ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ascension, the nations largest non-profit health system, has begun a collaboration with Plug and Play Tech Center, a global innovation, investor and technology accelerator that supports innovative startups across multiple business sectors, including health and wellness.

This collaboration gives Ascension new opportunities to support our efforts to lead the transformation of healthcare. Plug and Play Tech Center offers us a defined, targeted method of spotting innovation in healthcare and wellness early on to solve problems and meet evolving consumer needs where, when and how they prefer, said Jim Beckmann, Chief Operating Officer of Ascension Holdings, part of Ascensions Solutions division. We know the future of healthcare lies in offering greater value and in empowering consumers, and teaming with Plug and Play gives us another tool in the toolbox to achieve that goal.

Plug and Play Tech Centers Health and Wellness Technology Accelerator connects forward-thinking organizations, corporations and investors with startups in the health and wellness industry around such broad topics as wellness, longevity and digital health. Each year, the accelerator provides two 12-week intensive programs for some 40 health-related companies, culled from thousands of applicants. These young companies then are connected with sponsoring organizations like Ascension for coaching, mentoring and testing ideas.

We are excited to welcome Ascension as an Anchor Partner in our Health program along leading corporations such as Johnson&Johnson, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, University of Mississippi Medical Center and Boehringer Ingelheim. Our partnership with Ascension provides the startups with access to the largest non-profit provider in the US for possible business development and investment opportunities, says Saeed Amidi, Founder & CEO of Plug and Play. We look forward to opening up our global ecosystem to their team and providing a soft landing to the Silicon Valley.

We looked at multiple accelerators before teaming with Plug and Play Tech Center, one of the largest and most successful multinational accelerators with a solid pipeline and proven processes, said Chris Young, Ascension Vice President of Innovation. These startups may be two or three people creating a new technology or method in their garage, or they may be further along as a budding business.

Young said Ascension is looking for innovative solutions and ideas to help the national health system deliver compassionate, personalized care, and this collaboration offers a new way to connect with the best new ideas as they emerge. He added, We know healthcare is a very difficult industry to break into as a startup, and we want to break down those barriers to bring exciting ideas and approaches to those we are privileged to serve.

About Ascension Ascension (www.ascension.org) is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the worlds largest Catholic health system, Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2016, Ascension provided more than $1.8 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes approximately 150,000 associates and 36,000 aligned providers. Ascensions Healthcare Division operates 2,500 sites of care including 141 hospitals and more than 30 senior living facilities in 24 states and the District of Columbia, while its Solutions Division provides a variety of services and solutions including physician practice management, venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, facilities management, clinical care management, information services, risk management, and contracting through Ascensions own group purchasing organization.

About Plug and Play Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. We connect startups to corporations and invest in over 150 companies every year. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in 24 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 6,000 startups and 180 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 365 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over$6 billionin funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club, PayPal, SoundHound, and Zoosk. For more information, visitwww.plugandplaytechcenter.com.

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Ascension Teams with Plug and Play Tech Center to Connect with Health and Wellness Startups - Business Wire (press release)