What is the approximate stakeholder breakdown of your ecosystem?
Our ecosystem includes a diverse cross-section of healthcare innovation stakeholders:
- Health Systems & Payers: Including some of the largest nonprofit health systems in the U.S. (e.g., BJC, Mercy) and top payers like Centene and Express Scripts.
- Investors & VCs: National and regional investors supporting early and growth-stage health tech companies.
- Digital Health & MedTech Innovators: Both U.S.-based and international startups seeking to commercialize in the U.S.
- Academic & Research Institutions: Including Washington University School of Medicine, a top-five research medical school.
- Public/Nonprofit Partners: Local government, economic development organizations, and philanthropic partners supporting ecosystem infrastructure.
Who are the top 3 champions from your Ecosystem?
- BJC HealthCare – One of the largest nonprofit health systems in the U.S., BJC has been a foundational partner in advancing innovation adoption and piloting new solutions across its 15-hospital network.
- Washington University School of Medicine – A top-five U.S. academic research institution, WashU is a hub for cutting-edge research in cancer, infectious disease, aging, and more, and actively collaborates with innovators to translate science into care.
- Mercy Virtual – A pioneer in virtual care, Mercy Virtual supports and scales innovative solutions across a $7.5B health system with a world-class virtual care infrastructure.
- Centene Corporation, the largest Medicaid managed care organization in the U.S., committed to deploying new innovations for underserved populations.
What EU funding/collaboration are you involved with, or you would like to be part of?
While we are not currently engaged in EU-funded initiatives, GlobalSTL actively recruits European digital health and medtech companies for U.S. market entry through our Health Innovation Summit and year-round business development platform. We have built strong relationships with organizations including Scottish Development International, the NHS Innovation Accelerator, Barcelona Health Hub, Health Founders Estonia, and Enterprise Ireland, among others, to support transatlantic collaboration and commercialization.
What are the key priorities and themes for your ecosystem?
Our priorities are tightly aligned to pressing challenges in U.S. healthcare:
- Strengthening financial sustainability of healthcare systems
- Addressing workforce shortages and burnout
- Enabling seniors to age at home and supporting caregivers
- Driving value-based care transformation
- Improving health equity by better serving underserved and high-utilizer populations
- Integrating fragmented care journeys into cohesive patient-centered experiences
Could you highlight some services, solutions or champions from your ecosystem that target the following areas:
1) Women’s Health
GlobalSTL is actively scouting innovators in maternal health, fertility, and remote OB/GYN care. We welcome European partnerships to address critical gaps in women’s health outcomes.
2) Healthy Ageing
Our ecosystem includes health systems and startups focused on aging in place, remote monitoring, fall prevention, and caregiver support. Several companies showcased at our summit have targeted senior care as a core use case.
3) Mental Health
Through collaborations with major PBMs and payers, we support the adoption of scalable digital mental health tools, particularly for underserved populations and Medicaid members.
4) Cancer
Washington University’s NCI-designated Siteman Cancer Center is a global leader in cancer research. We also support startups offering care navigation, biomarker diagnostics, and survivorship platforms through our summit and advisory services.
What is your primary strength as an ecosystem?
Our greatest strength is the unique business development platform that BioSTL Global has built—linking international innovators directly with decision-makers at U.S. healthcare organizations representing over 10% of national healthcare spend. We serve as a trusted connector and commercialization accelerator, converting innovation into real-world revenue and outcomes through curated, outcome-oriented engagements.
As a final note, we invite global startups and innovation ecosystems to apply for our BioSTLGlobal Health Innovation Summit (August 26–28, 2025). This is a curated event focused on commercialization and business development. Participants pitch to and meet with major U.S. healthcare buyers (including Centene, BJC, Mercy, Express Scripts, and more) through 1:1 meetings and targeted networking.
Learn more and apply at: biostl.org/health-innovation-summit
