The Next Big Thing in Healthcare

Build your healthcare startup with insight and support from the leading payer and provider in the mid-Atlantic region

Our Partners

About 1501 Health

1501 Health, a year-long incubation and investment program, provides early-stage companies with investment, expertise and support from the region’s leading payer and community health system.

Healthworx, the innovation and investment arm of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, and LifeBridge Health are leveraging their resources and networks to bolster startups that are changing the future of healthcare and improving the health of members and patients.

What We Offer
shape-dash-circle
what-we-offer

What We Offer

icon-capital
Capital
Receive investment dollars and support with future fundraising efforts
icon-community
Community
Meet with other entrepreneurs and healthcare experts
customer 1
Customers
Refine your brand & value proposition, business strategy & customer pipeline

Personalized programs:

Investment
Secure up to $125,000 to fund your growth through the course of the program
Dedicated Advisory
Access experts dedicated to supporting your business and success in 1501 Health
Community
Build meaningful relationships with other entrepreneurs in your cohort.
Exclusive Access
Connect with Healthworx and LifeBridge Health’s extensive network of experts and partners
Events
Join us for speaker panels, networking, webinars and more
Free Co-Working & Model Clinic
Build, expand, and learn in a premium, no-cost space located in the heart of Baltimore

Startups

Is your healthcare company right for 1501 Health? Consider applying if you are leveraging emerging technologies or have a team that is passionately working on a groundbreaking solution that could:

  • Improve healthcare access
  • Reduce the total cost of care
  • Improve clinical outcomes
  • Improve patient and provider experience

To be eligible to participate you must:

  • Be a healthcare company offering healthcare technologies or services
  • Have a clear, scalable product or model that is currently in or ready to launch into market
  • Have a full-time team
  • Be a for-profit incorporated company

You cannot:

  • Be a pharmaceutical company

Applications are closed for the 2023 cohort. If you'd like to keep in touch with 1501 Health, sign up for our newsletter here

1501 Health operates as a primarily virtual program, with opportunities for in-person collaboration and events when applicable.

1501Health-2022-05-17-4212-1

Ready to make a difference in the way that health works? So are we.

Applications are Currently Closed

Welcome to 1501 Health

Enter your email address to view the program guide. If you need any assistance, please contact us.

Partners

1501 Health is building a network of partners who want to support the success of our participants. Join Healthworx and LifeBridge Health to bring cutting-edge healthcare solutions to life by:

  • Investing in the most innovative startups
  • Educating cohorts of healthcare startups
  • Advising entrepreneurs through one-on-one mentorship
  • Partnering with 1501 Health to deliver tailored support
Get Involved
purpose-driven-partnerships

Meet the Team

Soo Jeon Headshot
Soo Jeon 1501 Health Co-Manager
jordo
Jordan Evans 1501 Health Co-Manager
DSC_5881
Emily Durfee 1501 Health Executive Sponsor
Beck Adam
Adam Beck 1501 Health Executive Sponsor

The 1501 Health operations team is supported by additional thought partners from CareFirst, Healthworx and LifeBridge Health. 

event

Events

  • October 8-11, 2023 PAST | HLTH in Las Vegas

    Are you attending the HLTH conference October 8-11, 2023? So are we!

    Come by our sponsored meeting room in the Las Vegas Convention Center, 2nd floor West Hall room W236, and say hello. 

    Learn more about HLTH below. 

  • April 11, 2023 RECAP | 1501 Cohort Showcase + Graduation

    For this second annual event, attendees had the opportunity to hear from the  graduating cohort companies and welcome the incoming group of entrepreneurs.

    This event was accompanied by light breakfast fare and included networking time with the featured companies, as well as with CareFirst Blue Cross BlueShield, Healthworx and LifeBridge Health leadership, healthcare ecosystem players and media.

    Watch the event recording below.

     

About Healthworx

Healthworx operates at the intersection of healthcare and innovation by creating, co-creating and investing in companies that are improving healthcare quality, accessibility and affordability. As the innovation and investment arm of CareFirst, Healthworx envisions a healthier future for all people by changing the way health works.

About LifeBridge Health

LifeBridge Health is a forward-thinking organization offering the full continuum of care with a community-centric and entrepreneurial culture, fostering innovation across the system. The LifeBridge Health Innovation team collaborates with internal and external partners to find groundbreaking approaches to improve patient experience, access and clinical outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Application

  • What types of companies are eligible?

    We are focused on supporting early-stage healthcare companies to build and iterate on their products, models, and strategies. Therefore, eligible companies have at least one full-time team member, have a product of model solving a key healthcare challenge and have some traction, such as an MVP, pilot, customers, financing, proven impact, or other leading indicators of success. We do not accept companies focused on pharmaceuticals or who would use our space for manufacturing or storage of hazardous substances. 

  • How will a company be selected?

    Our selection process focused on understanding three main areas:

    • Business Viability – Do you have the right combination of idea, traction, team, regulation, financing, and other factors to build a successful business?
    • Healthcare Impact – If successful, will your business contribute to a better healthcare system, such as lowering the overall cost of care, increasing access, improving quality, improving the experience, and/or leveraging new technologies within healthcare?
    • Alignment with 1501 Health – Is 1501 Health, and Healthworx and LifeBridge Health, the right partner to help you achieve your milestones and move forward over the next year?
  • How long will it take to hear a decision about acceptance after I apply?

    Startups should expect to hear a final decision about their application in 8-12 weeks. This time frame may vary slightly based on the volume of applicants. 

  • Are there other ways to get involved with 1501 Health if my startup is not quite ready for this program?

    We are passionate about supporting startup companies that are in a variety of stages. While 1501 Health has a minimum set of criteria to be eligible for participation, we also host events and opportunities where you can get involved. Sign up for news updates to be notified of those opportunities.

  • I missed the deadline – what should I do next?

    We also open new applications on a regular cycle, so please sign up for news updates to be alerted to the next 1501 Health application round.

  • Can I work on my application offline?

    Yes, you are welcome to work on your application offline. Download the word doc version of the application to help you. 

    When you are ready to submit your application, you will need to fill out the online form by Nov. 16. Applications submitted outside of the online form will not be considered.

Investment

  • What is the investment that 1501 Health makes into participants?

    1501 Health invests up to $125,000 int0 participating startups. The investment is broken into four payments with the first payment being made at the beginning of the program. The rest of the investment is paid quarterly based on progress with the program. For more information about the payments, timing and criteria for quarterly investments, download the program guide.

  • What are the terms for the 1501 Health investment?

    There are two types of investments for startup participants. For startups who are closing a fundraising round within 60 days before or after the program start, we will invest on the same terms negotiated by the lead investor in that round. For other startups, we offer a standard SAFE note. For details about the terms, please download the program guide.

  • Are there any other restrictive terms related to participation in 1501 Health?

    We will require a standard side letter, focused on basic information rights and a few other standard terms. However, we will not restrict future fundraising or require exclusivity in any way. We want to be a partner to startups -- when you succeed, we succeed. 

  • Why does 1501 Health make investments in startups?

    1501 Health is committed to providing startups with resources, advice and support to test and scale their healthcare business. The investment is designed to fund the participants' growth throughout the 1501 Health program. 

Program

  • How can I get more information about the program?

    To learn more about the 1501 Health program, download the program guide. If you still have questions about the program, send an email to info@1501health.com.

  • What type of support can I expect from this program?

    Startup companies will be paired with a personalized cabinet of subject matter experts that are well positioned to help them grow and scale their health solution. Cabinet members will provide quarterly support to startups with their value proposition, business model, and strategies as well as ad hoc 1:1 meetings. Additionally, 1501 Health will deliver tailored support projects to support startups growth and success. Tailored support projects are timebound, deliverable-based, and add concrete value to a startup’s growth.

  • How much time will the program take?

    We know that you are busy building your business, so we have designed a one-year program focused on delivering you value as you need it, without being another full-time job. You will be asked to commit a few hours a month to events and meetings. Other than that, you can decide where and how you want to spend time working with mentors and on tailored support projects.

  • Why did Healthworx and LifeBridge Health partner to create the 1501 Health program?

    Healthworx and LifeBridge Health are the region’s leading payer and community health system. Together, in the spirit of innovation, modernization and agility in healthcare, we have formed an incubation program that will foster an ecosystem of entrepreneurship to improve healthcare access, positively impact patient outcomes, and reduce the total cost of care.

  • How will the 1501 Health program be accessed during COVID-19?

    1501 Health operates as a hybrid incubation program. Startups accepted into the program should expect to primarily participate in the program via Zoom, email, and through other virtual collaboration tools. There will also be in-person opportunities to collaborate in our co-working space and model clinic as well as the chance to attend events.

    We are confident that the 1501 Health program has been thoughtfully crafted to ensure startups are getting the most from their experience. Each startup will have a personalized program within 1501 Health and a support team that is built around the needs of their solutions.

Contact Us

Have questions about 1501 Health? Fill out the form to connect with the team, or email info@1501health.com.

bg-two-circles

Internet Privacy Policy

CareFirst Holdings, LLC and its affiliated companies (CareFirst) have policies and procedures to protect the confidentiality of customer and partner information. Below are general guidelines for how we handle your information. It is important to note that all records containing confidential data are handled and discarded in a way that is designed to protect the privacy and security of the information.

How We Secure Your Personal Information

CareFirst respects the need for security regarding your personal information. Whenever you provide personal information, your information will be protected using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. SSL is an industry standard that encrypts the information you provide, to avoid the decoding of that information by anyone other than CareFirst. This technology, however, does not absolutely guarantee the total privacy of information that has been provided to this site.

Information you submit directly to us will remain on our servers or those of our affiliates, secured by various industry approved technologies to prevent unauthorized access to your personal information.

Access to Our Site

If you are using our site from locations such as your place of employment, you may run into problems with firewalls that the system owner has established for security reasons. If this is the case, you may need to complete the information from your home computer where you can control your security settings.

Cookies

Like most commercial websites, we use cookies and other technologies to enhance your online experience and to learn about how you use our website so that we can improve the quality of our services. Cookies are alphanumeric identifiers that we transfer to your computer through your web browser to enable our systems to recognize your browser.

p>

Our cookies will not provide any personally identifiable information about you and do not allow us to gain access to other information on your computer.

Information We Collect

We receive and store certain types of information whenever you visit our site.

CareFirst’s servers automatically record information including your domain name, the IP address from which you entered our site, your browser type and language, the pages you visit on our site, and the date and time of your request.

We do not collect any information that can reveal your personal identity unless you voluntarily provide it, for example when you register for or login to a specific feature of our site.

You may decline to provide personal information to us, block pop-ups and/or refuse cookies in your browser. However, this may result in some of our features or services not functioning properly.

How We Use Your Information

Personally-identifiable information you give us will be used only to provide the service or information you have requested.

We do not sell information about you to any third party and we do not share it with third parties unless it is necessary to complete a request you have made, process a transaction for you, or to comply with the law.

We won't send you any unsolicited e-mail ("spam").

We may combine personal information collected from you with information from other CareFirst services or third parties to provide a better user experience, including customizing content for you.

Links to Other Sites

CareFirst may provide links to other websites not owned or controlled by CareFirst that might be useful or of interest to you. The privacy policy of that site may differ from CareFirst’s. Please review the privacy policy of any site before providing any personal information.

Links to other non-CareFirst websites do not constitute or imply endorsement by CareFirst of the websites, material, products or services described on those sites.

Not Medical Advice

The content on our site is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Seek the advice of your physician with any questions you have about a medical condition.