In addition to our core investing to advance health equity, Impact Ventures by J&J Foundation also supports early-stage entrepreneurs through various accelerator programs, competitions and grant funding. We believe these resources can be critical to bridge the development of early healthcare innovations to the point where they can attract investment.

We are excited to share some highlights of this work over the past few months:

• We recently announced a new accelerator program, Innovations in Health Equity LatAm with Village Capital, to support healthcare workers and connect more communities to care across the region. The 10 selected innovators will have access to funding, mentorship and networking opportunities.
• We also recently wrapped up the Accelerating Equitable Health Innovation 2024 with Village Capital, which provided support to 10 entrepreneurs addressing health disparities in historically marginalized communities in the U.S.
• In September, we celebrated six companies participating in MIT Solve’s 2024 Global Health Equity Challenge. As part of a larger commitment as the Global Health Equity Anchor Supporter, the Johnson & Johnson Foundation awarded $100,000 across the cohort.
• We are now evaluating applications to the QuickFire Challenge in collaboration with our colleagues at Johnson & Johnson Innovation to support entrepreneurs working to transform mental healthcare.
• We are currently supporting a cohort of over 30 entrepreneurs in the Women-Led Healthcare Enterprises accelerator in Africa delivered by Villgro Africa, providing sponsorship and funding, technical expertise and networking.

We are encouraged to see so many talented impact entrepreneurs in the healthcare space and look forward to the next stages of their journeys to improve care for patients.
Best,

Dana Deardorff
Global Director
Impact Ventures

• Field Intelligence has secured $11 million in support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to address maternal mortality, newborn health and nutrition across Africa.
• Cross-Border Impact Ventures’ portfolio company Sonio was acquired by Samsung Medison.
• HealthQuad’s portfolio company Redcliff Labs raised $42 million in Series C funding to expand across India.
• Verge HealthTech has made two new investments:
  
  • BrainCapture is working to close the epilepsy treatment gap globally by combining low-cost hardware with state-of-the-art AI/ML algorithm.
  • Hello Inside is a pioneering FemTech startup revolutionizing women’s metabolic health.
• Jacaranda Maternity has conducted over 4,500 deliveries and is nearing completion on their fourth hospital site.
• Penda Health passed an incredible milestone last month – their 2 millionth patient visit!
• SwipeRx recently published their research on how they’re using AI to help improve the quality, availability and affordability in the region.
• Mamotest CEO Guillermo Pepe shared the “a-ha” moment for their strategy in Mexico.
• Health In Her Hue Founder and CEO, Ashlee Wisdom was featured in a recent Business Insider article on the role digital tools can play in giving women more control over their healthcare.
• Hamilton Healthbox published an article about the lack of access to healthcare in rural America and what can be done.
• Founders Factory Africa recently rebranded to 54 Collective.

GIIN’s recent State of the Market report is out, showing positive progress for integration of financial and impact goals across the industry. It also highlights a variety of challenges in the industry like underdeveloped exit strategies and fragmented impact measurement frameworks. An important read to catalyze collective action. Read more

This report sheds light on the states that face the greatest barriers to accessing healthcare, revealing that only 55% of adults can afford quality care. We believe a number of our US investments have a critical role to play and agree with The Department of Health and Human Services that “digital solutions such as telehealth can improve access to primary care by reducing barriers related to transportation and expanding the ability to offer services in languages other than English.” Read more

Despite seed and pre-seed funding for medical device and diagnostics companies being one of the highest early priorities, it remains one of the most challenging to secure. Exploring family offices, incubator and accelerator spaces and venture studios, among other avenues, can help these early-stage companies meet their needs. Read more

Augmented intelligence (AI) can help health systems meet patient needs, address workforce challenges, reduce costs and improve care quality. Despite AI being a priority, many organizations are not investing enough in these crucial areas. AMA discusses 10 areas where organizations can focus on digital and AI transformations. Read more

Bringing DEI into decision-making around selecting investment managers has become fundamental for foundations. This includes taking an evidence-based approach to sourcing diverse asset managers, including those who are committed to reducing inequities in local communities. Read more

Given October is Mental Health Month we wanted to share a study that has been launched by entrepreneur mental health researchers at University of California Berkeley to better understand founder wellbeing and mental health. It aims to support the development of a free, validated, open-source founder wellbeing screening tool and the development of resources for the ecosystem. If you’re a founder interested in participating in the open anonymous survey, click here.

AVPA Summit, November 4-6, 2024 | Nairobi
Themed “Catalysing Africa’s Sustainable Growth,” this three-day gathering will unite diverse stakeholders across Africa’s impact ecosystem to forge new connections and share learnings that accelerate development progress. This event aims to convene pivotal actors across Africa’s impact investment landscape and offers attendees an opportunity to meet and engage with Africa’s leading social investors and impact entrepreneurs.

Norrsken Impact Week, November 6-7, 2024 | Barcelona
Impact Week is an annual summit dedicated to defining the critical problems of our time and enabling solutions to them. This year’s summit will convene 1,000+ of the world’s top founders, investors, business leaders and policymakers.

• November 6 sessions:
  Founders Health - how can VCs and Entrepreneurs work better together?
  Catalyzing impact investing across institutions and family offices
• November 7 session:
  How impact objectives affect your fund and business

Impact Week 2024, November 27-29 | Bilbao, Bizkaia
Impact Europe, alongside anchor partner Bizkaia Seed Capital, is convening the global impact investing community to share new ideas, trends and initiatives at Impact Week 2024. This three-day event offers an opportunity for partnership building and collaboration within the sector, aiming to spark new ideas and inspire action for impact.

Health Tech Forward, December 4-5, 2024 | Barcelona
Health Tech Forward showcases digital health entrepreneurs, investors, providers, payers, life sciences, pharma, MedTech manufacturers, consumer tech, wellness brands and global tech giants. The event will spotlight the trends shaping the future of healthcare.

Building Bridges, December 9-12, 2024 | Geneva
Building Bridges and the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) are joining forces to bring four days of action on sustainable finance to Geneva, with the common objective of aligning financial flows with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. The Building Bridges movement meets every year with its community, bringing relevant decision-makers and players from the finance and corporate sectors, governments, civil society, academia and sustainable development communities.

• Certintell Careers Page
• Echoing Green Careers Page
• Hamilton Health Box Careers Page
• Jacaranda Maternity Careers Page
• Patients Know Best Careers Page
• Penda Health Careers Page
• SwipeRx Careers Page
• Viebeg Careers Page
• Village Capital Careers Page
• WaterEquity Careers Page

• Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs – small and growing business (SGB) job postings from organizations aiming to promote entrepreneurship in emerging markets, filterable by position type and region.
• BSR Job Board – sustainable business practice and corporate social responsibility (CSR) postings from BSR member companies, filterable by topic.
• Endeavor Job Board – entrepreneur-first job postings, filterable by keyword, location, department (ESG, endeavor, entrepreneur selection and growth) and more.
• GIIN Careers Center – impact investing industry postings, filterable by keyword and location.
• Impact Finance Pro Job Opportunities – impact investment firm and fund postings, filterable by location.
• Industry Job Bank – U.S. opportunity finance industry postings, filterable by job function, location and keyword.

• Innovations in Health Equity LatAm 2024 – Accelerator program to empower 10 Latin American start-ups addressing critical healthcare challenges. Two cohort participants will receive grants to scale their solutions. Applications are open until December 6, 2024.
• International Growth Centre: SBG Evidence Fund – Fund taking applications for research projects intending to advance the understanding of impact productivity gains.
• Pishon Health Social Innovation Incubator Program – Twelve-week initiative that aims to assist healthcare innovators in refining and scaling their groundbreaking ideas by providing access to mentorship, capital and advisory services valued at up to $100,000.
• Social Innovation Forum: Social Innovator Accelerator – Two-year accelerator to advance the capacity and reach of innovative nonprofits; past tracks have included supporting communities affected by HIV/AIDS and addressing health and wellness inequities. Applications open in June 2024.
• The Ashoka Fellowship – Lifelong fellowship with tailored timeline of investments and support for social entrepreneurs aiming to change sector-wide systems. Fellows must be nominated for consideration.

———
We’d love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: impactventures@its.jnj.com.

Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here.