American College of Cardiology Joins with 1776 to Identify, Support Innovative Health Startups

Global Challenge Cup Identifies Entrepreneurs Tackling World's Most Entrenched Challenges

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Nov 12, 2014, 10:30 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American College of Cardiology is partnering with 1776, the global incubator and investment fund, as an association partner in addition to supporting 1776's Challenge Cup – a global competition spanning 16 cities in 11 countries to identify the most promising health startups solving some of the health care industry's biggest challenges.

"Forward-thinking, innovative startups can play a pivotal role in developing new ideas and technologies to help stimulate advances in medicine and science," said American College of Cardiology CEO Shal Jacobovitz. "We are proud to partner with 1776 and Challenge Cup because these new companies have the potential to help us fulfill our mission to transform cardiovascular care and improve health."

As a key part of 1776's incubation model, connecting startups with high-level mentors and corporate partners is just as important as connecting startups to capital and venture funds. Association partners like the ACC introduce startups to potential customers, investors and industry leaders that can take their company to the next level.

As a Challenge Cup partner, the ACC will provide this year's regional winners with an unparalleled opportunity to learn about healthcare and pitch their companies: an all-expense paid trip to participate in its 64^th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego.

"At Challenge Cup, making connections and finding the right mentors to help navigate regulated industries is just as important as connecting with the right investors—and we're proud that ACC recognizes the tremendous potential these startups have to strengthen healthcare for people around the world," said 1776 co-founder Donna Harris.

Candidates for the Challenge Cup competition are startups that are compelling, world changing, and highly scalable, and that aim to make tangible differences in peoples' lives, not just build the hottest new app. Through Challenge Cup, entrepreneurs are not only connected to the investors and mentors they need to succeed, but sponsors and venture partners are introduced to these innovators' fresh ideas that have the potential to solve big, difficult challenges.

Challenge Cup 2015 events are being held in 16 cities, including Washington, Chicago, Sydney, New York City, Tel Aviv, Amman, Santiago, Nairobi, Mumbai, Austin, Toronto, Boston, Berlin, Dublin, San Francisco, and China. Each city will produce four regional winners in four categories—education, energy, health, and cities. The 64 regional winners will further compete at 1776's Challenge Festival in May, a weeklong event in Washington that gives these startups an opportunity to forge deeper connections with the partners that can help them navigate regulation and quickly scale their businesses.

ABOUT THE ACC
The American College of Cardiology is a 47,000-member medical society that is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more information, visit cardiosource.org/ACC.

ABOUT 1776
1776 is a global incubator and seed fund that finds promising startups focused on solving the world's most fundamental challenges and helps engineer their success.

Just shy of two years old, 1776 has helped more than 250 startups grow by vetting their viability and connecting them to a "swat team" of support, from investors to mentors, government officials, and institutional market partners that they need to succeed.

1776 focuses on startups in the most broken, entrenched industries and sectors that impact millions of lives every day – specifically education, energy, health and cities.

Because solving big challenges in entrenched industries requires a different approach, 1776 is revolutionizing the startup landscape. From its hub in Washington, D.C., it is sparking a global movement of "problem-solving' startups through its Challenge Cup and Startup Federation, the premiere network of incubators throughout the world.

By creating a global community of startups, mentors, partners, and investors, 1776 is proving that its unique approach to incubation can create a sustained cycle of innovation that connects existing enterprises, corporations, and government entities to the startups that are solving the world's biggest problems.

1776 was founded in February 2013 by Donna Harris, a serial entrepreneur and former Managing Director of the Startup America Partnership, and Evan Burfield, founder of netDecide, a provider of enterprise wealth management solutions, and the consulting firm Synteractive.

SOURCE American College of Cardiology