UCSF Rosenman ADAPT

Bringing together startups and healthcare systems to collaborate and accelerate solutions to market.

Scale Up Your Healthcare Solution in Partnership with Leading Healthcare Companies

As COVID-19 has shown, disparities in health and access to care remain stubbornly intact, and in many ways are widening. New solutions are needed that accelerate improvements in health, potentially through new models of care, and improve health outcomes at the population/community-level. To help accelerate these solutions to market, we created the ADAPT program. Through ADAPT, we support and bring together health technology startups and healthcare systems.

ADAPT awardees receive $100,000 non-dilutive funding and the opportunity to partner with Blue Shield of California, Cigna Healthcare, Evernorth Health Services, OptumLabs, and UnitedHealth Group, which together have over 200 million members.

All finalists for the ADAPT program are invited to join the UCSF community of Rosenman Founders and the ADAPT Academy featuring speakers that include investors, payers, and employers.


How It Works

All sessions are virtual.

Each fall, we invite health technology startups with innovative solutions, and the potential to be deployed on a national scale, to pitch our program partners and industry leaders. Startups “matched” with program partners will:

  • Receive $100K non-dilutive funding.
  • Receive strategic guidance and support from program partners to facilitate progress towards a deployable product and the potential for piloting your innovative solution in their environment.
  • Gain access to data and HIPAA compliant infrastructure and insights on how to implement key data, as appropriate.
  • Gain exposure to strategic and venture capital investors.
  • Join the Rosenman Founders community. Members receive invitations to special events and networking opportunities with investors and experts.

Who Can Apply

Applicants must show their solutions are innovative and have the potential to be deployed on a national scale. In addition:

  • If selected, applicants must commit to provide staff, time, and resources to validate, pilot, and deploy the solution that is being developed.
  • A minimum viable product is essential. Companies from early-stage with MVP to late-stage (revenue) are eligible. Companies with Series C funding and beyond do not typically fit the scope of this program.
  • We encourage proposals from companies run by, or for, women, communities of color and LGBTQ+ communities. It is important for companies, especially companies not led by the constituents they seek to serve, to display a collaborative, community-driven approach.
  • Companies based anywhere in the world are eligible; however, the solution should be scalable in the United States. No university affiliation is required.

Timeline

The ADAPT program will be held virtually.

Areas & Solutions of Interest

Solutions could include, but are not limited to:

  • Multi-sectorial interventions that address social and economic determinants of health across multiple domains at the intersection of social, economic, and health needs.
  • Improving health care access, potentially with new forms of delivery, to BIPOC, high risk, and/or vulnerable populations.
  • Whole-person models of care that support integration of behavioral and medical drivers of health status.
  • Improving engagement of communities with their health, with providers, and with payers.
  • Interventions that help unwind racial bias in healthcare decision-making.

You should demonstrate the following in your proposal:

  • Connections to the community you serve that demonstrate effective engagement and trust.
  • Understanding of the community you serve, including their unique cultural values, their particular social and health needs, and the lived experiences of community members.
  • How you will be inclusive of community voices and knowledge when it comes to prototyping and co-creating your initiative.
  • Proposed solutions that build on and support existing community strengths.

Some examples of areas of interest:

  • AI/DSS that prevent bias
  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Cardiovascular care
  • Care outside hospital
  • Chronic care
  • Digital therapeutics
  • Elderly care & aging in place
  • Healthcare worker burnout
  • Mental & behavioral health
  • Nutrition & wellness
  • Obesity management
  • Oncology care
  • Pain management
  • Patient & family support
  • Pharmacy remote solutions
  • Portable health
  • Remote monitoring
  • Virtual care/telehealth
  • Women’s health

Have a question? Please see FAQ.

What entrepreneurs are saying …

“The ADAPT program has been instrumental to proving and scaling Visana’s unique care model. Through the program, we’ve built strong relationships with one of the largest, most innovative, health plans in the nation. This has allowed us to bring our women’s health clinic to hundreds of women and prove that it does indeed drastically improve outcomes. The program accelerated the scale of our business, and I’d highly recommend any company to apply.”

Joe Connolly
Co-Founder & CEO, Visana Health

“Working with UCSF ADAPT program provided Laguna an unparalleled opportunity to present to the leading and most sophisticated payers in the market. Importantly, the setting was conducive to an open and constructive dialogue about the product market fit evolution which is so critical to an early stage startup. Participating in ADAPT accelerated our growth and product evolution significantly, in more ways than one. I am forever grateful and appreciative of the ecosystem and real partnership ADAPT created and strongly encourage digital health entrepreneurs to apply.”

Yoni Shtein
Co-Founder & CEO, Laguna Health

“Being part of the ADAPT Program and a Rosenman Institute company has been invaluable for XP Health. I highly recommend the program for any startups with breakthrough technologies in healthcare focused on expanding their presence with some of the largest payers.”

Antonio Moraes
CEO, XP Health

“I highly recommend entering the ADAPT Program to any innovative startup! Winning a proof-of-concept opportunity with a leading healthcare company via ADAPT 2020 was a pivotal moment for Oshi Health.  The clinical study we have launched with our sponsor will prove the value of our virtual-first gastroenterology clinic relative to traditional GI care delivery.”

Sam Holliday
CEO, Oshi Health

“Our experience with the Rosenman ADAPT program was exceptional. From the first step (a reasonably short and to the point application, which is rare for opportunities like these), to the periodic updates as we moved through the stages, to the insights and feedback offered during our pitch opportunities, the value for ConsejoSano in working with the Rosenman Institute has been tangible. We’ve already connected with two large potential health plan clients which I expect will lead to significant revenue opportunities for us. I would recommend the ADAPT program to any healthtech company that is ready to grow on a bigger stage.”

Abner Mason
CEO, ConsejoSano

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with the key healthcare partners through the ADAPT program, and grateful for the impact the $150,000 grant has had on accelerating our technology development. The ADAPT program has supported Emme in our ability to reach patients more quickly and on a broader scale, which is especially meaningful in the context of the unprecedented demand the past year has shown for women’s digital health support.”

Amanda French
CEO, EMME


FAQ

Our company is at a later stage with a product on the market. Are we eligible?
I am working on technology without a formalized/incorporated company. Can I apply to ADAPT?
We are not officially formed as a company and have a proposal that would be under proof of concept. In addition, all of us have full-time jobs in different companies. Would this prevent us from being able to work in our roles as well as this concept in the case that our concept is picked?
My company is based outside the United States. Are we eligible to be selected?
Must the area of implementation be in the USA?
If selected, will the small company still own all of the intellectual property rights?