By GRAEME OSSEY & JL NEPTUNE

The New York City Economic Development Corporation, in partnership with Health 2.0 and Blueprint Health, is proud to announce today’s kickoff of Pilot Health Tech NYC 2015. Pilot Health Tech NYC is a pioneering innovation initiative: a unique marketplace for digital health technologies, connecting buyers and sellers through curated matchmaking, technical assistance, and competitive commercialization awards.

Since launching in 2013 the Pilot Health Tech NYC program has been a resounding success, stimulating the growth of the digital health ecosystem in New York City and beyond. The program has provided $2,000,000 in funding grants to early-stage health care technology companies working in partnership with key NYC health care service organizations and stakeholders. Pilot Health Tech NYC grant awardees have gone on to raise $170M in venture funding, create more than 100 high-tech jobs, and impact the lives of countless patients in the city of New York.

Pilot Health Tech NYC helps established health care stakeholders, like hospitals and health systems, de-risk their investments in new technology by simplifying the search for market-ready solutions. At the same time, the Pilot program shortens the sales cycle for startups and more established technology vendors by connecting them with forward-looking health stakeholders and supporting relationships that drive economic activity.

The 2015 program will consist of two independent components: the matchmaking program and the funding program. The matchmaking program will selectively identify innovative companies to directly address needs expressed by participating hospitals, clinics, payors and other potential customers (over 30 have participated to date). Two matchmaking sessions will be held each year to connect innovators and stakeholders.

The funding program, will seek applications from innovator and host pairs who have partnered with each other to carry out a pilot project. A panel of expert judges will review the applications and evaluate the submissions based on publicly established criteria. Selected pilot projects will receive funding from NYCEDC, totaling $1,000,000 over three years.

In conjunction with the matchmaking events, there will be also be two roundtable events and a half-day digital health conference. The roundtables, which will be available to innovators selected to participate in matchmaking sessions, will feature discussions with selected host organizations involving key issues facing their organizations. The half-day conference, which will cover the state of health technology in New York, will be open to the public, with tickets available online.

The deadline for applications to participate in the first matchmaking session is October 8th. The first matchmaking sessions will be taking place in New York City on October 28th. The second matchmaking sessions will follow in May 2016. If you have any questions about the matchmaking process please direct your questions to info@pilothealthtechnyc.com.

Graeme Ossey is a senior manager at Health 2.0. Jean-Luc Neptune is executive director at Blueprint Health