Chicago’s New Healthcare Technology Hub Accepts First Group of Health IT, Medical Device, and Pharmaceutical Startups

Photo credit: ChicagoTech.org

CHICAGO (October 28, 2014) – MATTER, the new entrepreneurship and innovation hub for next-generation health IT, medical device, diagnostics and biopharma companies, today announced the first 10 member companies accepted into the community.

MATTER, which will open in early 2015, will accelerate innovation by connecting the region’s healthcare ecosystem and providing mentorship, collaboration and shared resources to help entrepreneurs succeed.

“These 10 companies are shaping the future of healthcare with innovative new software solutions, devices and medicines,” said Steven Collens, MATTER CEO.  “The diversity of their technologies is representative of the community we are building at MATTER, which also includes industry leaders, research institutions, health systems, physicians and investors.”

The new member companies are:

AltaThera Pharmaceuticals is a commercial-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on critical care and alternative therapeutics for the unmet medical needs of patients with rare, life-threatening diseases for which few effective treatments are available.

CareTree is a centralized, coordinated health record that is as easy as Facebook to use. Patients, caregivers, families or providers simply create a patient profile and invite others to access it. CareTree uses role-based security to enforce HIPAA compliance and control access to protected information.

Cancer IQ is a digital health company that is lowering the barriers to personalized cancer care. We empower the everyday doctor with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver cancer risk assessment, prevention, and genetically-informed treatment.

Coeus Health is pioneering the translation of evidence-based health behavior interventions by serving as the “Intel inside” for digital health. While digital health holds promise for addressing the growing obesity epidemic, evidence-based solutions are nearly absent from the market. Coeus Health is bringing clinically proven content to the digital weight management market.

ProVazo has created an accurate, low-cost, minimally invasive and easy-to-use intravenous blood sampling system. The ProVazo Sampling System, inspired by the mosquito’s ability to painlessly withdraw blood, enables clinicians to repeatedly and efficiently sample blood, with no disturbance to the patient, while simultaneously improving the standard of care and clinical outcomes.

Qualia Health is building an adaptive software platform that enables healthcare providers to deliver personalized care plans between visits with the patient.

Regroup Therapy dedicates its work to eradicating mental health shortage areas across Illinois and the nation. This is achieved through virtual mental health staffing, cutting-edge provision of care, and delivery of key data/analytics to stakeholders.

Resonance Medical works closely with academia and industry to act as a conduit for the development and commercialization of innovative hearing therapies. The company’s lead product gives cochlear implants improved battery life and clarity with the goal of better connecting people with each other and with their world.

Sparrow Pharmaceuticals will acquire and develop clinical-stage drug candidates that were deprioritized for strategic (not clinical or scientific) reasons, then partner promising assets to complete development and commercialize the products. Sparrow’s initial program will be a drug for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a condition of fat deposition and inflammation in the liver that increases risk for liver cancer, liver transplantation, heart attack and stroke. There are currently no drugs approved to treat NASH.

TeleHealthRobotics integrates remotely controllable robotics and telepresence technology to make heart procedures safer and cheaper.

“By participating in the MATTER community, we believe AltaThera Pharmaceuticals’ continued growth will be accelerated by the exchange of insights and ideas with a select cross-section of Chicago’s life sciences companies,” said Brandon Kashfian, president and CEO of AltaThera Pharmaceuticals.

MATTER is evaluating applications on a rolling basis, with a pre-launch discount available to companies that apply before November 15, 2014. Interested entrepreneurs should visit www.matterchicago.com. Membership rates start at $150 per month and include access to MATTER’s mentor network, classes and events designed to help entrepreneurs and innovators accelerate the growth of their companies. MATTER will also provide space to venture capital firms, research universities, healthcare providers and established companies helping to build the health technology community in Chicago.

MATTER is a not-for-profit organization developed by a team of entrepreneurs and industry leaders. The state of Illinois supported MATTER’s creation with a $4 million investment. ChicagoNEXT, Mayor Emanuel’s council on technology and innovation, is a key development partner.

About MATTER

MATTER is a community of healthcare entrepreneurs and industry leaders working together in a shared space to individually and collectively fuel the future of healthcare innovation. MATTER’s mission is to proactively connect and promote collaboration between entrepreneurs, scientists, physicians and industry partners in order to bring next-generation products and services to market that improve the quality of care and save lives. For more information, visit www.matterchicago.com and follow @matterchicago

Brandy Wimberly