PowerUp
About the Program
HBCUFI, the Humana Foundation, Nex Cubed, and the UNC Eshelman Institute of Innovation have partnered to identify and support the unlimited potential of untapped innovators, connecting top talent with investment and advisory support to launch their best ideas.
PowerUp aims to catalyze social and economic impact by empowering diverse innovators who are focused on improving health outcomes for their communities. Partnering with HBCUs and healthcare systems that serve underrepresented populations, we plan to bring a best-in-class venture studio model to bring better health inequity solutions to underserved communities that can scale and benefit us all.
PowerUp will work within underserved communities to identify, test, and/or launch new scalable digital health advantaged startups.
Within 3 years, PowerUp proposes to deliver 6 validated venture concepts from diverse communities, 6 diverse founders ready to lead and 3 venture-based start-ups.
Year One
HBCUFI is teaming up with the Humana Foundation, Nex Cubed, UNC Eshelman Institute of Innovation First In Venture Studio, North Carolina A&T, and other regional partners to run an innovation venture sprint starting in Q1 2023 that aims to build and co-create a venture backable startup company that addresses health equity issues in food insecurity and mental health.
The PowerUp process will use a structured diligence process to down-select and identify the most promising venture. Over an 8-week period, we will assemble a team of advisors and subject matter experts to perform market analysis, conduct a tech assessment, develop a product roadmap, and test financial assumptions process to fully assess the opportunity. We will look for pre-seed funding and founding talent to launch this new digital health company ideally in the Greensboro ecosystem.
