Specialist health incubator fund Rock Health has announced a new partnership with leading Silicon Valley venture capitalist firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, which will mean the amount each of its start-ups receives will increase to US$100,000 from the previous amount of US$20,000.  Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is joined by existing investors Mohr Davidow Ventures, Aberdare Ventures and the Mayo Clinic. Applications for firms interested in receiving support in the latest round opened on August 28.

Rock Health is a non-profit venture and takes no equity in the firms it supports with seed capital. Its five-month accelerator programme goes wider than financial support to include access to experts, mentors and office space.  

In terms of factors behind Rock Health’s popularity, beyond its individual performance, there are obviously wider factors at play. The firm pointed to how the passage of the US Affordable Care Act means innovations in health technology are now seen as a way to improve patient health while cutting costs.

The announcement also commented that the sector was “ripe for digital technology disruption”. In addition, founder and CEO Halle Tecco commented to GigaOm of the “siloed” nature of healthcare. Both are classic observations about the industry which nonetheless poses significant obstacles to would-be investors.