Create Health Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage digital health startups, has officially launched with the closing of its inaugural fund of $21 million. The firm, co-founded by healthcare industry veterans Emma Cartmell and Amit Aysola, aims to invest in technologies that improve access to care, enhance the patient experience, and facilitate better health outcomes.
The fund’s focus is on business-to-business (B2B) solutions that can be leveraged by payers and pharmaceutical companies to meet various business goals, including improved patient engagement, more effective care journeys, and enhanced recruitment and retention in clinical trials.
“We’ve heard firsthand from payers, providers, and pharmaceutical companies that their business goals are to elevate the patient experience, facilitate better health outcomes, and improve access to care for all, especially those with health disparities,” said Emma Cartmell, co-founder and managing partner of Create Health Ventures. “We know that founders from the healthcare industry intimately understand how to meet these challenges leveraging technology, and supporting them is the most powerful way that we can invest and, in turn, positively impact the healthcare industry.”
The firm’s leadership brings over 45 years of combined experience in healthcare operations and investing. Cartmell, based in Austin, Texas, has a background as a Chief Operating Officer, Chief Revenue Officer, board member, and VC investor, with advisory roles at organizations like Morgan Stanley and UnitedHealthcare. Aysola, based in Chicago, Illinois, has over 20 years of experience in healthcare as a management consultant, operator, investment banker, and VC investor. Together, they have invested in or advised more than 80 high-growth companies, bringing regulatory knowledge, operational expertise, and deep industry relationships to their portfolio companies.
Create Health Ventures places a strong emphasis on investing in payer-facing technologies. As health plan members increasingly seek digital experiences akin to those in other aspects of their lives, there is growing demand for solutions that digitize the healthcare journey. “Health plan members have an insurance card in their wallet without an accompanying digital experience like they do in most other facets of their lives. Payers want to fix that by digitizing the member experience so that they can identify members in need and better help them navigate their healthcare,” said Aysola.
In addition to focusing on payers, Create Health Ventures is investing in technologies that support pharmaceutical companies in recruiting and retaining patients for clinical trials. With the number of late-stage clinical trials on the rise, there is a growing need for more robust and holistic technology solutions in this area. “There is a massive need for innovation in the pharmaceutical field around clinical trials, as the number of late-stage trials are increasing at a fast clip,” added Aysola.
The firm has already made five investments and leverages a limited partner (LP) base that includes foundations, impact investors, and strategic industry partners. Many of these LPs are healthcare industry veterans with successful exits, who actively mentor and support the firm’s portfolio companies. Create Health Ventures also offers a unique value-added services platform to help its portfolio companies scale, including strategic partnerships, executive coaching, business development support, and connections to healthcare industry veterans.
