AHA Invests in Startup Funds Focused on Equity in Financing Health Care Solutions

WASHINGTON (March 22, 2022) — The AHA today announced it is providing early financing for investment funds run by leaders focused on improving health care access, quality and affordability. The funds were selected because they finance historically marginalized entrepreneurs who have limited access to the capital needed to develop innovative solutions in health care. With its large membership and national brand, the AHA is uniquely positioned to advance the goals of these funds.   

SteelSky Ventures, one of the funds receiving early AHA support, is a female-led venture capital firm focused on companies working to improve health outcomes for women. Companies the SteelSky Ventures fund invests in include medical devices, consumer health, digital health, new health care delivery models, ePharmacy and retail therapeutics. The AHA is joined by Henry Ford Health System, MultiCare Health System and several other health care companies among the fund’s investors and strategic partners.

“SteelSky Ventures is making critical investments in women’s health with an eye for innovation in the delivery of care,” said Rick Pollack, AHA president and CEO. “The AHA is excited about how this fund can positively affect the double bottom-line of financial and social impact.”

“SteelSky Ventures is excited to partner with the AHA on our mission to increase access to quality care for women and underserved communities,” said Maria Velissaris, Founding Partner of SteelSky Ventures.

In January, AHA announced its partnership and investment in Jumpstart Nova, a fund that will invest exclusively in Black founded-and-led health care companies across health IT, digital health, tech-enabled services, diagnostic devices, biotech, medical device manufacturing and consumer health and wellness sectors. The portfolio companies within the fund will be startups focused on developing solutions to improve access and affordability with a particular focus on communities facing disparities in health outcomes. AHA is joined by HCA Healthcare, Atrium Health, Henry Ford Health System and LHC Group among the fund’s investors and strategic health care partners.

The investments are part of AHA’s broader goal to support entrepreneurs that have been historically marginalized in the financing process compared to other firms.

###

Contact:        Sean Barry, sbarry@aha.org
                      Marie Johnson, mjohnson@aha.org

About the American Hospital Association
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA advocates on behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, our clinician partners – including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers – and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides insight and education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.