Catalyst by Wellstar, the innovation and venture arm of Wellstar Health System, has been awarded the prestigious Plug and Play Corporate Innovation Award for advancing healthcare through meaningful partnerships and rapid, scalable innovation. The selection committee recognized Catalyst’s bold contributions to shaping the future of healthcare through strategic startup collaboration, forward-thinking investments, and real-world implementation.
Since forming a partnership with Plug and Play in February 2024, Catalyst has tapped into the platform’s global community to source and evaluate hundreds of startups that have led to investments in companies such as Gabbi to support early breast cancer detection for young and underserved women, and Venteur to develop personalized health benefits navigation.
“Catalyst isn’t just responding to the future of healthcare—they’re helping shape it,” said Ayah Hamdan, Director & Ventures, Health at Plug and Play Tech Center. “Their proactive engagement with startups like Gabbi and Venteur, as well as their openness to pilot novel technologies, stood out. Catalyst consistently drives innovation that challenges the status quo and improves patient and provider experiences alike.”
Each year, Plug and Play—one of the world’s largest and most influential innovation platforms—honors outstanding corporate partners across industries that drive measurable change.
“At Catalyst, we believe that by working together across industries and exploring bold ideas, we can help create a future where care is more connected, accessible, and human-centered,” said John D. Cooper, Vice President of Venture Investments for Wellstar Health System and Head of Venture Investment for Catalyst by Wellstar. “Whether it’s supporting early detection through Gabbi or easing the burden on care teams through automation, we’re focused on making a meaningful difference—one thoughtful step at a time.”
In addition to its work with Plug and Play, Catalyst continues to engage with innovative startups across the healthcare landscape, forging relationships with companies developing scalable solutions for more personalized, sustainable, and effective care delivery.
“Activating our partnership with Plug and Play was a bold step in Catalyst’s earliest days that has paid off with breakthrough deal flow, a thriving innovation network, and a platform to elevate our voice among visionary founders,” said Stefanie Diaz, Associate Director of Innovation for Catalyst by Wellstar.
Catalyst has embraced a hands-on, action-oriented model—evaluating, piloting, and scaling technologies that reduce friction in care delivery, support caregivers, and improve patient outcomes.
As part of Wellstar Health System, one of Georgia’s largest and most integrated health systems, Catalyst operates at the intersection of idea and execution—ensuring that new technologies and care models don’t just work in theory, but thrive in practice.
