UNC Health launches new healthcare investment platform
UNC Health launches UNC Health Ventures to expand strategic investment in healthcare innovation
UNC Health has launched UNC Health Ventures, a corporate venture capital and strategic investment platform designed to expand the health system’s engagement with emerging healthcare companies.
The new platform replaces Rex Health Ventures, which was established in 2012 and has invested in and partnered with nearly 30 early-stage companies. The transition brings the investment platform under the broader UNC Health brand and establishes it as a system-wide capability.
UNC Health Ventures will identify, invest in, and collaborate with companies developing solutions that align with the health system’s mission, with a focus on improving care delivery, strengthening operations, enhancing the patient experience, and creating long-term value.
“Novel technologies are essential to advancing the care we provide to our patients and communities,” said Cristy Page, M.D., MPH, CEO of UNC Health and Dean of UNC School of Medicine. “UNC Health Ventures gives us the opportunity to engage with promising healthcare advancements earlier, helping our clinicians evaluate new approaches to care while shaping solutions that address real-world challenges across our health system.”
The platform builds on more than a decade of investment experience from Rex Health Ventures, which has connected entrepreneurs and co-investors with clinicians and operational leaders across UNC Health to assess emerging technologies and their potential applications within the health system.
Combining financial and strategic value
UNC Health Ventures is intended to generate both financial returns and strategic value for UNC Health. Its investments will be funded through the health system’s broader investment portfolio, with returns reinvested into patient care, operations, research and future innovation.
Each potential investment will undergo due diligence that incorporates clinical and operational input, followed by approval from a systemwide investment committee.
“UNC Health Ventures represents an important extension of our commitment to responsible stewardship and long-term value creation,”said Will Bryant, chief financial officer of UNC Health. “By engaging strategically with emerging companies and technologies, we are able to support innovation that aligns with our mission while positioning the organization for future growth and sustainability.”
The approach is intended to give UNC Health earlier access to technologies while allowing clinicians and operational teams to assess their relevance in real-world healthcare settings.
Building on an established investment portfolio
One example of the platform’s previous work is its partnership with Reprieve Cardiovascular, a company developing technology for personalized fluid management in patients with acute decompensated heart failure.
The technology aims to improve the management of a complex condition, with the potential to improve patient outcomes, reduce hospital length of stay and increase capacity within health systems.
“Partnering with UNC Health Ventures has played a pivotal role in advancing our mission to redefine care for patients with acute heart failure,” said Mark Pacyna, CEO of Reprieve Cardiovascular.“Their support extends well beyond capital, providing clinical collaboration, strategic insight and real-world experience that accelerated progress toward meaningful impact for patients, clinicians and health systems.”
According to UNC Health, the new platform will continue to work closely with physicians, clinical leaders and system stakeholders to identify companies and technologies that could have a meaningful impact across its health system and the communities it serves.
“This next phase reflects both the progress we’ve made and the opportunity ahead to deepen partnerships and support innovation that can deliver meaningful impact across the healthcare system,”said Anita Watkins, managing director of UNC Health Ventures.
The launch comes as health systems increasingly look beyond traditional investment models to engage with emerging technologies while assessing their clinical, operational and financial potential. For UNC Health, the transition to UNC Health Ventures formalizes more than a decade of investment activity under a platform designed to connect capital with the health system’s broader clinical and operational priorities.
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Up next: MedTech World Europe 2026 | Malta
The next stop on the MedTech World calendar is MedTech World Europe 2026, taking place in Malta this November. Ahead of the main event, investors can join the Investors Retreat in Gozo, running from 9–11 November as part of Malta Week. The retreat brings together investors and healthcare leaders for focused conversations, networking and opportunities to connect away from the main summit. Interested investors can apply to attend the retreat.
