FAQ
What to Expect
Caduceus LAUNCH is an entry point into the Caduceus Capital ecosystem and is designed to propel pre-seed digital health startups toward transformative impact and profitable growth. With access to unparalleled networks, seasoned healthcare leadership, and ongoing support, we ensure that innovative ideas thrive—not just during our formal program, but for the long haul. Under the guidance of managing principal Dr. Mitch Morris, a proven leader with decades of experience in the US health system, Caduceus LAUNCH provides world-class mentorship to guide your vision to fruition. Caduceus Capital has assembled an exceptional team of mentors and faculty from across the healthcare industry who fully support you in the program.
The companies selected for the cohort must have a Minimal Viable Product which can serve providers, payers, employers, and/or consumers. It must be a product or service that has digital health as the underlying enabler.
The formal accelerator program is three months in duration; one intensive week in Nashville (required) and the remainder virtual, working closely with the mentorship team. Following this period, we continue to work closely with the founders to assist you with fund raising, sales, talent, and other domains. Our goal is to eventually provide LAUNCH companies with Seed/A levels of funding based on your achieving agreed upon milestones.
Terms
- Typical investment: $150K via a SAFE
- Valuation Cap: $2M
- Services Fee: $50K for access to accelerator resources
- 7.5% Equity
- Potential Series Seed capital raise from Caduceus Capital Partners: Up to $1-3M through Fund II
- Additional follow-on investment potential from Fund II and Fund II SPVs
FAQ
What is the Caduceus LAUNCH curriculum?
Caduceus LAUNCH content explores themes including:
- Team & Talent: Hiring, equity strategy, leadership coaching, and early organizational design.
- Fundraising & Financials: Pitch development, cap table structure, budgeting, valuation, and investor outreach.
- Marketing & Brand Building: Founder storytelling, thought leadership, social media, and visibility strategy.
- Market & Customer Strategy: Payer/provider segmentation, go-to-market planning, pilot design, and sales enablement.
- Technology & Compliance: Product development strategy, electronic health record integration, HIPAA/SOC 2 readiness, and SaaS/FDA considerations.
- AI & Emerging Technologies: Deployment in clinical settings, responsible AI, and compliance in healthcare AI.
Our learning approach includes:
- Live, interactive sessions led by seasoned experts
- Ongoing support and electives
- 1:1 mentorship and insights from the extensive Caduceus network
- Case-based learning and peer forums
- Fireside Chats with successful digital health founders
What can I expect from the Caduceus LAUNCH experience?
Caduceus LAUNCH begins with a 12-week hybrid accelerator for digital health startups, designed to equip founders with the strategic insight, operational tools, and healthcare-specific expertise necessary to scale. Each session is led by experienced operators, investors, or industry leaders, blending real-world insights with tactical frameworks. The program begins with an in-person kickoff week and continues with weekly virtual sessions, mentoring, and elective deep dives tailored to individual company needs.
Week 1: On-Site Kickoff
Core Topics
- U.S. Healthcare Landscape & Stakeholder Mapping
- Building and Leading a Startup Team
- Market Fit and Business Model Design
- Health Tech Infrastructure, Compliance, and Interoperability
- Minimum Viable Product Development
- Marketing and Thought Leadership
- Fundraising in Digital Health
- Managing the Legal Function in Startups
- Budgeting and Forecasting
- Exit Strategy and Strategic Growth
- Pitch Deck Fundamentals
- Regulatory and Compliance
Activity Sessions
- Business Model Canvas Workshop
- External VC Panels
- Fireside Chats with Caduceus Portfolio Entrepreneurs
- Pitch Workshop
- Networking Meals with Peers and Mentors
Weeks 2-12: Virtual Programming
Weekly Sessions on Elective Topics Including:
- Technology and Product Strategy
- Understanding the Provider Landscape
- Business Model Validation & Healthcare Marketing and Positioning
- Building and Managing a Scalable Sales Engine
- Digital Health Compliance & Regulatory Strategy
- Hiring, Structuring, and Retaining Your Team
- Startup Finance Fundamentals
- Responsible AI in Healthcare
- Go To Market Strategy & Customer Acquisition
- Fundraising Strategy & Investor Readiness
- Healthcare Sales & Strategic Partnerships
- Dedicated Mentor Engagement with Tailored, Actionable Feedback
Post-Program Bespoke Interactions
Ongoing support from your mentor and the Caduceus Team:
- Introductions to other VC in our space
- Assistance with market strategy and sales support
- Access to Caduceus Talent for building out your team
- Periodic virtual sessions covering topics of interest to all our cohorts
- Access to digital health tech services through our partnership with HITLab at Columbia University
- Potential Series Seed capital raise from Caduceus Capital Partners: Up to $1-3M through Fund II based on achieving agreed upon milestones
What makes Caduceus LAUNCH different from other programs?
LAUNCH is an AcceleratorPLUS. While we will cover many of the usual topics around the blocking and tackling of building and funding a company, LAUNCH directly adds value to founders with:
- Access to the Caduceus Venture Partners who have decades of experience in strategy, operations, and technology in real world healthcare.
- Access to a deep and wide network of health systems, payers, and technology-based companies to help pressure test your solutions and build revenue.
- An opportunity for further funding from Caduceus Capital.
- An ongoing relationship for coaching and mentoring after the formal 12-week program.
- Program flexibility to leverage the vision and past experiences of founders to provide the highest potential for a successful LAUNCH.