk of loneliness, while others seek to facilitate in-person interactions. "At least from where I'm standing, I see that type of energy, that innovation, in companies who are trying to solve loneliness and turn back the clock on what happened to human relationships in the past two decades," said Boaz Gaon, founder of Wisdo Health. Read the full the story by Rebecca Ungarino on Insider: https://lnkd.in/eZ8qbXiV (Credit: Arantza Pena Popo/Insider) #tech #lonelinessepidemic #investments #startups 

In 2023, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared loneliness an epidemic. "Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and societal health," he wrote in 2023. "It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity." The brain-body connection is real, and loneliness, like stress, is one key example of the circular connection between mental and physical health. What starts as mental health, say loneliness, can lead to physical harm, which can then exacerbate mental health. Until we break the cycle. We see this in women's health and our work Origin, too. Pelvic floor dysfunction can start with physical pain and is highly correlated with depression and anxiety. The mental health impact is made worse when society and the medical establishment dismisses real pain, making women think they're crazy or "that's just the way it is." I'm excited to see business innovators tackling health issues that sit at the crux of mental and physical health. We can no longer tackle the two as siloed just because the medical community does. To learn more, check out Chavie Lieber's did a deep dive on how startups like Radha Agrawal make community and connection their business. Or Alexa Mikhail on how male-centric retreats like Andrew Horn's Junto are tackling the acute experience of loneliness impacting men today. For the skeptics who may say these are solutions for the privileged -- potentially...though given the stark gap in any reasonable healthcare safety net in this country, we are structurally dependent on the private sector to innovate and develop market leading models that can then become more widely available. (topic for another time 😉 ) https://lnkd.in/g_Sp_jnf https://lnkd.in/gvF6BN7T

#fundingalert 💼Company: InStride Health 💰Funding: $30Million ⚡Round: Series B 👥Investors: General Catalyst, .406 Ventures, Valtruis, Mass General Brigham Ventures, Hopelab Foundation. InStride Health provides specialty outpatient care for pediatric Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related presentations. Co-founded by Harvard-trained clinicians from McLean Hospital, the InStride Health care model is grounded in evidence-based treatments: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with an emphasis on Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). The new capital enables InStride Health to continue investing in clinical quality while expanding to new markets. This will allow InStride Health to further deliver on its mission of providing insurance-based access to best-in-class mental health care. With this investment, the company’s total funding has now reached $56M. Holly Maloney John Voith Jeb Burrows Danielle van der Lelie Marissa Fall    Read more - https://lnkd.in/gJNcFEjM To share your startup story write us on - [email protected] #InStrideHealth #healthtech #CBT #ACT #insurence #startupnews #fundingnews #news #startuprise

For me, It's exciting to see the intersection of technology and healthcare, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence. AI is making remarkable strides in medicine, from improving diagnostics and treatment recommendations to streamlining administrative tasks. I believe the potential for AI in healthcare is immense, and it's an exciting time to witness these advancements shaping the industry.

Which companies are disrupting healthcare? LinkedIn just released its annual Top Startups ranking — and healthcare companies have a big presence this year, making up more than a quarter of the list. Mental health startups especially stood out. Charlie Health, which provides virtual mental healthcare for teens and young adults, ranks in the top ten. Grow Therapy (No. 12), Mindbloom (No. 20), Path (No. 22) and Octave (No. 28) also rank this year. There are several companies aiming to improve healthcare analytics, as well, including Cohere Health (No. 5), Truveta (No. 24) and Pearl Health (No. 32).  Others within the healthcare sector span a wide range. Dandy (No. 9) and Overjet (No. 29) are disrupting the dental industry. Kindbody (No. 17) is a fertility clinic network and benefits company, Equip (No. 26) provides eating disorder treatment and Plume Clinic (No. 30) offers hormone therapy and transition support for the trans community. What other healthcare companies are you excited about right now? Weigh in below. You can check out the full 2023 LinkedIn Top Startups list here: https://lnkd.in/USTopStartups2023 #LinkedInTopStartups #healthcare #mentalhealth

Human decision-makers must continue to develop their own skills, expertise, and judgement, so that they can use AI in the right way while mitigating the risks. #startups #ceos #businessleadership

Human decision-makers must continue to develop their own skills, expertise, and judgement, so that they can use AI in the right way while mitigating the risks. #startups #ceos #businessleadership