PharmStars Announces Showcase Event for Inaugural Class

Boston, MA, November 17, 2021 --(PR.com)-- PharmStars, a pharma-focused accelerator for digital health startups, is pleased to announce the start of PharmStars’ Showcase Event. At the Showcase Event, the 12 startups in the accelerator’s current cohort will pitch their digital health solutions to PharmStars’ pharma members. PharmStars’ pharma members include Boehringer Engelheim, Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk, and Sumitovant BioPharma. The startups and pharma members will also have the opportunity to meet privately to discuss potential deals and partnership opportunities. The Showcase is the culmination of PharmStars’ 10-week PharmaU educational program.

PharmStars focuses on bridging the “pharma-startup gap.” Its mission is to help pharma and startups overcome partnership barriers, leading to greater success and faster adoption of digital solutions which improve patient outcomes. PharmStars provides education and mentorship to startups to help them more effectively engage with pharma as clients and partners. Pharma members receive priority access to a group of curated digital health startups that align with the members’ digital health strategies.

PharmStars founder and CEO Naomi Fried says, “The 12 digital health startups in our cohort have been learning about how pharma firms are structured and function. It is wonderful to see them applying all their new knowledge to their business models and pharma value propositions.” Fried says, “The PharmStars team is delighted by our startups’ progress and look forward to seeing the partnerships with our six pharma members that will emerge from this Showcase.”

Startup participants say they have been preparing for this event, and are eager to put what they learned into practice. “We are excited to share the result of many hours spent in class, working on our pitch, and talking through new ideas,” one startup participant says. “In the end, we are confident this hard work will pay off!”

The CEO of another participating startup echoed a similar sentiment. “My team is exceptionally pleased to be part of the PharmStars Showcase. One of the many pearls we took away from the very comprehensive program was exposure to and a great understanding and appreciation for how pharma views startups and collaborations,” says one of the CEOs who participated in PharmaU. “We now have a better sense of how best to position our company and product for this critical customer base."

The six PharmStars pharma members have also eagerly awaited the Showcase event. It is their first opportunity to hear from the startups directly. “We have been looking forward to this event and are excited to hear about the innovative solutions these startups have to offer,” says Martin Ebro, Senior Innovation Lead at Novo Nordisk.

The Director of External Innovation, Connected Health and Devices at Eli Lilly and Company, Jim Parshall, says, “We know these startups have been very busy in their PharmaU classes and we appreciate the investment PharmStars has made in these promising digital health companies. The Showcase is where we will see all of the startups’ hard work pay off.”

Steve Prewitt, Global Head of Innovation at Sumitovant, says, “We have access to 12 outstanding digital health startups through PharmStars. It is a wonderful opportunity for us to partner on our innovation efforts in an efficient and effective way.”

The identities of the digital health startup participants will be shared publicly in a few weeks.

Planning is underway for PharmStars 2022 accelerator program. Details on the cohorts’ timing and themes will be announced shortly. PharmStars is currently still accepting pharma and biotech membership for 2022. Information regarding future cohorts and pharma membership can 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 gap,” leading to greater success and faster adoption of “beyond the molecule” solutions for patients.