Digital health is bigger in Texas

Austin is consistently part of the "next Silicon Valley" discussion, though if you asked its residents, they would say Silicon Valley and the other tech cities around the world are part of the debate to be “the next Austin”.

So how can a city with the slogan “Keep Austin Weird” be like any other?

Short answer: it can’t. Known for its perpetual liveliness, the State Capitol is home to South By Southwest, Torchy's Tacos, and the Hook ‘em Horns, and while SXSW has Austin on the tech map for years, the health tech scene has stealthily built itself into one of the most promising scenes in the U.S.

With several top-tier health systems and academic medical centers mixed with its established tech industry, it was only a matter of time before the two merged to create a health tech empire in the Lone Star State.

Austin’s growing health tech roster

From Chiron Health defining the future of intelligent telemedicine to Medici and Vital Interaction each bringing a unique angle to improving patient engagement, Austin is home to many innovative health tech companies tackling one of healthcare's biggest challenges: keeping patients healthy and out of the hospital while driving down cost.

WeInfuse is reducing confusion and decreasing risk for Infusion Center managers and patients by capturing new insights to infusion treatments. NarrativeDx is taking a new approach to patient satisfaction and making data meaningful and impactful.

Patient care doesn't stop when the patient leaves the hospital or clinic, and companies realize there are major opportunities to improve the patient experience beyond the doctor's office. EverlyWell is bringing laboratory tests to patient's homes, providing people with easy-to-read results without an in-person lab visit, and Rappora's Remote Patient Monitoring solutions give providers 24/7 visibility of their patients to reduce readmissions and prevent problems before they occur.

These companies (and many more) are working to address some our nation’s core healthcare challenges, and they have the added benefit of being able to collaborate, innovate, and even compete in the same area. Like with Silicon Valley, fostering innovation in the same physical location enables the industry as a whole to share best practices and grow faster. Austin is already an exciting city, and we're looking forward to watching it grow into a health tech industry capitol.

There are numerous health tech companies rethinking patient care and making waves in Austin. They've been on our radar for a while, and whether you're a health tech geek or just a casual fan of innovative technology, we encourage you to check them out:

If you know any companies that we missed, please let us know in the comments!