Ready for the 5th HealthTech Innovation Challenge?

The next big breakthrough in digital health could be yours! Accenture’s Fifth North America HealthTech Innovation Challenge offers a unique and dynamic environment for start-ups serving North America to bring their leading-edge solutions to the attention of some of the major players in the healthcare industry. Over the last few years, our HealthTech Innovation Challenge has become an industry launch pad for innovators. I’ve seen firsthand the impact it can have in advancing digital health innovations, fast tracking start-ups’ success and improving access, experience and outcomes.

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Innovating in the time of COVID-19: Without challenge there’s no change

The past year has been tough on the healthcare industry. The pandemic forced a lot of changes, but I think it also challenged the health industry’s ability to innovate at pace and scale. Out of necessity, it drove players to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies that deliver better, safer healthcare experiences for patients and clinicians alike. Now, more than ever, innovation matters, especially the kind that puts people (e.g. consumers, patients, members, clinicians, etc.) truly at the heart of healthcare.

The pandemic has tested and tempered the health leaders of today and tomorrow, elevating those who can meld the power of technology with human ingenuity to help and heal patients. I sense a new determination in the industry to create unparalleled human experiences with easy, equitable access and superior outcomes to build trust and win the hearts and minds of humans. 

Aligned to this vision, this year’s HealthTech Innovation Challenge focuses on solutions in these three areas:

• Increased access: For people to benefit from Healthcare services, they need to be accessible – meaning convenient, equitable and affordable. We are looking for solutions that can expand access to services and treatments for health organizations. Examples include virtual care, digital therapeutics, home and remote healthcare delivery models, and new care models for underserved needs.
• Consumer and clinician experience: Health organizations are keenly aware that experience matters, and that new health experiences will need to replace previous ones that were clunky and disjoined. We are looking for solutions that can create great experiences to provide care to people where and how they want it. Consumer experience examples include solutions that improve wellbeing, care coordination, disease prevention and chronic condition management.
• Operational efficiency: Technology combined with human ingenuity holds the promise of allowing healthcare providers to serve people faster, more cost-effectively and in entirely new ways to expand their reach across populations – particularly those that are marginalized. We are looking for solutions that seek to increase enterprise efficiency and core day-to-day processes. Examples include back-office solutions and patient, data and distribution management.

Start me up!

So are you up for the Challenge? Ideally, you’re a growth-stage company serving North America and seeking exposure to executive contacts and healthcare organizations. We’re looking for start-ups with applications focused on healthcare organization buyers. Key criteria for applicants include desirability (customer need), viability (business model), feasibility (scalability), and purpose. In return, you get exposure to the movers, shakers and decision makers of the health industry across health plans, providers and government agencies; people who can appreciate your vision and contribute to your growth.

Applications are no longer being accepted. Finalists will be announced in August ahead of the September virtual event. Visit our webpage for more information. 

Hope to see you in the winner’s circle at our virtual finalist event on Tuesday, September 28, 2021!