KANSAS CITY, MO — April 28, 2026 — Digital Health KC (DHKC) today announced it has awarded a total of $332,750 in project-based funding to eight early-stage companies through its inaugural “Digital Health KC Accelerate” initiative. This funding is designed to propel promising digital health startups toward their next critical milestones, from technology advancements to product validation.
Born from a Build to Scale (B2S) grant partnership with the University of Missouri-Kansas City Innovation Center’s Tech Venture Studio, the Accelerate program supports projects that enhance proof-of-concept. It focuses on well-defined projects such as AI integration and security compliance that require intentional and strategic support to reach the market.
“It’s difficult for early-stage companies to expand their solutions into real-world settings. That’s usually where the momentum stalls,” said Dick Flanigan, FACHE, President of Digital Health KC. “These projects were carefully selected by our review committee to address critical friction points in product development and market entry. By removing these early hurdles, we aren’t just supporting eight companies we are strengthening the entire Kansas City digital health ecosystem.”
Digital Health KC has selected the following eight projects for funding:
- Archia (Gharib Gharibi): Provides managed infrastructure that lets companies deploy AI agents across all major AI providers, including open-weight models, via a single API.
- EZBizPortal (Jonathan Gregory): A medical device lifecycle management platform that connects hospitals and vendors to ensure maintenance compliance and regulatory tracking across the full asset lifecycle.
- Healium (Sarah Hill): A digital health solution using virtual reality and biofeedback to help patients self-manage stress and pain in as little as four minutes.
- KaBloom (Erin Minoski): An innovative online platform designed as a companion to pediatric speech therapy, making home programming strategies quick and effective for families.
- MedCurate (Ashley McClellan): A dual-sided marketplace that leverages technology to connect healthcare providers directly with organizations to fill extra shifts.
- SaRA Health (Steven Coen): A platform that improves patient outcomes via SMS-based engagement, currently serving over 110,000 patients across various orthopedic and therapy practices.
- Scout (Gonzalo Erdozain): A veterinary software company that digitizes dental and anesthesia workflows, transforming clinical data into actionable insights for improved patient safety.
- Trially (Kyle McAllister): An AI-driven platform that automates the end-to-end process of finding, screening, and enrolling patients into clinical trials.
The Accelerate award from Digital Health KC helps companies in Kansas City build and test digital health solutions. Accelerate is part of ongoing efforts to support the local ecosystem. For more information about the program and the winning companies, visit DigitalHealthKC.org.
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About Digital Health KC: Digital Health KC is a non-profit Ecosystem and Entrepreneurial Support Organization (ESO) dedicated to growing the digital health sector in the Kansas City region. Through partnerships, community building, and strategic initiatives like Digital Health KC Accelerate, DHKC provides the resources and network necessary for healthcare innovators to thrive.
