HITLAB Breakthrough Alliance Identifies Digital Health Technologies with COVID-19 Applications for Rapid Verification Testing

Today, the HITLAB Breakthrough Alliance (BTA) announced its final selection of two digital health companies for rapid verification testing of their new solutions by HITLAB. The two companies – Cogniant.co and Mediktor – were chosen from a group of over 220 submissions to BTA’s Spring 2020 Call for Innovator Applications. They were selected based upon having developed highly promising broad and long-term digital solutions to healthcare gaps, brought to light by the global COVID-19 pandemic. As participants in this cohort of exceptional BTA innovators, HITLAB will be leading efforts to rapidly verify their solutions for measurable outcomes, market-fit and/or potential impact.

This work has support and guidance from the BTA’s Board Members – a consortium of executive leaders from across life science, pharmaceutical, academic medical institutions and healthcare providers (including New York City Economic Development Corporation, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund LLC, BDO, Medidata Solutions, Atlas Venture, StartUp Health, Novartis Biome, CATALAIZE, Consummate Capital, and Northwell Health) – all committed to improving health outcomes and care delivery through verified emerging technologies.

During this pandemic, various disparities in healthcare has become more evident than ever before. In order for appropriate treatments to be even more accessible for those that need it most, they must be compact, easily deployed, and highly cost effective. By identifying promising early stage innovations which can streamline health delivery processes and improve patient outcomes, the HITLAB Breakthrough Alliance is working to reduce healthcare disparities. Though objective testing and value verification, BTA hopes to fast-track proven solutions toward broad diffusion into health systems around the globe.

Cogniant.co – Co-founders Mairin Reid (CEO) & Neeraj Kothari (CTO & COO) – Location(s): Australia & Singapore 

With social isolation measures imposed in response to COVID19, pain points in mental health care related to treatment-seeking behaviors, treatment/monitoring, and treatment adherence are being amplified. Cogniant is a remote monitoring platform for measuring and predicting neurological disorders. It has developed a clinically validated mobile patient engagement and reporting platform which makes mood disorder diagnoses proactive and brings benefits of early interventions to large patient populations using digital phenotyping. Cogniant’s solution is mobile, monitors patients, and provides a real-time view of the patient to the care provider and clinician, which is minimally invasive for the patient, easy to use, and scalable. When asked why they applied to be part of BTA, co-founders Mairin Reid & Neeraj Kothari explained, “Cogniant has strategic interest in developing early adopters of our technology in the US market. Coming from a research and clinical background, aligning ourselves with right partners was important for us. When we were introduced to the HITLAB Breakthrough Alliance, we were quite impressed by the high-quality members of the team who have deep research experience in digital health…it was a no brainer for us.”

Mediktor – Co-founders Cristian Pascual (CEO) & Oscar García-Esquirol (Medical Director) – Location(s): Spain & US (New York)

Mediktor is the most accurate artificial intelligence (AI)-based medical assistant for triage, pre-diagnosis, and decision-making support and the only clinically validated one. It is currently a certified class I medical device in Europe and classified as an information tool in the US. Mediktor is introducing COVID19 assessment, an AI-driven symptom checker offering differential diagnosis, ordered from highest to lowest probability, and recommendations for further action. When asked what they were looking forward to most as BTA participants, co-founders Cristian Pascual & Oscar García-Esquirol highlighted, “Our mission is to improve access to healthcare all over the world and guide patients to the right level of care As a participant of the next BTA cohort we are looking forward to being game changers and creating a positive impact.”

HITLAB Breakthrough Alliance Director, Dr. Katrina F. Mateo spoke about how digital health innovation is increasing worldwide, and thus the growing importance of rapidly testing and verifying value for aiding development and scaling of these promising solutions – “In one month, we received more than 200 submissions from all over the world – representing companies with innovative technologies and solutions at many different stages of development. They also focused on many different areas relevant to COVID19 today, as well as healthcare more broadly. We could only select two companies for this next BTA verification cohort, but it is clear that there is continued need to support rapid verification and scaling of these innovations for greatest possible impact.”

The HITLAB Breakthrough Alliance – having evolved from the Digital Health Breakthrough Network partnership between the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and HITLAB – is now working with the fifth group of startup solutions selected to be verified by HITLAB and strategic partners

To join the HITLAB Breakthrough Alliance, as a member or to apply as an innovator for the next class, please visit www.hitlab.org/breakthrough.

HITLAB Breakthrough Alliance.

Making a difference in healthcare together, by accelerating evidence-based digital solutions.

About HITLAB Breakthrough Alliance

HITLAB Breakthrough Alliance is an accelerator that helps early-stage startups conduct rapid pilot studies to test their products and move closer to market. Selected startups have their technologies tested in pilot studies with clinical partners and patients, gathering the data needed to accelerate their concepts. To source startups, Breakthrough holds open innovation competitions and networking events that bring together the digital health and investment ecosystem.

Breakthrough is membership-based, and board members represent the best organizations in healthcare.

Press Contact
Name: Justin Bulova
Phone: 212-543-2000
Email: socialmedia@hitlab.org
Website: hitlab.org/breakthrough

About HITLAB Breakthrough Alliance

HITLAB Breakthrough Alliance is an accelerator that helps early-stage startups conduct rapid pilot studies to test their products and move closer to market. Selected startups have their technologies tested in pilot studies with clinical partners and patients, gathering the data needed to accelerate their concepts. To source startups, Breakthrough holds open innovation competitions and networking events that bring together the digital health and investment ecosystem.

Breakthrough is membership-based and board members represent the best organizations in healthcare.