Nurse Capital, a venture capital firm investing in nurse-led enterprises offering innovative solutions in healthcare, announced its first seed-round investments in two startup businesses that serve patients and nurses with innovative first-of-their-kind products in the medical device and digital media platform spaces.
The companies are:
- Wave Therapeutics: Founded in 2020 by Jessica Bussert, RN, CEO, Chicago-based Wave Therapeutics has developed the first AI-enabled, soft robotics cushioning technology to prevent and treat pressure injuries such as bedsores, which affect 3 million Americans annually. And mobility-impaired people are especially vulnerable to pressure injuries, which can be life-threatening and are the leading cause of 60,000 deaths annually. Wave Therapeutics’ Surf Wheelchair Cushion has been designed to eliminate pressure hot spots on the body that can develop into bedsores. Plus, it combines a pulsing mechanism with its patented analytics platform to promote better blood flow to the heart and lungs. It is believed to reoxygenate affected tissues and properly reduce the risk of damage.
- The Nursing Beat: Described as theSkimm for nurses, Los Angeles-based The Nursing Beat (TNB) is a digital media platform (covered on Pulse 2.0 here) that produces a daily digital newsletter designed for nurses, by nurses. The platform was founded in 2019 by two ER nurses—Tamara AL-Yassin, MBA, RN, and Hannah W. Berns, MHI, RN—who value speed and efficiency. This subscription-based newsletter summarizes the day’s most important news and information that impact nurses and includes valuable resources on the topics they care most about. The company also produces in-person events and professional publications targeted to nurses.
KEY QUOTES:
“As we make our first investments into these two innovative nurse-owned companies, we are not only providing capital but also deploying the strength of our carefully curated network of nurse executive leaders. The expertise and insights of these nurse leaders will be instrumental in accelerating the growth of these ventures, helping them navigate the complexities of healthcare and scale their impact across the industry.”
- Nurse Capital Co-founder Beth A. Brooks, PhD, RN, FACHE
“As experienced healthcare providers themselves, the team at Nurse Capital are the perfect partners for helping to grow our business because they know firsthand the daily challenges care providers face trying to prevent and treat pressure injuries like bedsores. Their real-world experience in this area allowed them to be able to immediately recognize the life-saving technology we’ve created to solve this healthcare crisis, which costs the US economy over $30 billion annually.”
- Wave Therapeutics Founder/CEO Jessica Bussert
“Nurse Capital’s belief in us and their investment are a testament to the critical role nurses play in shaping the future of healthcare. We’re not just growing a media platform. We’re nurturing a community that amplifies the collective voice of nurses and drives positive change in healthcare delivery.”
- The Nursing Beat’s Co-founder and CEO Tamara AL-Yassin
“Nurse Capital is supporting the innovative thinking nurses bring to healthcare with the business knowledge to bring ideas to life. Together, we are empowering nurse entrepreneurs to drive meaningful change in healthcare.”
- Nurse Capital Co-founder Marla Weston, PhD, RN, FAAN
