ARPA-H Celebrates Official Launch of Investor Catalyst Hub with Event in Boston, MA
The Hub Announces Inaugural Nationwide Spoke Network
October 26, 2023, Boston, Massachusetts: The Investor Catalyst Hub—a regional hub of ARPANET-H, a nationwide health innovation network under the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)—is celebrating its official launch on Thursday, October 26, and announcing the inaugural members of its nationwide spoke network.
“I am thrilled to officially open the doors to the ARPA-H Investor Catalyst Hub and the activation of the nationwide ARPANET-H health innovation network,” said ARPA-H Director Renee Wegrzyn, Ph.D. “The Investor Catalyst Hub in the Greater Boston area and its spokes across the country will be instrumental in speeding the transition of innovative ideas into practical, accessible health solutions to benefit all Americans.”
The launch event, held at MassChallenge headquarters in Boston, will bring together key stakeholders, including leaders from ARPA-H and the Investor Catalyst Hub, Massachusetts elected officials, and network consortium members and constituents of the U.S. health ecosystem. This event marks the beginning of an exciting journey toward advancing groundbreaking healthcare solutions.
The Investor Catalyst Hub, managed by VentureWell, aims to accelerate the commercialization of practical, accessible biomedical solutions. It utilizes an innovative hub-and-spoke model designed to reach a wide range of stakeholders, with the ultimate aim of delivering scalable healthcare outcomes for all Americans.
The hub announced today its inaugural spokes, comprising a dynamic, nationwide network of organizations representing venture investors, startups, accelerators, nonprofits, clinical researchers, commercialization resource organizations, and academic institutions. Initial spokes include the Advanced Public Health Informatics Institute (Olympia, WA), Angel Capital Association (Overland Park, KS), Brown University (Providence, RI), Cherokee Nation Health Service (Talequah, OK), Emory University (Atlanta, GA), HealthTech Arkansas (Bentonville, AR), MATTER (Chicago, IL), Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), New Orleans BioInnovation Center (New Orleans, LA), the University of Montana (Missoula, MT), and more; the full list of spokes can be viewed on the Investor Catalyst Hub Spoke Members page.
“Our spoke network embodies a rich and representative range of perspectives and expertise,” said Mark Marino, Vice President of Growth Strategy and Development for VentureWell and Project Director for the Investor Catalyst Hub. “We are excited to see what is possible when mission-aligned organizations come together to bring medical breakthroughs to market for the people who need them most.”
Spoke organizations gain access to potential funding and flexible contracting for faster award execution than traditional government contracts. Spoke membership also offers opportunities to provide input on ARPA-H challenge areas and priorities, and access to valuable networking opportunities and a robust resource library.
The spoke network will continue to grow as the Investor Catalyst Hub expands its efforts, with applications considered on a rolling basis. Interested organizations can visit www.investorcatalysthub.org/spoke-network to learn more or submit a membership application.
About the Investor Catalyst Hub
The Investor Catalyst Hub, part of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), connects researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors to accelerate the development of innovative healthcare solutions. Founded in 2023 and based in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, the Investor Catalyst Hub is one of three regional hubs in ARPA-H’s nationwide health innovation network, ARPANET-H. The Investor Catalyst Hub aims to scale health research and venture investment ecosystem capabilities, disrupt traditional care models, create new delivery pathways, and help performers bring game-changing solutions to market to solve big problems in health. The hub facilitates novel research findings and future-forward ideas to advance commercialization, affordability, and revolutionary breakthroughs to achieve improved health outcomes for all Americans. For more information, visit www.investorcatalysthub.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Media Contact
Angela Russo
Director, Marketing & Communications
VentureWell
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