gener8tor, a nationally ranked accelerator program, has partnered with Boston Scientific to launch a healthcare-focused program in Medical Alley. Over the next few weeks, we will profile the first cohort of companies.
Bharat Pulgam is a veteran startup founder and a community leader for Techstars Twin Cities. Bharat co-founded MXERS Audio early in 2015, Runerra in 2016, and Vitrose Health in 2018. His experience working in the non-profit and startup sectors started in his sophomore year of high school. Aside from his startups, Bharat is heavily engaged in the startup community in Minneapolis and around the Midwest. He is pursuing a Management Information Systems degree at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
What does Vitrose Health do?
Vitrose Health provides an efficient way to diagnose common illnesses through a direct-to-consumer testing solution. Vitrose creates a new alternative for non-urgent care that is more efficient and affordable for both the patient and the healthcare system. We partner with local retailers and clinics to sell testing kits directly to our patients and utilize existing laboratory networks to perform the tests.
What difference does this make for patients?
We will make healthcare more patient-centric by giving our patients the tools and resources to be better informed when talking to doctors. By removing the group of individuals who feel sick, but don’t want to wait for a diagnosis, from the system we can save time and money for everyone.
What motivated you to take on this issue?
I became sick a few months ago and wanted to know what was going on with me. I went into a doctor’s office and while they had some great advice, the entire experience was pointless; I left more confused than when I started. The entire process also took more than two weeks and was expensive. Our goal with Vitrose is to help patients make better decisions and be better informed before going to the clinic.
Why gBETA?
We know healthcare is challenging and that we need a partner to help us ensure that we are not only on the right track, but also talking to the right people. With little experience in the healthcare space, we saw gBETA as a fantastic opportunity to accelerate our growth and give us solid footing to move forward.
gBETA Medtech is a free, seven-week accelerator that works with medical device, healthcare-related software, biotech and diagnostics startups. Part of gener8tor, a nationally ranked accelerator program, gBETA Medtech is in partnership with Boston Scientific and supported by the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota. For more information visit https://www.gbetamedtech.com/
