Jumpstart Nova

Jumpstart Nova Research Investment Thesis Jumpstart Nova is a specialized healthcare venture capital firm focused on backing exceptional founders building transformative healthcare companies. Founded in 2020 by Marcus Whitney in response to America's racial reckoning, the fund was established as the first Black healthcare venture capital firm in America, committing to address chronic underinvestment in Black founders. With Fund II launched in 2025, Jumpstart Nova has expanded its investment remit to all founders while maintaining its commitment to healthcare innovation. The firm's core thesis is that venture capital is the platform for future workflows, therapies, and leaders in US healthcare. They believe that founders who, when paired with strategic capital and an engaged investor partner, can transform healthcare by building valuable, impactful companies that lower costs, improve patient outcomes, and increase the speed of positive change in the American healthcare system. Investment Focus Areas Jumpstart Nova invests across five primary healthcare subsectors: Health IT : Technology-enabled healthcare administration and management platforms Digital Health : Digital-first healthcare delivery and patient engagement solutions Tech-enabled Services : Healthcare services enhanced with innovative technology Consumer Health & Wellness : Direct-to-consumer health and wellness platforms Medicaid Services : Technology and service innovations serving Medicaid populations Stage & Check Size Jumpstart Nova specializes in seed and Series A investments: Seed Stage : Typical check size $500K - $2M Series A Stage : Typical check size up to $5M Minimum Check Size : $100K Maximum Check Size : $5M The fund prefers to be an engaged, active investor, often taking board seats and providing operational support beyond capital. Lead Tendency Jumpstart Nova demonstrates a strong pattern of leading investment rounds. Portfolio founder testimonials consistently highlight the firm's role as lead investor, strategic partner, and board member. The firm actively sources deals, conducts deep technical and market due diligence, and commits to hands-on partnership with portfolio founders. Recent Activity & Fund Status Fund II Activity (2025): Jumpstart Nova Fund II is actively deploying capital and recently reached an expanded hard cap. The fund has made investments including: Q4 2024/Q1 2025: Feno (oral health platform) - $6M seed round 2024: Mae (maternal health) - oversubscribed seed round led by Jumpstart Nova Portfolio: 9 active companies across health IT, digital health, and tech-enabled services Fund Status : Actively deploying, Fund II momentum strong with continued deal flow and follow-on capacity Last Known Activity : February 2026 (research session date) Portfolio Highlights Jumpstart Nova's portfolio spans innovative healthcare solutions: Mae - Culturally responsive digital-first maternal health platform for underserved expectant mothers, particularly Black mothers facing striking health disparities. Led by Maya Hardison. Therify - Personalized mental health benefit platform for companies, matching employees with therapists, coaches, and digital content. Co-founders: James Edward Murray, Warren Sadler. Feno - Oral health platform integrating hardware, software, and services for exceptional care. Co-founders: Kenny Brown, Hamiet Watt. Raised $6M seed. Time Study - Leading platform for hospital time studies, improving operational efficiency and patient care outcomes. Intus Care - Predictive analytics platform for geriatric health, serving dual Medicare/Medicaid eligible seniors. Health Cost IQ - Enterprise SaaS platform using smart algorithms to reduce healthcare costs for employers, eliminate inefficiencies, and identify fraud. SoHookd - Wellness hub for enterprises helping healthcare carriers and employers retain and support populations. Alerje - Food allergy management innovation startup improving quality of life for those with life-threatening food allergies. Teamwork Healthcare - Tech-forward Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services for children with autism in New York. Team & Partnership Marcus Whitney, Founder & Managing Partner Founding Partner of Jumpstart Health Investors (JHI) Author of Amazon #1 best-selling book "Create and Orchestrate" Co-founder and minority owner of MLS's Nashville Soccer Club Board member: Healthcare Finance Management Association, Celtic Bank, Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation, OZ Arts, Scott Hamilton CARES Aspen Health Innovators Fellow Featured in CNBC, Inc., NPR, Fast Company, The Atlantic Kathryne Cooper, MBA, General Partner Previously co-directed the largest FDA-backed medical technology accelerator (The Consortium for Technology & Innovation in Pediatrics) Authored seminal research on healthcare venture investment for California Health Care Foundation Subject of award-winning case studies taught at universities worldwide Education: BA Human Biology (Stanford), MBA (USC Marshall), Certificate in Venture Capital Finance (UC Berkeley Law) Started career in medical school before transitioning to business side Board member: Los Angeles Venture Association, Plug In Ventures, Bertran F. Cooper M.D. Scholarship Fund (Howard University College of Medicine) Featured in Pitchbook's 83 Black Founders and Investors to Know (2024) Speaker at Milken Institute Global Conference, Aspen Ideas Fest Shannon Emley, VP Finance & Accounting CPA with MBA from Duke University MS in Accounting from Liberty University BS from Houghton University Manages financial operations, planning, audit/tax, and quarterly valuations across JHI platform Geographic Preferences Primarily United States (Nashville, Tennessee and Los Angeles, California headquarters), with demonstrated network and experience across US healthcare ecosystems. The dual coastal presence (East and West) provides geographic diversity and different market perspectives. Decision Process Jumpstart Nova employs a partnership-based decision process . Leadership testimonials indicate: Active engagement from the start of founder relationship Board seat participation and operational advisory Hands-on partner approach ("roll sleeves up to help") Strong critical thinking and product feedback on market fit and strategy Proactive facilitation of introductions and strategic partnerships Decision Timeline Based on portfolio activity and founder feedback, decision timeline appears to be 2-4 weeks for qualified opportunities with active engagement. Warm Introduction Preference While not explicitly stated, founder testimonials and fund structure suggest warm introductions through Jumpstart Health Investors network are preferred. The platform nature of JHI suggests established relationships facilitate deal flow. Typical Involvement Jumpstart Nova takes board seats and provides operational advisory involvement. All portfolio founders interviewed highlighted hands-on partnership including: Strategic advisory and product feedback Network introductions and partnerships Operational support for mission-critical initiatives Long-term commitment to founder success Anti-Thesis Based on investment focus, Jumpstart Nova does NOT invest in: Destructive or exploitative healthcare business models Companies that worsen health equity (anti-mission) Pure medical device manufacturing (outside thesis) Pharmaceutical development (outside scope) Healthcare providers without technology differentiation Notable Recognitions Named by American Hospital Association (AHA) as 1 of 3 firms leveling the playing field in health equity investing (2023) - promoted to 22,000 healthcare executives Fund I : Historic $55M close in 2020, exceeded $30M target Fund II : Expanded hard cap, building on Fund I success Team : Both partners featured in major publications (Pitchbook, featured conference speakers) Founder Preferences Portfolio analysis reveals Jumpstart Nova backs: Diverse founders : Emphasis on Black and underrepresented founders (Fund I legacy), now all founders Mission-driven : Healthcare impact and solving healthcare disparities (Mae, Alerje, Teamwork) Experienced operators : Founders with clinical backgrounds (many CEOs have healthcare credentials) or healthcare expertise Scalable solutions : Both tech-enabled services and digital health with clear paths to significant outcomes Underdog companies : Solving problems the industry overlooked Fund Structure & Performance Jumpstart Nova operates as the institutional, strategic seed fund of Jumpstart Health Investors (JHI), America's most active early-stage healthcare venture capital firm. The fund benefits from: Access to JHI's broader healthcare network Co-investment opportunities with JHI funds (Capital for Series A, Foundry for accelerator companies) Shared operational resources and expertise Platform effects from Jumpstart Health Insight (research division) Investment Criteria Based on website and portfolio: Mission alignment : Improving healthcare access, reducing costs, improving outcomes Founder quality : Exceptional entrepreneurs with healthcare domain expertise Market opportunity : Addressing significant healthcare pain points Scalability : Potential to impact millions of patients/users Traction : MVP or early customer validation preferred Team : Co-founder combinations with clinical + business expertise preferred Unique Strengths Healthcare Expertise : Fund leadership and team have deep operational healthcare experience Network : Access to 20+ years of healthcare venture investing relationships Operational Support : Hands-on partnership model beyond just capital Diversity Lens : Commitment to health equity and backing underrepresented founders Platform Access : Benefits of JHI ecosystem with multiple fund tiers Thought Leadership : Team actively shapes healthcare VC industry discourse Recent Momentum The fund has demonstrated: Continued deployment momentum in 2025 Strong portfolio performance (Mae's oversubscribed round, Feno $6M raise) Expanded investment remit (Fund I focused on Black founders, Fund II open to all founders) Recognized expertise in health equity investing Active thought leadership and speaking engagements from team