DC daily roundup: Auxa Health’s seed raise and Nasdaq shoutout; the $500M Tech Hubs race; TikTok ban’s impact on the marginalized

Auxa Health nabs $5.2M seed, Nasdaq feature

The healthcare tech firm is using AI in an attempt to make benefits easier to understand and access.

“We want to make sure it can be as accessible as possible to both the care teams that are supporting folks, but also the caregivers and the patients themselves,” its founder said.

In addition to the multi-million dollar seed round, Auxa Health got a shoutout from the Nasdaq — not a listing on the stock exchange, but a feature on its building.

➡️ Get the details on the fundraising round in my latest report

$500M Tech Hubs race: Can past lessons shape future success?

Baltimore and Philly are among 31 regions awaiting a decision on federal funding. Back in the fall, the federal government designated just under three dozen “Tech Hubs” out of hundreds of bids from around the country. Soon, a handful of regional groups are expected to receive tens of millions of each.

But a decade ago, a similar program had “no measurable benefit.”

Can government-led industrial policy boost innovations, or is it doomed to misalign with market trends? What can we learn from the past, and what could play out differently?

➡️ Learn more about the Tech Hubs race in Chris’ latest column.

News Incubator: What else to know today

• The DC climate-tech company Hydrosat Inc. is going to launch its first satellites into orbit later this year, thanks to the help of SpaceX. [Washington Biz Journal]

• People on TikTok, specifically those with stigmatized interests or marginalized identities, say a ban could devastate their communities. [Washington Post]

• ICYMI: Google is investing $1 billion to expand data centers in Virginia. [Reuters]

• Deloitte acquired a public health research and consulting services company based in Takoma Park. [Washington Biz Journal]

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