Companies to Watch: Health & Wellness Tech (Part I)
We already know that New York City is the place to be when it comes to health and wellness tech. In the first half of 2024, the city’s health tech deals were up 35% year-over-year, raking in $2.2 billion in venture dollars. One-fifth of all U.S. women’s health tech deals were inked right here in the Big Apple.
We also know there’s still a lot of work to do. In the pandemic’s wake, the city is studying long-term outcomes of COVID-19, which reduced average life expectancy to 78 years – with Black New Yorkers disproportionately impacted. The city has ambitious goals to promote healthier lifestyles by 2030, and local startups are rising to the challenge, using tech to repair holes and streamline our healthcare system.
We caught up with a few founders who are part of our inaugural Startup:NYC cohort and are already making waves and addressing inequities within the sector. These companies are zooming in on sub sectors within the health and wellness space – physical education, precision medicine, mental health, nursing homes, and provider data – and tackling them with innovative solutions.
For this edition of our Companies to Watch series, meet BePresent, Candor Health, CareComply, Celeste, and Hiveclass.
BePresent
Charles and Jack Winston
“The startup community here is incredible and we have only gotten more bullish on the scene in NYC over the past year building BePresent.”
What does your company do? What problem is it working to solve?
We’re solving the defining problem of our generation: Tech Addiction.
This is a problem that impacts billions of people every day and leads to widespread economic and health consequences for individuals and businesses.
That’s why we built BePresent which helps people reduce screen time by replacing the dopamine hit from scrolling with rewards for staying off their phones, using the same techniques social media companies use to keep us addicted.
You can think of it like Duolingo for reducing screen time where we give you the tools you need to reduce screen time - like automatic app blocking, doomscrolling awareness notifications, and AI coaching – but we reinforce those tools with psychology-based social gamification like streaks, leaderboards, and social challenges.
A question we like to ask every founder — why New York?
My brother and I love NYC and knew it would be a great place to build a company. We’re from Boston and have been visiting since we were children, and Charles lived here before we even started the company.
The startup community here is incredible and we have only gotten more bullish on the scene in NYC over the past year building BePresent.
How do you view the tech sector’s role in transforming healthcare in America?
Broadly, I think there’s an incredible opportunity for the tech sector to make America healthier and happier, both clinically but also outside of clinical settings.
I believe we’re in the middle of a health and wellness renaissance where everyone is becoming more interested in how to improve their minds, bodies, and spiritual selves, and I’m excited about the opportunity to productize research and insights to help us become the best versions of ourselves.
What role do you see AI playing in the future of healthcare?
AI will have numerous impacts on healthcare, but the area I’m most excited about is the opportunity for AI to facilitate a higher level of personalized treatment and protocols for individuals.
Right now, a lot of health and wellness advice, while important, is generic, ranging from the age we should get colonoscopies to what the optimal diet is. But humans are incredibly complex, and the actual optimal treatment or protocol can vary widely depending on a preponderance of factors, including a person’s health history, but also their current level of motivation and lifestyle.
I believe AI has the potential to take in increasingly more data about individuals and understand what optimal treatments are, improving outcomes.
In the future I envision a world where BePresent – powered by AI and trained on the latest research in behavior change – understands your entire tech usage habits (not just screen time, but also how often you use tech, the content you consume and in what context, etc.), combined with how it impacts your physical and mental health (think connecting with wearables to ingest sleep and other relevant health metrics), as well as your daily context and long-term goals to deliver real-time, adaptive nudges and recommendations on how to flourish digitally and in real life.
How does BePresent use behavior change methods and AI to help develop healthy habits?
The psychology-based social gamification creates a constant awareness in the back of your mind whenever you’re using your phone, allowing you to self-regulate in real-time with the app in the background, replacing the dopamine hit from scrolling with dopamine for staying OFF your phone.
What advice would you give to other Gen Z founders who are in the early stages of starting a company?
Seek advice, listen to advice, but don’t over index to any single piece of advice.
You’re going to get a lot of advice about how to build your company and it can be disorienting, especially when the advice can conflict and come from people with impressive resumes.
But just because someone has an impressive resume doesn’t always mean their advice is applicable or they have as much understanding as your business as you do. I think young founders are more susceptible to imposter syndrome and it’s easy to doubt yourself.
As a founder, what’s your self-care routine to recharge while still being heads down building a company?
I always tell myself that my physical and mental health is not separate from my success as an entrepreneur.
In terms of my routine, it’s basic. I get enough sleep, I workout consistently, I try to eat well, I meditate, I make time to see friends, and most important I get off my phone and BE PRESENT.
Time for some New York-themed rapid fire questions – Where’s your favorite place to grab a slice of pizza in New York?
Prince Street Pizza.
Where’s your favorite coffee shop in New York?
I love the iced americano from Warude in Bed Stuy. They also have incredible breakfast tacos.
Do you have a favorite spot to escape the noise of the city?
I love going to Cape Cod in the summer.
What’s one piece of advice – that you shared or was shared with you – on building a startup in New York City?
Take advantage of the talent density here. Meet as many incredible people as possible and learn from them.
Candor Health
Sury Agarwal
“Being in New York means we are at the forefront of the latest healthcare trends and challenges, which helps us continuously innovate our platform to better serve our clients and their patients.”
What does your company do? What problem is it working to solve?Candor Health is on a mission to make finding the right healthcare provider easier. Our AI-driven platform offers high-quality provider data that enables our clients to identify facilities, doctors, and specialists who best meet their patients’ needs, whether that’s based on expertise, insurance coverage, location, or availability. We aim to solve the problem of fragmented and outdated provider data that leads to poor patient experiences, delays in care, and unnecessary costs. By offering more reliable, up-to-date provider information, we are helping people navigate healthcare with confidence.
A question we like to ask every founder - why New York?
New York is the ultimate convergence point of healthcare innovation and technology. The city’s fast-paced environment and access to talent, resources, and thought leaders make it the ideal place to build a healthcare tech startup. Being in New York means we are at the forefront of the latest healthcare trends and challenges, which helps us continuously innovate our platform to better serve our clients and their patients.
How do you view the tech sector’s role in transforming healthcare in America?
Technology has the power to fundamentally transform healthcare by streamlining processes, improving patient outcomes, and reducing costs. We are already seeing innovations in telemedicine, electronic health records, and diagnostics make healthcare more efficient. But there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure patients have access to and can benefit from these advancements. This begins with something as simple as finding a doctor who treats their conditions, accepts their insurance, and is within a reasonable distance.
What role do you see AI playing in the future of healthcare?
AI will play a critical role in personalizing healthcare at scale. From predictive analytics to precision medicine, AI will help providers make better decisions, allow digital health companies to determine the best facility to refer a patient for a specific condition, and ensure payers can help patients develop their own individualized care plans that are cost-effective and evidence-based. As AI continues to evolve, it has the potential to create a more proactive and preventive healthcare system.
How does Candor Health incorporate AI into the process of finding a doctor?
Candor Health uses AI to enhance the accuracy and quality of our healthcare provider data. Our proprietary AI model gathers data from thousands of sources and determines which specific data fields from each source are most accurate in order to deliver a complete 360-degree view of the healthcare provider landscape. This allows our clients to ensure patients can find the right provider on their first try.
What sets Candor’s provider data apart from existing healthcare platforms?
The Candor team brings a unique blend of experience in building at-scale, high-quality data platforms, and launching healthcare technologies focused on credentialing and patient referral workflows. Additionally, with the advantage of building Candor in the AI-era, our data sources are constantly updated and verified, ensuring that our clients have access to the most accurate and comprehensive provider information available. Unlike many aggregators and data platforms, which may rely on outdated or incomplete data, we focus on delivering a high-quality data set that healthcare organizations can trust. We rigorously evaluate our sources and algorithms to maintain the highest accuracy levels.
As a founder, what’s your self-care routine to recharge while still being heads down building a company?
Balancing the demands of building a startup with personal well-being is tough, but I’ve found that setting boundaries is key. I make sure to take regular breaks throughout the day, whether that’s going for a walk or hitting the gym. It’s also important to schedule time with family and friends to stay grounded and remind myself why I’m working so hard.
Time for some New York-themed rapid fire questions – Where’s your favorite place to grab a slice of pizza in New York?
The vodka slice at Prince Street.
Where’s your favorite coffee shop in New York?
Telegraphe Cafe - conveniently located in Union Square.
Do you have a favorite spot to escape the noise of the city?
Upstate NY - whether it's for a hike or visiting small towns along the Hudson, it’s perfect for a weekend getaway.
What’s one piece of advice – that you shared or was shared with you – on building a startup in New York City?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. New York has an incredible network of entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors who are willing to share their knowledge and experience. Leverage that community and always stay curious.
CareComply
Shen Qiu
“Many human hours can be freed up to be spent on what matters the most: spending time with the patients, and improving the quality of care.”
What does your company do? What problem is it working to solve?CareComply uses AI to help nursing homes audit medical documentation and stay compliant so they can avoid hefty fines from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and grow revenue.
Regulatory compliance gets more cumbersome while the nursing staffing shortage further exacerbates. Nursing homes struggle to provide the quality of care that the growing aging population deserve, and as a result lose millions of dollars due to non-compliance.
A question we like to ask every founder – why New York?
Many nursing homes are getting bought up and consolidated by private equities, which usually are based in NYC.
How do you view the tech sector’s role in transforming healthcare in America?
So many workflows in healthcare involve dealing with unstructured data so technology and specifically AI will have an outsized impact on the industry. At the same time, the stake is higher because it’s about someone’s health or life and death, so the room for error is also smaller which means adoption and changes will happen more gradually.
What role do you see AI playing in the future of healthcare?
Tremendous! AI can automate so many tasks involving natural language and unstructured data that couldn’t be automated before. Many human hours can be freed up to be spent on what matters the most: spending time with the patients, and improving the quality of care.
How does CareComply incorporate AI into nursing homes?
We train and apply AI in one of the most challenging, important and yet tedious aspects of running a nursing home – documentation and quality assurance. Our AI works in the background to empower the nurses and the caretakers with the most relevant insights and guidance so they can take better care of the elderly patients.
How can nursing homes cut costs through this solution?
Nursing homes can avoid hefty fines and revenue loss that usually result from bad documentation and non compliance. In the long run, it can also help nursing homes improve quality of care / quality measures (most important metrics mandated by CMS) and thus be able to get more patients and grow revenue.
As a founder, what’s your self-care routine to recharge while still being heads down building a company?
Working out! I love NYC’s fitness forward culture and the vast options of ways to work out.
My favorites are to run along the beautiful waterfront in DUMBO or to do a Barry’s or Solidcore class before jumping back into work.
Time for some New York-themed rapid fire questions – Where’s your favorite place to grab a slice of pizza in New York?
Prince Street Pizza
Where’s your favorite coffee shop in New York?
Devoción
Do you have a favorite spot to escape the noise of the city?
Running from Brooklyn Heights waterfront all the way down to Red Hook
What’s one piece of advice – that you shared or was shared with you – on building a startup in New York City?
Always have conviction in yourself but also have the flexibility to pivot fast when it’s the right thing to do (and don’t let ego be in the way).
Celeste
Athena Doshi
“New York is actively working to become a hub for digital health, and being part of that movement is really exciting.”
What does your company do? What problem is it working to solve?
Healthcare often feels like a guessing game, with many of us experiencing delays in finding the right treatment while doctors work with limited tools to offer truly personalized care. This can lead to unwanted side effects, longer recovery times, and increased costs.
At Celeste, we're here to change that. We build the infrastructure for personalized care to ensure that every patient receives the highest quality treatment, regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or location. Our platform, ExactRx, uses advanced technology to provide precise care recommendations and ongoing patient monitoring. This means clinicians can identify potential risks early and make more informed decisions from the start.
Our impact is measurable—hospitals, clinics, and surgical centers using ExactRx see fewer complications and reduced readmissions, leading to faster recovery times and better patient outcomes. By making every treatment count, we aim to eliminate the need for trial and error so that every patient gets the right care the first time. This is about more than just improving individual care; it's about transforming the entire healthcare system to be more efficient, effective, and equitable for all.
A question we like to ask every founder - why New York?
I chose New York because it feels like home. Growing up in the tristate area, I've always been drawn to the energy and diversity of this city. For healthcare, especially digital health, it’s an incredible place to be right now. There's so much happening here, with countless opportunities to connect, collaborate, and innovate.
New York is actively working to become a hub for digital health, and being part of that movement is really exciting.
How do you view the tech sector’s role in transforming healthcare in America?
Healthcare is incredibly segmented, with many different parts that often don't connect well. This fragmentation makes it challenging to provide seamless and efficient care. The tech sector has a unique opportunity to transform this by connecting and streamlining these segments in ways we couldn't before. Technology can improve communication across the system and lead to better patient outcomes. Technology is not just an enhancement; it's becoming the foundation for building a more connected and effective healthcare system in America.
What role do you see AI playing in the future of healthcare?
One of the key areas where AI can make a difference is in expanding care capacity. It has the potential to drive personalized care at a scale and speed that's unprecedented, helping us address health issues more precisely, from diagnostics to drug discovery.
AI has the ability to transform patient care by improving outcomes, enhancing safety, and minimizing human errors, all while reducing healthcare costs. It's set to revolutionize not just how we treat patients but also how we prevent diseases and improve overall care quality. AI's future in healthcare is heading toward enhanced diagnostics, personalized treatment, and stronger human-AI collaboration, making it a critical player in the evolution of the industry.
How is Celeste redefining precision medicine?
Celeste is redefining precision medicine by creating the infrastructure that allows other companies and healthcare providers to build scalable care delivery models powered by precision medicine. Rather than simply offering a solution for individualized care, our platform, ExactRx, is designed to enable seamless integration of precision medicine into everyday clinical workflows, empowering organizations to harness its potential at scale.
With ExactRx, we provide AI-driven personalized care recommendations and remote patient monitoring tools, enabling clinicians to make real-time, data-backed decisions and continuously track patient outcomes. By doing this, we go beyond the traditional approach to precision medicine, offering the infrastructure that allows healthcare systems, medical device companies, and pharmacies to deliver more effective, tailored care to their patients.
Our technology is designed to be flexible and secure, operating without the need for internet access, which allows it to function in a variety of environments, from hospitals and clinics to community pharmacies and underserved areas.
How does Celeste offer accessibility in a healthcare sector that has become increasingly unaffordable?
Our platform, ExactRx, helps clinicians make accurate, personalized treatment plans right from the beginning. By getting the treatment right the first time, we can reduce unnecessary tests and procedures, cut down on complications, and ultimately lower healthcare costs.
We also partner with independent pharmacies and healthcare providers to bring advanced care directly into communities, especially in underserved areas. By giving pharmacists and nurses the tools they need to offer services like prescribing birth control, we're 1) expanding access to important care 2) allowing clinicians to practice to the top of their license and 3) creating more affordable options for patients.
Our technology works without needing a constant internet connection, so it can be used in both rural and urban settings where resources might be limited. This means we can bring high-quality, personalized care to places that need it most, without being held back by location or infrastructure.
As a founder, what’s your self-care routine to recharge while still being heads down building a company?
Honestly, building this business is my absolute favorite thing to do. I love every part of it, even when it gets stressful. But it’s crucial to remind myself that I’m more than just the company I’m building. In healthcare, the stakes are incredibly personal—you can feel the impact not just on patients, but on yourself and your loved ones.
That’s where my self-care routine comes in. Walks with Bella, my Maltipoo, offer those much-needed breaks. She has this magical way of making everything feel lighter, even if it's just for a few minutes. Then there's quality time with my partner during our no-work zone. Whether we’re cooking, talking, or simply enjoying the quiet, it’s a reminder that life is about more than the latest project or pitch.
Working out and painting are my other go-to outlets. Exercise clears my head, and painting lets me tap back into my creativity—something I've loved since I was a kid. I grew up an artist, so picking up a brush is a great reminder that there's more to me than the startup world. Funny enough, it's during these moments, when I think I’m not focused on work, that new strategies and ideas for scaling our impact often come to mind.
So while building this business is my passion, stepping back helps me see the bigger picture. It keeps me grounded and ensures I don't lose sight of who I am beyond being an entrepreneur.
Time for some New York-themed rapid fire questions – Where’s your favorite place to grab a slice of pizza in New York?
&pizza on Wall Street!
Where’s your favorite coffee shop in New York?
(There are so many!) but I would have to say right now it’s probably Gotan – it’s my favorite place for coffee and coworking.
Do you have a favorite spot to escape the noise of the city?
Brooklyn Bridge Park
What’s one piece of advice – that you shared or was shared with you – on building a startup in New York City?
One piece of advice that’s really stuck with me about building a startup in New York City is to stay grounded and focused. There’s a lot of noise here – everyone has an opinion on what you should be doing and how you should be doing it. The key is to figure out which opinions matter most to you and stay focused on your "why." Remember why you started this journey in the first place and let that guide your decisions. It’s easy to get swept up in the whirlwind of the city, but staying true to your core mission is what will keep you on track.
Hiveclass
Joe Titus
“AI can enhance personalized learning by utilizing student data to craft unique, customized experiences for each learner, ensuring that no two students follow the same path to success.”
Joe Titus was featured in our October Companies to Watch blog of Founder House alumni, which you can read here. However, we caught back up with Hiveclass this month to get the latest updates on the company.
How does Hiveclass incorporate inclusivity into physical education in ways that traditional curriculum doesn't or can't?
Having more inclusivity in physical education can be deeply impacted by these 3 key components, all of which, Hiveclass has shown to be a key enabler where traditional curriculum has fallen short.
Student Choice: For many schools, having limited options for various activities for students to engage with is all too common with the proverbial ‘roll the ball out’ teacher being an extreme example. There are many paths that can lead a student to physical literacy, and much like other classroom subjects, allowing for student choice allows students of varying interests and competency levels to find their passion and ultimately find the joy in moving their body. Hiveclass offers 17 sports courses and wellness activities, allowing teachers to have greater confidence in widening the units covered in a given semester.
Representation Matters: Research shows that learning content that reflects the diversity of the students increases engagement and learning outcomes. For physical education, it is helpful to show various skill movements with models that are more similar in age, includes various ethnicities, body shapes, and abilities, which all add up to a more inclusive learning environment. Hiveclass has 2000+ videos with diverse models that can be an invaluable resource to the traditional classroom.
Tools for Adapted Physical Education: Technology can be useful to accommodate neurodiverse learners and generally-speaking, those students who might benefit from accessing learning content at their own pace and in their own space. Hiveclass not only offers modifications to much of our curriculum allowing for students to learn a skill with certain adaptations (i.e. seated in a chair vs standing), but the platform also comes equipped with accessibility features for various considerations including but not limited to vision-impaired, ADHD, Dyslexia, etc. All videos come with closed captioning and all content is available in Spanish as well.
What role do you see AI playing in the future of healthcare?
A significant challenge in education is the time burden placed on teachers, particularly in preparing lesson materials, unit plans, assessments, and administrative documentation. AI has proven to be a valuable tool in streamlining these processes, enabling teachers to focus more on instruction and student engagement while meeting administrative requirements efficiently. AI can enhance personalized learning by utilizing student data to craft unique, customized experiences for each learner, ensuring that no two students follow the same path to success.
What updates have there been to Hiveclass since we last spoke?
Hiveclass recently secured Spring Mountain Capital to lead our current seed round. This influx in capital will help us as we strive to make a lasting impact in health outcomes for 50M+ students. We've already surpassed last year's revenue, and our recent growth in NYC Public Schools in particular could help us double our clients by the end of the year. This month, we have 7Xed our usage year-over-year demonstrating product market fit and improved teacher training.
