The California Health Care Foundation

The Health Innovation Fund supports business models with the potential to significantly lower the cost of care or improve access to care in California.

Criteria for investment consideration:

• Significant Impact: Targets health care services, devices, and technologies that reshape or disrupt existing markets by delivering low-cost innovations to a set of customers whose needs are not currently well met. Companies should be able to demonstrate how they will save $25M annually and/or provide new or more timely access for 100,000 people in California.


• Strategic Alignment: Demonstrates a clear connection to CHCF's mission of significantly lowering costs and increasing access to care for Californians. Both for-profit and nonprofit organizations with sustainable, competitive business models are eligible.


• Experienced Management Team: Has experienced CEO and management team with a proven track record, or the ability to attract such a team.


• Scale and Sustainability: Shows potential for significant growth and scale. For-profit organizations should have the potential to be sold or repay debt within a five-to-seven year period; nonprofits must demonstrate clear potential for financial sustainability in that same timeframe.

CHCF will not consider/invest in:

• Companies primarily focused in the areas of healthy food, fitness, pharmaceuticals or biotech.


• Companies or technologies that carry significant FDA risk (i.e. require Class II or Class III FDA approval). Those that require Class I approval should be within 12 months of approval and should have strong clinical data.

• Business Services
• Healthcare Services
• Internet / Web Services
• IT Services
• Medical Devices and Equipment