PORTLAND, Maine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Unum (NYSE:UNM) and MaineHealth have formed ground-breaking partnerships
with Venture Hall, an innovation center in Portland, Maine, to attract
entrepreneurs and innovators from across the country to create new
solutions for the health care industry. The first-of-its-kind
partnership for Maine will tackle problems that both organizations see
as critical to health care providers.
Through Venture Hall’s highly selective summer accelerator program, both
organizations will support entrepreneurs with mentors, business
resources and subject matter expertise to help start-up teams make
significant, rapid progress toward launching commercially viable
products and services.
“We expect this to be a powerful collaboration,” said Jess Knox,
co-founder of Venture Hall. “The deep industry insight and global reach
that corporate partners like MaineHealth and Unum provide are of
critical value to start-ups-- not just for the teams who participate in
the accelerator program, but for our innovation ecosystem at large.”
Senior leaders in all three organizations worked together to identify
common problems that represent important challenges in their industries.
The “problem statement” they developed together will drive the
recruitment of companies for the 2017 summer accelerator.
“We are very excited about this partnership,” said Mike Simonds, Unum US
president and CEO. “We hear from so many of our health care clients that
they need innovative solutions to support their employees. We see this
partnership with Venture Hall and MaineHealth as an opportunity to
explore and support ways to solve those challenges, while also fostering
economic growth in Maine.”
“Our joining with Venture Hall and Unum to help grow Maine’s startup and
innovation ecosystem is not only critical to MaineHealth, it’s critical
to all of Maine,” Bill Caron, CEO of MaineHealth said. “We are excited
about the vision for Venture Hall and what it means for the future of
MaineHealth and Maine.”
Venture Hall and its partners are seeking early stage companies from
across the country to be a part of their first accelerator cohort
beginning late June 2017. Companies will spend three months in Portland
working through an intense program developed by Venture Hall and its
national partner, Village Capital.
A Washington D.C.- based venture development organization, Village
Capital supports start-up accelerator programs around the world. “When
it comes to developing and launching new products and services, Village
Capital’s programs are state-of-the-art,” said Knox. “We are looking
forward to applying their evidence-based curriculum and investing
methodology, while tapping into their global network of entrepreneurs,
innovators and investors.”
About Unum
Unum Group (www.unum.com)
is a leading provider of financial protection benefits in the United
States and the United Kingdom. Its primary businesses are Unum US,
Colonial Life, Starmount and Unum UK. Unum’s portfolio includes
disability, life, accident, critical illness, dental and vision
coverage, which help protect millions of working people and their
families in the event of an illness or injury. The company reported
revenues of $11 billion in 2016, and provided $6.9 billion in benefits.
About MaineHealth
MaineHealth (www.mainehealth.org)
is a not-for-profit family of leading high-quality providers and other
health care organizations working together so their communities are the
healthiest in America. MaineHealth is ranked among the nation's top 100
integrated health care delivery networks.
About Venture Hall
Venture Hall (www.venturehall.org)
is an educational not-for-profit that supports the development and
success of high-growth and high-aspiration companies. Through a range of
programs, trainings and events, Venture Hall convenes the necessary
talent, insights, connections and capital entrepreneurs need to prepare
themselves, their teams and their products to make an impact on their
chosen markets.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170209005769/en/
Unum Group
Brian Baker, 423-294-7839
Toll free: 866-750-8686
Bbaker4@unum.com
Source: Unum Group