Nashville summit connects Israeli healthtech startups with U.S. healthcare leaders
Sixteen Israeli companies showcased technologies ranging from clinical AI to patient monitoring and healthcare automation.
More than 30 Israeli healthtech startups traveled to Nashville last week to meet U.S. healthcare executives, investors and operators as they look to expand into the American market.
More than 120 healthcare leaders, founders, investors and operators attended the inaugural Nashville-Israel Health Summit on September 17. The invitation-only event was organized by the Friends of the Tennessee-Israel Caucus and focused on connecting Israeli companies with U.S. healthcare organizations that evaluate and adopt new technologies.
Sixteen startups showcased technologies in areas including clinical artificial intelligence, diagnostic decision support, surgical safety, patient monitoring, behavioral health and healthcare workflow automation. Several of the companies already have clinical pilots or commercial initiatives with U.S. healthcare institutions.
The participating healthcare leaders were affiliated with organizations including HCA Healthcare, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Lifepoint Health, Ascension Saint Thomas, Baptist Health South Florida, University of Rochester Medical Center, Mayo Clinic and Belmont University.
The event gave Israeli founders an opportunity to hear directly from healthcare executives about the clinical, operational and financial considerations involved in adopting new technologies.
“Health systems need innovative clinical and administrative solutions that improve patient care while supporting financial sustainability,” said David Whelan, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Development at HCA Healthcare’s TriStar Division. “I was impressed by the Israeli companies that presented at the Summit and the real challenges they are working to solve.”
For the startups, the event was also an opportunity to develop relationships with potential customers, investors and clinical partners.
“Events like this are invaluable for an early-stage startup,” said Hanan Iserovich, co-founder and CEO of ActualSignal. “In one day, we heard directly from health system leaders about how they evaluate new technologies and what they need from a partner. As we grow beyond our work with U.S. neurology practices, large health systems are our next focus, and Nashville is one of the best places to build those relationships.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee addressed the summit by video and emphasized the importance of the U.S. market for Israeli companies.
“When Israeli companies create something, they need a marketplace to scale it up and to make it profitable and sustainable,” Huckabee said. “That’s why the Nashville-Israel Health Summit is an important way to understand that - but more than understanding it, putting it into practice.”
The summit was supported by a number of organizations, including the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Nashville Health Care Council, FINN Partners, Holland & Knight, Yachad Capital Partners, the Pargh Family Foundation, the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast United States and the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville.
