Hartford HealthCare and Connecticut Innovations announced a partnership Tuesday morning that will support 20 new startups in Hartford over the next two years.
The partnership calls on Connecticut Innovations, the state’s quasi-public venture arm, to invest in the 20 startups, which will have a presence at Hartford HealthCare’s new downtown headquarters at 100 Pearl St., over the next 12 months to two years.
HHC President and CEO Jeffrey Flaks told the Hartford Business Journal that the startups will help create jobs in the city. He said HHC will not only provide space for the companies but also give them access to clinicians and the ability to test their concepts and products.
Three startups that will participate in the program include: CytoVeris, a biotechnology company; NourishedRx, which makes individualized nutritious food to those in need; and Medtel, whose mission is to improve surgical outcomes through embedded clinical guidelines.
The impetus for the partnership, officials said, came from a trip Gov. Ned Lamont, HHC and Connecticut Innovations officials, UConn President Radenka Maric and others took to Israel in February.
“This vision was recognized on a bus ride from Tel Aviv in Israel,” Flaks said.
Lamont, who spoke during Tuesday’s signing ceremony, said he is determined to “make sure innovation spreads across every zip code in this state. We have the best healthcare systems and academics in the world and we should be the innovators for health care.”
