MM&M launched its third annual program designed to make beyond-the-pill collaboration a larger part of the digital health landscape.

Now known as Startup Showdown, this program is designed to enable entrepreneurs and biopharma marketers to engage in an intelligent way to explore beyond-the-pill partnerships. 

The first two years of the program saw interest from a host of startups vying to offer services in such disruptive areas as online diabetes coaching, A.I.-driven calls to seniors, and predictive analytics to improve medication adherence.

See also: MM&M conference to explore beyond-the-pill

The program is competitive. Startups enter via an online portal, submitting their one-sheets and a video describing their value proposition for working with a biopharma or medical device firm. Entrants should be prepared to articulate how their solution could add value for one of these kinds of companies. 

MM&M has recruited “sharks” with experience in the biopharma, medical device, hospital, health tech, and VC areas for judging. After a qualifying round to narrow down the finalists, a winner is chosen live at our spring conference, MM&M Transforming Healthcare, held May 1 in New York City.

Jason Hendeles, co-founder of Care Angel, a virtual caregiving assistant, won the 2016 challenge and received the opportunity to pitch dRx Capital, the joint investment company of Novartis and Qualcomm, and to discuss beyond-the-pill collaborations with the pharma and medical device judges on the panel. Care Angel also won a two-day immersion process with McCann Health to assist in achieving goals from a go-to-market perspective.

The submission deadline is Monday, April 10. Startups can access the portal here.

See also: Care Angel wins 2016 MM&M Shark Tank challenge

The 2017 winner will also include one digital honoree: an entrant whose submission garners significant audience voting and engagement on MM&M social channels. The finalists, chosen based on the judges’ online scoring, will be promoted on MM&M‘s website and social channels in advance of the conference. The audience will pick their favorite via likes, retweets, and/or shares and mentions. This honoree will be also announced at the conference. 

Entrepreneurs who have questions concerning eligibility for the program can contact Cara Crew.