Meet the companies who have participated in our Heal.LA Bioscience & Healthcare Accelerator previous cohorts.
Investing in diverse entrepreneurs to nurture and scale innovations that positively impact the health and wellness of communities in Los Angeles since 2020.
2025 Cohort.
App4Independence (A4i) is a mobile and web platform for people with schizophrenia and complex mental health needs. It combines peer-moderated support, AI-powered relapse detection, and a hallucination detector to deliver timely, personalized care. Proven in community behavioral health systems like Riverside County, A4i helps providers scale support and improve outcomes without adding clinical burden.
Allervision is a health tech platform that helps families and caregivers, especially those recently diagnosed with food allergies, make safer food choices. The company’s mobile app uses AI to scan ingredient lists, detect hidden allergens, and provide personalized alerts—making grocery shopping faster, easier, and worry-free.
Altrix is developing the worlds first end-to-end AI copilot for nurses. Spun out of applied research at the University of Michigan, Altrix can offload almost 2 hours of admin work per nurse per shift in inpatient settings.
Breathium empower patients to take control of illnesses worsened by air pollution.
CueBody is an AI health guide making hormonal health education, care, and advocacy accessible to women across all backgrounds. The company combines clinical research with holistic frameworks to deliver personalized insights tailored to ethnic and genetic differences. CueBody empowers Gen Z and Millennial women—especially those underserved or priced out of today’s hormone solutions. CueBody’s mission is to ensure every woman can access symptom clarity, lab literacy, and the tools to advocate for her care.
Determined Health is reimagining the role of human connection in healthcare. At the heart of our cloud-based Connection 1st Platform is CallClub—a social call program that connects isolated individuals with trained, trusted Community Callers. These meaningful conversations do more than foster connection—they surface unmet social needs that often go unnoticed in traditional care settings, ultimately improving patient experience, health outcomes, and cost efficiency.
Margins Health is a health navigator/educator company for the Medi-Cal population within Los Angeles County. The company’s services range from providing health education, asthma preventative services, violence prevention, and much more. Margins Health is creating a user-friendly platform that simplifies access to care, improves coordination among providers, and ultimately leads to better health outcomes for underserved communities.
Materna is developing a digital maternal health solution (“Mommy Passport”) focused on transforming traditional paper-based OB-GYN workflows into accessible digital formats. The company’s platform addresses critical gaps in maternal healthcare delivery, with particular emphasis on cross-border care coordination and underserved communities.
MUN Health is building an ecosystem to support those experiencing chronic disease distress, with a focus on underserved communities in Los Angeles County. The company’s digital copilot for people with Diabetes addresses the often-overlooked psychological toll of chronic illness, guiding users to the right level of care at the right time. By bridging emotional support with timely access, MUN Health aims to close critical gaps in chronic care.
Rocket Doctor is a digital health platform and marketplace that empowers physicians to build and run their own independent practices while increasing access to care for underserved communities, particularly those on Medicaid, Medicare and in rural / remote regions. The company a “Shopify for providers,” intelligently matching the right patient with the right provider leveraging care coordination, AI/large language models, and smart medical devices.
The Commons XR, a mental health startup using VR and AI to deliver immersive therapy with real-time behavioral analytics, making life easier to understand. The company’s patented tool turns user behavior into clear, contextualized graphical insights, whether in 1:1 sessions or in an anonymous group setting. The Commons XR supports neurodivergent individuals and families seeking better understanding, while clinics benefit from improved RBT environments, streamlined treatment delivery, and simplified reporting.
UpHealth is an AI-powered stress management platform that helps individuals and organizations proactively prevent burnout and build resilience. At the center is Joy, a personalized AI mental health assistant that delivers empathetic, predictive, and science-backed support throughout the day. By combining real-time data with behavioral insights, UpHealth creates healthier, happier, and more productive workplaces.
VirtualMH provide trauma resolution through AI-driven virtual reality headsets. The company’s audience is first responders, the Department of Defense, and the VA school systems following tragedies.
Viv Health makes access to women’s healthcare faster and more affordable for patients by offering a real-time messaging platform to connect with clinicians, and is powered by AI.
2024 Cohort.
Communia is a globally-facing social networking app that utilizes trusted wellness tools and safety innovations to transform social media into the ultimate social health tool for all women, non-binary individuals, and marginalized genders. Communia prioritizes individual needs, allowing users to express themselves authentically, access community support, and find resources and tools to navigate life’s best (and worst) moments. On Communia SOCIAL, the free social networking side of the app, users can share their experiences and opinions on topics such as #MeToo, Work & Money, Mental Health, and everything in between. Communia SELF offers a suite of digital tools developed to enhance the self-development journey.
Dietitians for a Healthier America (DHA) is a pioneering advocacy group championing the indispensable role of dietitians in the nation’s health landscape. Rooted in a deep understanding of nutrition’s impact on overall well-being, we tirelessly work to ensure every American has expanded access to specialized, dietitian-led care. Our efforts don’t just stop at individual consultations; we are at the forefront of advocating for policy reforms that bolster insurance reimbursements for dietitians. Recognizing the long-term implications of early dietary habits, DHA emphasizes the importance of early interventions. This dual approach not only aims to prevent potential future diseases but also elevates the day-to-day lives of countless Americans. By doing so, we believe we’re not just aiding individuals but also making a profound impact on reducing the overarching national healthcare costs. Join us as we nourish the nation, one policy and plate at a time.
DoctorFlow is revolutionizing patient intake by replacing tedious forms with friendly conversations. AI assistance engages patients in natural language capturing their medical history in a comfortable and familiar way. This saves doctors time and ensures that patients only have to tell their story once. Focused on cultural competency and inclusivity, AI adapts to their language and cultural nuances, making the intake process more personalized and respectful. The patient narratives translate into precise clinical notes giving doctors the information they need to make informed decisions.
The mission of Dopamer Regenerative Technologies is to eradicate dental decay and enhance the quality of life of patients worldwide through the development of novel anticaries dental filling material. We are making a dental filing material that can re-mineralize the tooth and has antibacterial properties.
Empower Hope is dedicated to improving healthcare for patients with serious illness. Our suite of solutions (e.g., My Plan, POLST, and Insights A.I. Mortality Model) empowers patients to articulate and share their healthcare preferences with their physicians and care team. It accelerates the capability of clinicians, healthcare systems, and payors to deliver medically and financially sound goal-concordant care. Our solution empowers healthcare systems to deliver care centered on a patients’ values, healthcare priorities, and goals to ensure patient preferences are consistently known, discussed, and actualized.
EvolutionHealth.care is a groundbreaking digital health platform offering interactive, clinically validated self-guided courses for depression, anxiety, and substance use – delivering immediate care without waiting lists or barriers. The platform is available in English, French, and Danish, with plans to launch in Spanish and other languages, making it accessible to millions globally. The platform’s mission is to bridge the gap in mental health care by combining science, technology, and accessibility to create lasting change.
At Feminora, we believe that the century old medical instrument used to examine all women during their OBGYN examinations needs to change. With our device, patients will feel safe and at ease during these procedures that are vital for their health. Our mission is to bring comfort to women’s healthcare and convenience to physicians. Unlike current speculums, our redesigned speculum promotes more comfortable patient experiences and efficient exam procedures. Overall, our speculum offers a unique solution that achieves both patient comfort and physician functionality, hopefully eliminating that strong stigma associated with the OBGYN.
I+D Device Solutions developed an antimicrobial device to reduce Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI) in both adult and pediatric patients. Our device forms a passive antimicrobial barrier, decreasing the risk of bloodstream infections during central line usage for IV fluids, blood products, chemotherapy, IV medications and hemodialysis. By preventing contamination, it reduces antibiotic overuse and contributes to the global fight against Antibiotic Resistance.
The iPill dispenser improves patient medication adherence in the home. 75% of patients do not take their prescribed medications correctly and this causes 125,000 deaths and $290 billion a year. When opioids are involved, opioid use disorder (OUD) and accidental overdoses can occur and this causes 100,000 deaths and $1.5 trillion a year. We have medications to reduce the opioid overdose death rate by greater than 50% but patients have significant barriers to care where they cannot get these medication’s. iPill improves access to care and securely delivers, stores,, and precisely dispenses medications to only the prescription holder at only the prescribed dose in time. iPill dispenser destroys unused pills, at 30 days and immediately if tempered. IPill can save money and save lives.
Kenji Health is a behavioral health platform tailored for children and adolescents, aiming to deliver effective behavioral and lifestyle training directly to their homes through familiar channels. The platform offers personalized coaching available 24/7, along with motivational nudges and lifestyle hacks. Currently, Kenji Health is exploring various areas, primarily focusing on pediatric obesity interventions, while also delving into other mental health and behavioral health interventions.
Roga is a therpeutic wearable, designed to be worn discreetly like a pair of headphones, that works by sending gentle pulses to the brain that signal safety to the nervous system. It’s a safe, non-invasive way to relax, and find flow. Using the Roga wearable consistently over time helps to retrain your nervous system, helping you recover from stress and feel better overall. Take control of your stress for a happier, healthier life.
Suma [soo·muh] is the world’s first digital licensing management platform for Certified Nurse Assistants (CNA) and/or Home Health Aides (CHHA). Our revolutionary licensing management platform enables healthcare workers to seamlessly and securely track, upload, and manage all continuing education requirements and licensing so its users can do what they do best – focus on patient care! This means, no more headaches and frustration trying to prepare and organize your license renewal. Instead, let our team of professionals who know state regulations take care of it for you. We make sure you are on track with your individual licensing requirements and up-to-date with information on any regulation changes.
Welfie is a health equity platfrom that is designed specifically to enable community health workers to better connect with and engage with underserved families. Focused on k-12 school districts, Welfie’s HERO Academy is a program disigned specifically for underserved communities. This initative focuses on mental health education and workforce development in the healthcare sector, targeting high schools students. By providing these students with mentorship, health education and career preparation, the HERO Academy equips them with essential skills and opportunites, bridging the gap in healthcare workforce and addressing mental health issues.
WePair is a digital talent marketplace that streamlines the process of hiring qualified frontline public health workers, including Community Health Workers (promotoras), community doulas, peer specialists, and wellness coaches. The platform addresses a critical gap: the lack of infrastructure and support for recruiting and retaining frontline public health workers. Wepair’s mission is to champion an inclusive healthcare workforce that promotes equity and social justice.
Alsteni Medical is developing an intraorally anchored feeding tube device that recreates bariatric surgery, without any surgery. The device caters to the needs of patients, providers, and payers by offering affordable, safe, sustained, and clinically significant weight loss.
Azadi Health is a cutting edge conversational AI based tool which is revolutionizing mental health care among BIPOC teens. Utilizing NLP technology, Azadi provides an inclusive platform for users to discuss their mental well-being openly.
DayVue Health is enhancing patient-provider communication through their development of a SMS-based symptom tracker. This tool monitors patients between appointments, enabling providers to intervene early and prevent emergency room visits. Their mission is to prevent avoidable comorbidities by facilitating clear and rapid interventions, ensuring a fast, cost-effective, and reliable healthcare experience for all.
Evanesc Therapeutics has developed an innovative wearable medical device that uses evanescent waves to temporarily permeate the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This breakthrough addresses a significant barrier in treating neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and brain cancer. Traditionally, approximately 98% of small molecule drugs and most large molecules struggle to breach the BBB. By facilitating temporary permeability of the BBB, Evanesc’s device unlocks the potential to address numerous neurological disorders and CNS diseases. With the aging population in Los Angeles County, as well as worldwide incidents of neurological diseases increasing, the urgency to develop effective treatments has never been greater.
Health Trend Social plans to develop an AI algorithm that will analyze data to proivde healthcare professionals with accurate diagnosis assistance and provide reporting analysis to improve outcomes and reimbursement in healthcare facilities. Their goal is to transform healthcare by coordinating efforts to achieve health equity.
inTandem Health is a digitally-enabled, one-to-one support infrastructure that brings condition-based communities together into one centralized platform that allows health systems to manage peer mentor support at scale, improve experience and outcomes, while increasing retention and growth.
NEUVOLUTION is developing a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation device that is capable of improving therapuetic results for disorders like depression, substance use disorder, and binge eating disorder. Through utilzing groundbreaking electromagnetic technology, they are creating a treatment that will provide a cheaper alternative for patients.
One Guideline is developing an AI-integrated tool to assist cancer patients in connecting with and comprehending the latest treatments. This tool consolidates up-to-date information on cancer clinical trials, regulatory approvals, and guidelines for cancer care. Patients from all communities living with cancer can access the tool to learn about available therapies, access clinical trials, and more. The tool aims to enhance cancer access for underserved communities and is currently accessible in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean.
Pharus Dx is conquering cancer through early detection and intervention, so patients can have more time with their loved ones. Utilizing propietary ML/AI technology, they are looking to identify microRNA biomarkers to detect cancers early, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
RabbleHealth is developing a free digital consumer app, myRabble, which connects those who can benefit from better diagnostics and medicines to those who create them. They are working to radically improve outcomes for all patients by utilizing technological platforms to increase overall accessibility.
ReBlood Rx is refining polymerized hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) to improve remote damage control resuscitation (RDCR), targeting environments where traditional crystalloids fall short due to their lack of oxygen-carrying capacity and blood is not an option. This innovation is poised to revolutionize field medicine by providing a practical substitute for traditional blood transfusions, circumventing the logistical challenges of refrigeration, crossmatching, and supply that combat medics and pre-hospital care providers face.
RxPost leverages advanced technology to enhance the efficiency of local pharmacies, transforming potential losses into lifesaving opportunities for community members. Our platform ensures that surplus medications reach those who need them most, preventing waste and promoting a more sustainable healthcare ecosystem. This initiative showcases how technological innovations can directly support the health and wellness of local communities, demonstrating the significant impact that can be achieved when technology and compassionate care converge.
The mission of Sigma Healthsense is to revolutionize preventative healthcare and eldercare through the development of cutting-edge AI and computer vision technology. We aim to create intelligent monitoring solutions that detect risks early and enable rapid intervention, improving safety, quality of life, and health outcomes. By leveraging AI and machine learning, we strive to create personalized and culturally-conscious solutions tailored to the unique needs of diverse communities.
SmartWear has pioneered Smart Clothing designed to locate Alzheimer’s patients. When activated by caregivers, the clothing emits a signal detectable by other smart devices, allowing the wearer’s location data to be sent back to our network and viewed through our mobile application. With 6.7 million people in the United States living with Alzheimer’s Disease, and 60-70% prone to wandering, tragically resulting in fatalities, there’s a pressing need for a solution.
2023 Cohort.
Alsteni Medical is developing an innovative, patient-controlled enteral nutrition system designed to improve quality of life and clinical outcomes for patients requiring nutritional support.
Thimble is the first easy, safe, and over-the-counter option for people who don’t like needles. They are building a comprehensive platform of pain and anxiety reducing products for common needle procedures. At the core, is a plant-based vaccine patch that’s used to prevent pain before the poke of a needle.
Enzymetry is simplifying clinical data management through automating clinical trial data entry for clinical sites. The tool leverages health system data to project how well a health system may recruit for a given trial. Their goal is to leverage this tool to increase biotech receptiveness and recruit more community health systems rather than just academic medical centers.
Achieve Clinics is a platform that connects newly diagnosed cancer patients to cell therapies, a potentially curative last-in-line treatment made from a patient’s own immune cells. Their platform’s purpose stems from wanting to increase patient access, and ensuring that cell therapies aren’t made from defective cells. They do this by getting to patients early, collecting and storing their immune cells, and then enabling streamlined access to a future cell therapy.
Invertes aims to provide surgeons with a new method of accessing the abdomen through a natural orifice via the anus, with the purpose of being able to perform common abdominal surgeries without the need of a laparotomy.
Next Life Sciences is developing Plan A, a non-hormonal, long lasting, and reversible male contraceptive solution that empowers men and their partners to choose if and when they have a child. It is the first male contraceptive on the market.
TNC Medical, a 100% minority and female owned company, develops devices designed to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. The company’s flagship product allows gastronomy tube users and clinicians to perform faster, safer, and more accurate enteral feeding tube reinsertion procedures in or out of a clinical setting.
Manakin is developing real time air-borne Pathogen Detection Technology. The Manakin Biosensor has the unique capability of detecting species of pathogens in the atmosphere in real time and conveying the results using a cloud infrastructure and a mobile application.
Harnessing the power of far-infrared technology, Sundaze has developed a product that will help women all around the world. Their heated shorts are a portable and non-invasive solution designed to help alleviate period pain. Their technology streamlines menstrual pain relief into one reusable, stylish, and efficient solution.
Sensee is developing novel technology which converts and formats a large volume of text into Braille almost instantaneously. Using a machine learning algorithm, Sensee aims to provide STEM resources to visually impaired individuals, promoting a more inclusive society.
AF-Tech develops antifreeze polypeptides or AFPs to stabilize biologics and therapeutic/nutritional molecules under extreme temperatures. The AFP system addresses the shortage of biologics for human health by extending the effective preservation of biologics and serves as safe additive to address formulation problems.
Infinity Pieces is working to create AI-powered conversational virtual therapist and research platform to address mental health issues in second-generation Asian Americans. Incorporating Asian heritage, mannerisms, & traditions, their technology takes a unique approach in improving the mental well-being of second-generation Asian Americans.
BIOMED is a biotechnology company that is working to democratize healthcare and make healthcare more accessible. Through utilizing various technologies, they are offering personalized and precision medicine with precise dosage for any unique profile. Their predictive modeling will improve overall patient health outcomes.
ZeptoMed aims to provide the thinnest and most flexible catheter with optimal contact force to ensure more efficient, safer and faster sympathetic denervation. In addition, ZeptoMed will differentiate itself from others by targeting both renal and hepatic denervation with the same device.
Hybrid Biotherapuetics uses a novel cell therapy platform that cures cancer patients suffering from solid tumors to enhance efficacy of therapeutics antibodies in multiple indications. The autologous cell therapy platform aims to bring positive clinical outcomes to many patients across LA County through using cutting edge technology involving APCs and cytotoxic cells.
2022 Cohort.
Angel City Bio LLC is an early-stage biopharma startup founded by physician-scientists. Developing a drug delivery system, this compnay hopes to target therapies to the intestine and liver. They are particularly interested in addressing unmet clinical needs for neglected diseases and conditions that disproportionately affect women.
Combining Artificial Intelligence and Nanotechnology, Arrow Dx is developing an inexpensive, highly sensitive detection platform which enhances detection capabilities for a range of applications, including early detection of disease and even pollutant detection. Their cost-effective technology platform combines nanotechnology, analaytical chemistry, and machine learning to detect biological and nonbiological compounds in solution.
Avesta76 is approaching drug discovery in an innovative way through focusing on novel and often overlooked drug targets. They are focusing on developing medicines that address the broad spectrum of cancer, through targeting a protein, RLIP76, that is necessary for survival of several cancers. They hope to improve the lives of cancer patients through developing a new class of cancer therapuetics that target a cancer-essential gene.
BRT Biotechnologies is an early-stage biotechnology company aiming to drug the undruggable. BRT’s proprietary platform allows for ultra-high-throughput synthesis of large and diverse small molecule libraries that can be directly screened for activity.
Cern Corporation is working on a leading technology in FemTech, designed to be an un-drug treatment for yeast and bacterial vaginosis. The technology is designed to be an effective at-home alternative to toxic, systemic drugs. Cern Corporation hopes to address a growing population of women for whom conventional drug-based standards of care may not be effective.
Dentia offers preventative restorative dentalsolutions, including oral rinses and cement liner. Their innovative solution offers a less invasive and painless procedure that reduces the need for surgical intervention with its associated time and cost.
Innometive is at the forefront of developing highly compliant mechanical solutions through utilizing innnovative metamaterial engineering technology for dental and medical applications. Currently, Innometive is manufacturing pedicle screws customized for osteoporotic patients, improving the ongoing issues with screw failure and re-operations associated with the failure.
Om Biome, Inc. is developing microaglae-based therapeutics to address the need for simple and effective oral care. Their OMBI Bites are a daily oral health supplement that can provide healthy gums and good breath through adding a daily nutritious boost.
Oncoxome is an oncology biotech startup focused on inducing cancer cell death, and overcoming one of the largest challenges within oncology: preventing cancer resistance to treatments. Through combining two platforms, natural exosomes and gene therapy, they hope to deliver a targeted therapuetic delivery that targets and reaches widespread cancer cell death.
Orcana is a medical technology that has revolutionized surgical care through developing a platform that enables 24/7 virtual expertise in the operating room and improves image-guided surgery. Through developing a augmented reality communication platform, their technology can further improve surgical outcomes.
SKW Cardiovascular Technologies developed an ostial stent balloon delivery catheter that allows clinicians to deploy stents precisely at the origin of branch vessels. Their goal is to simpligy complex proecedures and improve precision and accuracy within the industry.
TAB Diagnostic is a non-invasive diabetes testing and monitoring company devleoping the first portable saliva-based diagnostic test focusing on early and accurate detection. This device is at the forefront of improving early detection of diabetes, ultimately leading to better clinical outcomes.
2021 Cohort.
Aevum Therapuetics believes that exercise harbors untapped potential for therapeutic discovery and are developing irisin, an excercise-induced peptide, that can treat neurodegenerative disorders.
CellectGen is a digital health technology company, focused on developing saliva-based consumer-facing next generation POC (point-of-care) tests, devices, and services to help dentists identify patients with high risk of emerging active disease lesions in less than 15 minutes.
CpG Diagnostics is revolutionizing early ovarian cancer detection with next-gen liquid biopsies that are driven by genomics and machine learning. Their goal is to accurately rule in or out ovarian cancer earlier when it’s easier to treat, improving clinical outcomes in women.
2020 Cohort.
Hawkeye Bio hopes to empower patients and caregivers through developing advanced lung cancer diagnostics. They developed a simple blood test to detect lung cancer early and close the screening gap.
SNJ Pharma is revolutioniizing the treatment of thrombotic disorders through the developmen of the first plasmin-independent thrombolytic agent. Their working to provide new treatment options for patients suffering thrombotic episodes.
Tender Light Scientific is developing portable devices that can be used by both healthcare professionals and consumers to monitor overall health status. They are utilizing diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) systems to do this.
Triton Bio is utilizing digital microbiology to accelerate bioindustrial revolution. They are reverse engineering microbiomes to create new and sustainable bioproducts that can treat diseases and sustainably boost industrial productivity.
Current Cohort.
Take a look at each of the companies who are currently participating in our Heal.LA Bioscience & Healthcare Accelerator and our Accelerator in partnership with LA Biospace.
The Heal.LA Bioscience & Healthcare Accelerator provides a nine-month experience, which identifies, nurtures, and scales innovative approaches to improve the health and wellness of Los Angeles-area communities. The program is designed to foster community resilience in response to the impact of healthcare crises in the post-pandemic environment, serving communities impacted by lack of access to promising innovations.
The California Office of the Small Business Advocate strongly supports Larta Institute’s model of entrepreneurship-led innovation. This is a significant ingredient for every Inclusive Innovation Hub that we invest in through our Accelerate California program, including Larta. We’re excited to interact with the entrepreneurs who raise their hands to contribute to the 2024 Heal program and to witness new ideas in advancing healthcare and wellness solutions in underserved communities of LA and beyond.
Tell us about your innovation & vision — and our team will be in touch with next steps & more info.
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