PharmStars’ Eighth Cohort to Focus on 'Digital Innovations in Rare Disease' and Include Funding for Startups

PharmStars' 8th Cohort to Focus on “Digital Innovations in Rare Disease” and Include Funding for Startups

PharmStars is accepting applications for its eighth cohort: “Digital Innovations in Rare Disease.” Startups will receive funding. Apply by January 26.

BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, January 2, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- PharmStars, the pharma-focused accelerator for digital health startups, is now accepting applications for its eighth cohort, which will take place in Spring 2025 around the theme “Digital Innovations in Rare Disease.” Startups with a digital product or

prototype in this theme area should apply by January 26, 2025. Startups graduating from this cohort will receive investment funding from the PharmStars Ventures Fund.

PharmStars’ Spring 2025 accelerator program is open to startups with digital health solutions that the biopharma industry can use to improve all aspects of rare disease drug development, treatment, and care. Startups with digital health innovations in patient identification and diagnosis, clinical trial design and execution, and patient care for any rare disease are invited to apply by the deadline.

Beginning in 2025, upon completion of the accelerator, startups will receive investment funding. Graduating startups will receive a $150,000 investment from the PharmStars Ventures Fund.

PharmStars is committed to bridging the “pharma-startup gap.” The accelerator's mission is to help biopharma and digital health startups overcome cultural and other barriers to partnership, accelerating the adoption of digital innovations to improve patient outcomes. PharmaU, PharmStars’ signature education and mentoring program, equips participating startups to effectively engage with pharma companies as clients and partners.

The PharmStars accelerator program is transformative for startups. Scott McQuiggan, co-founder and CEO of Social Cascade and a Fall 2024 accelerator graduate, remarked, “PharmaU is the premier crash course in the pharma industry. It taught me more in 10 weeks than any program I have ever been a part of.”

Each PharmStars cohort theme is selected by PharmStars’ pharma members because of their strong interest in it. The Spring 2025 cohort will comprise startups with digital innovations related to any rare disease. “People with a rare disease often face significant challenges, including limited awareness, delayed diagnosis, and insufficient therapies,” said Naomi Fried, PharmStars’ founder and CEO. “Our pharma members are eager to embrace digital innovations being developed by startups to address these and other issues in rare disease.”

PharmStars’ pharma members will have priority access to the startups that complete the accelerator program. The program will culminate with a private Showcase Event in Boston in May 2025, at which each startup will present to and meet one-on-one with PharmStars’ pharma members.

The Spring 2025 program will be PharmStars’ eighth cohort. Since it launched in June 2021, 79 digital health startups have successfully graduated from the program.

Starting this Spring, a new benefit for participating startups is that they will receive an investment from the PharmStars Ventures Fund when they graduate. Naomi Fried shared, “PharmStars propels the growth of its startups by offering a rigorous education in the pharma industry, exceptional personalized mentoring from former pharma executives, and unmatched access to pharma decision-makers. We’re thrilled to now extend our support of our startups to include funding.”

Applications for the Spring 2025 accelerator program, along with additional details, are now available on the PharmStars website. PharmStars is also accepting a limited number of additional pharma and biotech members for 2025. Membership information can also be found at www.PharmStars.com.

About PharmStars

PharmStars is the only member-based, pharma-focused accelerator for digital health startups. Through our extensive expertise across pharma, startups, digital health, and innovation, we understand the challenges that pharma and startups face when seeking to collaborate. Our PharmaU program supports digital health startups and our pharma members in “bridging the pharma-startup gap,” leading to greater success and faster adoption of “beyond the molecule” solutions for patients. More information at www.PharmStars.com.