Applications Are Now Open for 2015 Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator, Powered by Techstars

Mobile health-related startups ready to rev up their businesses are invited to apply to participate in the 2015 Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator, Powered by Techstars. Sprint (NYSE: S) and Techstars announce that innovative startups from around the U.S. and the world, with a focus on mobile health, are welcome to apply. Ten startups will be selected.

Following on the success of the 2014 program, the 2015 Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator, Powered by Techstars will be conducted at the award-winning Sprint Accelerator facility in Kansas City March 9 through June 4, 2015. The 2014 Demo Day drew more than 1,500 attendees.

The Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator, Powered by Techstars, is a three-month, immersive, mentor-driven program for startups. Participating companies relocate to Kansas City for the duration of the program to build and strengthen their businesses. Each company receives up to $120,000 in funding. In 2015, Techstars is adding a first-of-its-kind equity back guarantee.

During the inaugural program last spring, 10 mobile health-related startup teams from across the country and Australia were selected from hundreds of applicants. A diverse group by design, the companies included Sickweather, a platform that mines social media data to provide real-time illness forecasting, and FitBark, creators of a small and stylish activity monitoring device for dogs.

The Sprint and Techstars accelerator has a broad definition of mobile health, which includes animal health as well as human health. Examples of mobile health focus areas:

• Wearables – medical devices, movement tracking, vital monitoring, etc.
• Sensor-driven devices and networks
• Products to help care for parents, kids or pets
• Socially enabled products and services focused on achieving personal health goals
• Health tools that interact with mobile cameras or sensors
• Mobile apps that can diagnose chronic disease or other illnesses
• Medication adherence platforms and apps
• Big Data – platforms for better quality of care and reduced expenditures

Sprint and Techstars are conducting recruiting events around the country for the 2015 Sprint Mobile

Health Accelerator, Powered by Techstars:

Check the website -- additional events will be added.

About Sprint and Its Support for Entrepreneurship

Sprint has a strong history of working with startups in Silicon Valley, Kansas City and around the globe, helping young companies navigate the corporate world and build momentum behind their new businesses. Sprint is committed to supporting the entrepreneurial movement across the country, delivering new business opportunities and spurring the startup spirit within the company. This year, Sprint opened the Sprint Accelerator in Kansas City – home to the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator, Powered by Techstars. The accelerator space also is used to deliver year-round programming, including mentor engagement, STEM programs, entrepreneurial community collaboration and co-working space for startup organizations.

About Sprint:

Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications services company that creates more and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about most. Sprint served more than 54 million customers as of June 30, 2014 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint as the most improved U.S. company in customer satisfaction, across all 43 industries, over the last six years. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America in 2011, 2012 and 2013. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

About Techstars

Techstars is the gold standard for startup accelerators. At the core is our massive interconnected network of over 3,000 successful entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and corporate partners. Techstars helps the most promising startups do more faster. With 13 programs worldwide, our mentorship-driven accelerator programs fund the best companies in the most entrepreneurial communities. Since 2006, over 70% of the 500 companies from almost 40 Techstars programs have received funding, representing approximately $2 billion in market capitalization. More information is available at http://www.techstars.com/.