Baltimore’s b.well Connected Health honored as ‘Top Innovator’ at Accenture’s global health startup competition

A pair of Baltimore-based digital health startups were among the award winners at the conclusion of the Accenture HealthTech Innovation Challenge this week.

The competition, run by consulting giant Accenture, drew 1,100 startups to apply from around the world. It pairs the young companies with larger health and life sciences organizations as they develop technology.

Silicon Valley–based Ayasdi, which developed an application that recommends the best way to conduct a medical procedure, was named overall Innovation Champion.

When the awards were handed out, Baltimore startups were also in the mix. b.well Connected Health, which makes a platform to that provides a single place to connect disparate sources of personal health data and manage all aspects of health, made the competition the latest national event where it received accolades.

After being named one of the ten finalists for the competition, b.well was recognized as a Top Innovator at the Jan. 7 event closing out the competition at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference’s Startup Health Festival in San Francisco.

“We intend to maximize the incredible relationships we have developed through this challenge,” b.well founder Kristen Valdes said of the win, according to an Accenture release.

New York–based Newtopia, which focuses on preventing chronic disease among people at-risk, was also recognized with that award.

We're honored to have been selected out of 1,100 companies as a Top Innovator in the @AccentureLifSci #HealthTechChallenge along with @newtopia. Big congratulations to @Ayasdi for being named the HealthTech Innovation Challenge Innovation Champion! #HealthTech #StartupHealth pic.twitter.com/xrMpoVzkGF

— b.well (@icanbwell) January 8, 2019

Baltimore-based Multisensor Diagnostics, whose CEO Sathya Elumalai is no stranger to national pitch competitions himself, was also among the companies honored. The company, which developed a device called MouthLab to quickly measure multiple vital signs, received the Novartis Biome award. This is connected to a new initiative from pharmaceutical company Novartis which provides startups with access to data, validation and expertise. The startup is currently exploring a partnership with Novartis, according to Accenture.

.@SathyaElumalai @MouthLab is reimagining today’s standards for chronic care management & health monitoring. "We recognize that no two patients are the same. We take a daily snapshot of your overall health & translate care that is personalized to you." #StartUpHealth pic.twitter.com/xyRUh5wAai

— StartUp Health (@startuphealth) January 9, 2019

“Collectively these companies are the growth engine shaping a bold and exciting future for patient care, further confirming our research that shows high performing companies are increasing their investments in digital, data, and genomics,” Stuart Henderson, who leads Accenture’s life sciences practice across the globe, said in a statement.