By Trey Bowles, Managing Director of Techstars Physical Health Fort Worth

Last month, Techstars joined 12,000 others in Las Vegas for HLTH USA, one of the largest events for the healthcare ecosystem. It was an exceptional opportunity for us to reconnect with our network of health-focused portfolio companies, investors, mentors, and partners as well as prospective founders for our programs. 

We also showcased eight standout companies from our portfolio at our dedicated pavilion: Biotics AI,  LoBio, Wave Therapeutics, The Comma Collective, Cerebro, Moolathon, Vivoo, and MD Ally. Each company showcased groundbreaking innovations and was met with enthusiasm from attendees and industry experts alike.

Building Bridges and Showcasing Innovation

Our pavilion was a hub of activity, with over 40 Techstars portfolio companies visiting to connect, discuss strategies, and celebrate each other’s successes. The pavilion provided a space for these startups to network, secure leads, and amplify their impact. Here’s what some of our featured companies had to say about their experience:

Mac Wilkinson, Founder and CEO of Moolathon:

“I felt Moolathon’s time at HLTH was quite well spent! It was especially successful from the customer acquisition side of things. We have follow-up meetings with several large companies that I know we’d have a hard time getting in front of if it weren’t for the opportunity to be among so many companies serving the same or similar industries.”

Jessica Bussert, Founder and CEO of Wave Therapeutics: 

"It was great to participate in the Techstars pavilion at HLTH. One of the great outcomes is that I had the chance to meet with some amazing investors who were excited about what we are doing at Wave Therapeutics, and we are looking forward to continued conversations after the HLTH conference. It was a great experience for our company but it was really great to walk away with some new investor relationships as well."

Sasank Vemulapati, Founder and CEO of LoBio:  

“We generated new leads and had promising intro conversations with a few life sciences VCs. The booth itself was clutch for scheduling quick meetings and having a place to show off our product to new prospects.” 

Miller Morris, Founder and CEO of The Comma Collective:

“We had so much great traffic for our booth! It felt like such a great opportunity to promote our work and share our story.”

Paolo Alejandro Catilo, CEO of Cerebro:   

“Big thank you to Techstars for having Cerebro at the HLTH 2024 conference. It was an amazing opportunity to get in front of a diverse group of health tech professionals all looking to support startups at various stages. Can’t say enough about how grateful everyone is at Cerebro for the invitation.”

Empowering Portfolio Companies and Strategic Networking

Our Techstars team was extremely active during the conference. Our three managing directors were on hand to meet with prospective and current portfolio companies, helping guide them in refining and scaling their business strategies. 

Trey also served as a judge for the health and wellness pitch competition, underscoring Techstars' commitment to advancing groundbreaking solutions across the industry. 

Memorable Monday Night Happy Hour

On Monday night, we had our cornerstone event, a Techstars happy hour, sponsored by Mercury Bank and Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe Law. Nearly 200 founders, mentors, and investors stopped by to network with fellow attendees, setting the stage for future collaborations, growth opportunities, and insights.

Reflections and Next Steps

This year’s HLTH conference was more than just an event — it was a vibrant platform to amplify the mission of Techstars and our portfolio companies to drive meaningful, innovative change in health tech. Thank you to our sponsors, attendees, and the entire Techstars network who made this a success. As we look ahead, we’re inspired by the momentum generated and the incredible potential of our portfolio companies and partners. 

Together, we’re making strides in the future of health tech, and we’re excited for what lies ahead.

Thanks to the team that led this initiative: Jessica Kocur, Experiential Marketing & Events Leader; Adam Phillips, Managing Director of Techstars AI Health Baltimore powered by Johns Hopkins University and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield; and Brad Schnitzer, Managing Director of Northwestern Medicine & Techstars Healthcare Accelerator. The team was rounded out with Jordan Warnement and me (Trey Bowles) from our team at Techstars Physical Health Fort Worth.

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