The 2020 LinkedIn Top Startups driving health innovation in the time of Covid

The world has changed because of Covid-19. We see in our daily lives and on a global scale. Change drives innovation, and startups are oftentimes the companies on the frontlines of bringing those innovative ideas to life. LinkedIn News has just announced Top Startups for 2020, and I wanted to use this edition of Making sense of coronavirus to look at those health-related startups that made the LinkedIn Top Startup lists across the world.

From Singapore where one startup is producing affordable, invisible medical braces combined with telehealth, to the U.S. with a startup founded in 2020 that quickly pivoted to roll-out an oral-fluid-swab test for COVID-19, to a virtual care company in Canada that began offering free online coronavirus screenings, startups across the globe are offering a variety of solutions to the problems faced in the time of coronavirus.

These startups aren't only innovating and surviving, they're thriving as well.

The following startups are not listed in any particular order. You can head over to each LinkedIn Top Startup list to see where they stand in the full rankings.

? From Top Startups U.S.

Curative, Biotechnology

?What you should know: Curative, the youngest company on the U.S. list, originally launched in January 2020 to develop tests for sepsis. After seeing the urgent need in early March for coronavirus testing, the company quickly pivoted—and scaled up massively—to roll-out an oral-fluid-swab test for COVID-19. The startup is currently operational within a CLIA-certified lab and working to increase available testing, which can be self administered to ease pressure on hospitals and clinics.

See jobs at Curative | See people you may know at Curative

Mindstrong, Mental health care

What you should know: Mindstrong is a mental health care platform that connects patients with severe mental health conditions (schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder) to therapists, where they can communicate via video, phone or text. The company, which raised US$100 million in May, can also track patients’ smartphone usage patterns to alert therapists that their patients’ mental health may be deteriorating. Mindstrong has been looking for remote therapists and software engineers to respond to growing demand for telehealth services amid the pandemic.

See jobs at Mindstrong | See people you may know at Mindstrong

Carbon Health, Medical practice

What you should know: Carbon Health, a network of tech-enabled medical clinics that combines virtual and in-person care, more than tripled its employee headcount this year, helped by an additional US$28 million of funding in May. Those employees are on the forefront in the fight against COVID-19, operating mobile testing sites and expanding its telehealth platform to 16 states. Carbon Health is also expanding its expertise to help other businesses get back into the office, launching a suite of testing and tracing tools for companies. 

See jobs at Carbon Health | See people you may know at Carbon Health

Trella, Health care

What you should know: Trella Health offers data analytics to home health and hospice care providers. By analyzing over a billion Medicare claims a year, Trella can point these providers to area physicians who may be able to refer them to new patients. The company also provides software that lets home health and hospice care outfits track their own patient data, so they can more easily demonstrate their value to referring doctors. 

See jobs at Trella Health | See people you may know at Trella Health

?? See more: The pandemic has pushed U.S. healthcare into a tech revolution

? From Top Startups Singapore

Homage, Hospital & health care

What you should know: This app matches seniors with more than 1,000 professional caregivers and nurses for on-demand eldercare, and operates in both Singapore and Malaysia. Demand rose for care-giving services due to the circuit breaker with more elderly folk staying home and requiring assistance. In response, senior leaders of Homage pledged part of their monthly pay for six months as part of a S$30,000 fundraising drive to show support and appreciation for their caregivers.

See jobs at Homage | See people you may know at Homage

Zenyum, Retail

What you should know: Zenyum sells affordable invisible braces by combining both telehealth as well as visits to its partner clinics and in-house orthodontists, and printing its aligners with 3D technology. Zenyum raised US$13.6 million in Series A funding from backers including RTP Global, Sequoia India, and TNB Aura in 2019 to fuel its expansion to additional markets, and it is now present in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

See jobs at Zenyum | See people you may know at Zenyum

? From Top Startups Brazil

Zenklub, Mental health care

What you should know: The search for virtual medical assistance during the pandemic has surged in the market in 2020. Because of this new demand, online therapy platforms are projected to grow six times this year compared to 2019. Such conditions helped Zenklub secure a seed contribution of R$16.5 million in May. The investment will be used to improve the company's technology, from products to data security. (Translated from Portuguese)

See more about Zenklub | See people you may know at Zenklub

Conexa Saúde, Telemedicine

What you should know: Conexa Saúde provides telemedicine services to healthcare operators, hospitals and clinics. During the pandemic, the average number of patients treated by the company per day rose from 50 to 15,000. The startup has already brokered 1 million inquiries since January and in June received an investment of R$40 million. (Translated from Portuguese)

See jobs at Conexa Saúde | See people you may know at Conexa Saúde

? From Top Startups Canada

League, Information and technology services

What you should know: League is a one-stop platform for employees to easily manage health and lifestyle benefits. The firm has adjusted some of its own policies in light of the pandemic, including shifting catered lunches to UberEats credits and giving employees the option of permanent remote work.

See jobs at League | See people you may know at League

Maple, Information and technology services

What you should know: This year, the virtual care company began offering free online coronavirus screenings and opened its virtual clinic software to doctors in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada. It’s also working on programs with major health networks to facilitate testing. In the news: Loblaw just announced it is investing CA$75 million for a minority stake in the company.

See more about Maple | See people you may know at Maple

BlueDot, Hospital & health care

What you should know: BlueDot taps into the power of big data and AI to provide an early warning system for infectious diseases. Last December, the firm spotted some “unusual pneumonia” cases in Wuhan, China – days before the World Health Organization released its statement on what would become known as COVID-19.

See more about Bluedot | See people you may know at BlueDot

Dialoge, Hospital & health care

What you should know: Dialogue provides virtual health care (telemedicine) to thousands of employees and their families in Canada. This fall, the company is expanding to offer Employee Assistance Program services, including legal and career counselling, financial services and crisis management. 

See jobs at Dialogue | See people you may know at Dialogue

? From Top Startups France

Alan, Health insurance

What you should know: The 100% online health insurance aims to offer its customers a supplement that is easier to access both in France and now in some European markets. To attract talent, Alan relies on a distinctive culture: no meetings, no managers, the possibility of working anywhere in Europe and transparency on salaries. (Translated from French)

See more about Alan | See people you may know at Alan

Doctolib, Telemedicine

What you should know: This unicorn saw its activity increase dramatically during the lockdown and continues to rise. Teleconsultations went from 3,000 users before March to more than 35,000 in April. Today, 135,000 healthcare professionals have a subscription and 40 million patients are registered on the platform. To cope with this growth, Doctolib still plans to recruit 250 people by the end of the year. (Translated from French)

See more about Doctolib | See people you may know at Doctolib

? From Top Startups India

PeeSafe, Health, wellness and fitness

What you should know: Pee Safe, which has disrupted the female hygiene segment with its innovative offerings, launched products like hand sanitisers, surface protectants and face masks just before the onset of the pandemic. The company has seen a spike in online sales since March, which offset a drop in footfall at physical stores.

See more about Pee Safe | See people you may know at Pee Safe

? From Top Startups Netherlands

Lumicks, Biotechnology

What you should know: Lumicks is a biotech company that develops high-tech equipment researchers can use to analyse interactions between molecules. The startup targets scientists and, according to co-founder Olivier Heyning, there is a great demand for microscopes that can film molecules in that market: "Ultimately, all biology takes place at this level." The company is located in Amsterdam's Zuidas and employs not only engineers but also programmers, designers and sales people. (Translated from Dutch)

See more about Lumicks | See people you may know at Lumicks

? From Top Startups Japan

ExaWizards, Computer software

What you should know: ExaWizards seeks to solve social issues such as the problem of Japan's quickly aging population, with AI technology. Employees with backgrounds such as engineers, consultants, caregivers, nurses, and pharmacists are engaged from home and abroad to work on solving Japan's social issues. (Translated from Japanese)

See more about ExaWizards | See people you may know at ExaWizards

Ubie, Information & technology services

What you should know: More than 200 medical institutions in Japan have already starting using "AI Interview Ubie", which allows patients to be interviewed on their smartphones. The aim is to reduce the burden on medical staff and prevent patients who are afraid of nosocomial infections from having a medical examination in person. In June 2020, Ubie will raised 2 billion yen from Suzuken, a major pharmaceutical wholesaler. (Translated from Japanese)

See more about Ubie | See people you may know at Ubie

?? What to join a startup? There's some things you should seriously consider before joining one, especially during a pandemic. Read more here.

?? Want to check out all the LinkedIn Top Startup lists? Go here.