Every year, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield pitch contest draws thousands of applicants. We whittle those applications down to thetop 200 contenders, and of them, the top 20 compete on the big stage to become the winner, taking home the Startup Battlefield Cup and a cash prize of $100,000. But the remaining 180 startups all blew us away as well in their respective categories and compete in their own pitch competition.
Here is the full list of the health and wellness Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, along with a note on why they landed in the competition.
Mark
What it does: Uses AI sensors and autonomous UV disinfection robots to prepare operating rooms for surgeryfaster.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Doing more surgeries inaday not only helps patients but also makes more money for the hospitals.
Arm Bionics
What it does: This Armenian startup develops 3D-printed prosthetic arms.
Whyit’snoteworthy:The bionic arm isrelatively affordable, making ithighly accessiblewithin its region.
ArtSkin
What it does:Develops electronic artificial skin with sensors to restore the sense of touch for people with prosthetic limbs.
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Whyit’snoteworthy:The technology is noninvasive and can be integrated with existing prosthetics.
AWEAR
What it does:Ear-worn EEG device monitors and provides feedback onchronic stress.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Just like a Fitbit tracks steps, this wearable helps people take charge by measuring brain activity to guide them in reducing stress levels.
Talk
What it does: Developing atiny brain implant that communicates with the nervous systemto treatsevere neurological conditions.
Whyit’snoteworthy:The soft material helps the technology safely connect to the nervous system for many years to treat serious diseases.
Care Hero
What it does:Facilitatesa tech-empowered caregiver network for the elderly and disabled.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Addressees the shortageof caregivers by usingtechnologytomaximize howmany patients a caregiver treats.
Che Innovations Uganda
What it does: This Ugandan startup develops medical devices, includingNeoNest, an affordable transport warmer for preterm babies.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Because rural areas of Africadon’thave access to transport incubators.
ELLUSTRESS
What it does: Provides technology that uses AI and image analysis to adjust posture on seats for ergonomic fit.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Iteliminatesthe need to manually adjust chair settings, reduces injures,and enhances productivity.
Endless Health
What it does: Providesat-home health assessments to predict heart health and metabolic disease.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Potential for early disease detection without going to the doctor.
Eos.ai
What it does:Cleaning, compressing, andharmonizing offragmented data stored in electronic medical records.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Standardizing medical data can help improve AI model performance.
Food for Health
What it does: Offers personalized food and grocery shopping guide.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Thestartup’sapphelps consumers choose foods that support their specific health needs with scientific certainty.
GLITCHERS Lab
What it does:Uses video games to collect brain data for health research, especially for Alzheimer’s.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Gamifying cognitive testing to create a large dataset.
Innov8 AI
What it does:Uses AI to analyze social mediaand flag disruptive key narratives.
Whyit’snoteworthy:The tool helps companies quickly notice unfavorable sentiment and reputation risks about their brand.
Lexi AI
What it does:Providesamultilingual, AI-powered medical interpretation.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Fast and cost-efficient medical translations can save lives.
MariTest
What it does: Developingabloodless, rapid diagnostic tool for the early detection and treatment of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Its bloodless technology removes the reliance on medical technicians, accelerating diagnosis in rural areas.
Meo Health
What it does: A tech-enabled recovery program for people suffering from long Covid.
Whyit’snoteworthy:The company’s drug-free approach has been clinically proven to improve patients’ symptoms.
Advise
What it does:An AI-powered platform that uses a smartphone camera to analyze a user’seyelidtomonitorand reduce the risk of anemia and iron deficiency.
Whyit’snoteworthy:The company’s noninvasive test claims to easily and quickly catch anemia.
Near Wave
What it does: This startup’s noninvasive, handheld device claims to be able to measureoxygen saturation and hemoglobin concentrations.
Whyit’snoteworthy:This is a less painful and faster way to collect some of thevital biomarkers.
Neural Drive
What it does:Developing a noninvasive brain-computer interface that allows paralyzed patients to instantly communicate essential and custom messages via a “blink-to-speak” function.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Unlike invasivedevices, itcan restore communication for paralyzed patients quickly and cost-effectively.
NUSEUM
What it does: A B2Bprecision nutrition AI platform that converts an individual’s complex health data into evidence-based food, grocery, and recipe recommendations.
Whyit’snoteworthy:The company’s recommendations can helpfooddelivery,e-commerce, diagnostic,health,and insurance sectorclients offerbetterfood choices to ultimate customers.
Egg Corp.
What it does: Saliva-based hormonemonitorfor helping manage fertility, menopause, and medical conditions like PCOS.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Unlike alternatives, the noninvasive device is reusable.
Pharos
What it does: Automates the extraction of patient safety data from medical records for reporting toregulatoryagencies.
Whyit’snoteworthy:By using AI, Pharoshelps free up clinical stafftime while simultaneously preventing patient deaths and harm.
PillarBiome
What it does: Uses AI to deliver personalized, science-backed health recommendations by analyzing your gut microbiome data.
Whyit’snoteworthy:The microbiome is full of rich data that could provide insights into personalized dietary recommendations for better health.
RADiCAIT
What it does: This Oxford spinout uses AI to transform routineCT scans into PET-like scans, bypassing the need for scarce, costly PET imaging.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Obtaining PET-level insights from a regular CT scan is much faster and cheaper.
Serene Sleep
What it does: A simple, minimally invasive procedure to permanently stop snoring and treat sleep apnea.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Tackles the widespread problem of snoring and sleep apnea, a condition that could otherwise require the use of bulky devices like CPAP masks.
Some Other Place
What it does: This startup, which recently rebranded as Hug, connects users with trained, empathetic human listeners for real-time peer support.
Whyit’snoteworthy:People often feel better after they share worries and emotional burdens without judgment.
SpotitEarly
What it does: An at-home cancer breath test that uses AI technology and trained dogs tosniff out multiple early-stage cancersfrom compounds ina patient’sbreathsample.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Based on studies showing that dogs can use theirstrong senseof smell to detect cancer, this startup is creating a novel method to integrate that unique ability into an early-detection diagnostic.
Sybil Health
What it does: Offers science-backed, holistic therapies, alongside lifestyle adjustments, to help women manage hormonal changes during menopause.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Consults women how to control menopausal symptoms with hormones or throughcomplementary alternative and naturopathic therapies.
Vital Audio
What it does: Uses bioacoustics technology to capture vital signs like heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory metrics from short voice samples.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Enableshealth systems tomonitorthousands of patients, especially ones in remote regions.
VIZQ Technologies
What it does: Uses AI- and VR-powered technology to make speech and language therapy for children more accessible.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Helps bridge the gap created by the shortage of speech therapists.
Vocadian
What it does: Uses voice AI to diagnose fatigue in the frontline workforce.
Whyit’snoteworthy: The company’stechnology could increase productivity and help prevent accidents.
Face Care
What it does: Matches families withbirth and postpartum doulas and care providers.
Whyit’snoteworthy: Part of a wave of digital maternal health and postpartum startups.
Earth Good
What it does:Develops“smart clothing” for athletes that can capture andanalyze heart, muscle, skin, and movements of athletes.
Whyit’snoteworthy:Unlike wearable devices,Zemi’s clothingcaptures a broad range ofbiosignals, which could ultimately help performance.