2023 at Genius Guild: Generating Alpha+ By Investing in Communities

At Genius Guild this year, we continued to focus on generating what we call “Alpha+.” Our portfolio companies invest in the well-being of communities and provide outsized returns for investors, founders, and communities. 

With the U.S. spending more on healthcare than any other country, we are proud that so many of our portfolio companies are working to reduce healthcare costs, increase healthcare access, and improve health literacy. That’s why we invested in Juno Medical, which is revolutionizing primary care access in predominantly Black communities by providing a one-stop office for pediatrics, women’s health, mental health, and primary care; Backpack Healthcare, which provides culturally intentional, sensitive, and inclusive pediatric mental health care to diverse populations; and Health in Her HUE, a digital platform that aims to lessen the racial disparities found in healthcare by empowering communities of color to take control of their health and learn about the health and wellness issues that affect them the most.

Our companies continue to grow exponentially. Juno Medical opened two new locations this year–one in Atlanta and one in the historic Greenwood district of Tulsa. Their Tulsa office is the first Black-owned medical clinic on Black Wall Street in 50 years. 

Backpack Healthcare (formerly Youme Healthcare) rebranded after acquiring Hurdle Health. They also acquired SHE Health, a New York City-based startup offering mental and sexual health services for young adults. Genius Guild was proud to invest in Backpack’s latest funding round, which raised $1.6 million in the third quarter of 2023. 

And Health in Her HUE collaborated with skincare company Aveeno and supermodel Chanel Iman to address the underdiagnosis, care, and treatment of sensitive skin conditions on Black skin. They also launched a new fibroids-focused Care Squad, which aims to help their users understand fibroids and how they can affect other health conditions. Our managing general partner, Kathryn Finney, continues to be recognized as one of the most influential women in tech. She recently received the prestigious Heinz Award for the Economy in recognition of her pathbreaking work fostering economic, financial, and social opportunities for BIPOC-owned businesses across the U.S. She continues to share her insights at such highly-regarded forums as the UN Goalkeepers conference, where she spoke on a panel with Phoebe Gates and Karli Kloss about investing in women, and SXSW, where she led a Featured Session on her book “Build the Damn Thing.”

Genius Guild is so excited to continue to invest in our amazing portfolio companies and beyond in 2024!