October’s innovATL, which includes Venture Atlanta next week, kicked off last night with the Atlanta Startup Awards. Catalyst by Wellstar was a nominee for the Corporate Customer of the Year category, which celebrates companies that have significantly invested in the Atlanta entrepreneurial ecosystem through programs, investments, business opportunities, and other resources for local startups.
Dell for Startups won this category, and we were proud to be alongside them, Cox Enterprises, JPMorgan Chase and Norfolk Southern in the running for this prestigious award.
MapHabit, an ATDC portfolio company and pilot partner with Catalyst, won Best Startup for Good Award. This startup is dedicated to helping individuals with cognitive decline live more independently.
At Catalyst, we believe that supporting startups like MapHabit is key to shaping the future of healthcare. Our involvement goes far beyond financial backing — we provide startups the opportunity to pilot their solutions within Wellstar’s extensive clinical network, ensuring real-world testing and scaling potential.
We were elated to see numerous Engage portfolio companies like Cloverly and Aetos Imaging be recognized, as well as founders like Dr. Patricia Marsh from Ask Me Your MD, who was a guest speaker at a Catalyst Think Tank, win Best Underrepresented Founder Startup.
Supporting Local Startups and Entrepreneurs
Over the past year, Catalyst has worked closely with numerous Atlanta-based startups, fostering growth and success. Key partnerships include:
– vflok: We incubated and launched this revolutionary workforce optimization solution, which automates and reduces the scheduling burden of nurse managers and schedulers.
– Engage VC HealthTech Vertical: As the sole healthcare investor, we have piloted over seven startups from the partnership and scaled five enterprise-wide.
Our contributions also extend through investments in the Atlanta-based Noro-Moseley Partners, supporting B2B software and healthcare companies. Since 1983, they have partnered with exceptional CEOs to scale high-growth businesses, emphasizing sustainable economic models and long-term success.
In May 2023, we launched the Catalyst by Wellstar venture fund, actively deploying capital to reshape healthcare across Atlanta and beyond. This year, we opened a new innovation center in midtown, further embedding ourselves into the heart of Atlanta’s tech and innovation scene.
Our work has been recognized on the national stage, including participation in a roundtable on women’s health research with First Lady Jill Biden. In addition, we continue to sponsor the Startup Showcase Live at Venture Atlanta, awarding $500,000 in investment to promising founders.
Through our partnerships, investments, and extensive healthcare resources, we aim to support the next wave of healthcare innovation, positioning Atlanta as a leading tech and healthcare hub.
“This effort to become a top 5 tech hub is going to require us to work together, to draw circles instead of lines,” said Donnie Beamer, City of Atlanta’s Senior Technology Advisor.
Catalyst by Wellstar’s nomination as Corporate Customer of the Year underscores our commitment to the Atlanta startup ecosystem.
