Appalachian Mountains

Investing in Healthcare Innovation

Partnering with visionary founders solving critical healthcare challenges

About Ballad Ventures

The investment arm of Ballad Health, focused on healthcare innovation that improves patient outcomes and operational efficiency

Our Mission

Ballad Ventures is the investment arm of Ballad Health, focused on healthcare innovation that improves patient outcomes and operational efficiency. We partner with early-stage healthcare technology companies that align with our mission to transform healthcare delivery in our region and beyond.

As part of the largest integrated healthcare system in Appalachia, we bring unique insights into the challenges facing modern healthcare providers and the solutions that can make a meaningful difference.

Leadership Team

Mike Anderes
Mike Anderes, FACHE
Managing Director, Ballad Ventures

Mike Anderes is a clinician and healthcare leader who has worked on the front lines of care delivery and led operations across complex health system environments. He has served as a strategist and digital transformation leader at one of the nation's premier academic medical centers, driving technology-enabled change at scale. An entrepreneur with firsthand startup experience, he has also led a corporate venture capital portfolio with investments in 15+ healthcare startups. He has built and led high-performing teams, including a health-system DevOps organization focused on delivering secure, reliable, and scalable digital capabilities.

Bo Wilkes
Bo Wilkes
President, Ballad Ventures

Bo is a healthcare strategist with an entrepreneurial spirit and nearly 15 years of experience in healthcare system strategy, operations, and governance. He leads the Innovation Center for Ballad Health and directs teams focused on innovation and transformation for a 21-hospital network in rural Appalachia.

Investment Approach

We seek to find great people and ideas in their early stages and provide deep operational support alongside financial investment. We know that innovation in health care is not easy but a partnership with Ballad Ventures will help get your startup from early prototype to scale faster.

Investing In

Digital Health, Medtech, Tech-enabled Services, Consumer Health and Wellness, and Health Care Operational Infrastructure

Investment Stage

Initial investments made in Pre-Seed through Series B companies

Check Size

Up to $1.5 Million initial investment depending on stage

Current Portfolio

Innovative healthcare companies transforming patient care and operational efficiency

410 Medical logo

410 Medical is a medical device company that developed the LifeFlow system for rapid fluid resuscitation in critically ill patients. The handheld device allows healthcare providers to deliver blood or saline significantly faster and more effectively than traditional methods to combat shock and sepsis.

EvidenceCare logo

EvidenceCare provides a physician-led clinical decision support platform that is fully integrated into the electronic health record to deliver evidence-based guidance at the point of care. The system optimizes clinician workflows to improve patient outcomes, reduce hospital costs, and capture more revenue.

Homecare Hub logo

Homecare Hub operates a tech-enabled platform that creates small-scale, shared care homes as an affordable alternative to traditional nursing facilities. Their model allows seniors and individuals with complex needs to live in community-based environments while sharing the costs of high-quality care services.

Censinet logo

Censinet offers a cloud-based risk management platform, Censinet RiskOps™, specifically built to manage cybersecurity and third-party vendor risk in the healthcare industry. The platform automates risk assessments and facilitates the secure sharing of risk data across a collaborative network of providers and vendors.

TailorMed logo

TailorMed is a financial navigation technology company that works with health systems and pharmacies to reduce patient financial toxicity and improve access to care. Their platform uses algorithms to identify and enroll patients in financial assistance programs and subsidies to remove barriers to high-cost treatments.

Winter Innovations logo

Winter Innovations is a medical device startup that develops specialized suturing tools to improve outcomes in orthopedic surgery. Their flagship product, the EasyWhip® needle, simplifies and standardizes the whip-stitching technique used for ligament and tendon repairs.

← Scroll to explore our portfolio →

Latest News

April 15, 2026
Censinet News

Outcomes Rocket and Censinet Release New White Paper Exploring the Future of Healthcare Innovation

Outcomes Rocket and Censinet Release New White Paper Exploring the Future of Healthcare Innovation  PR Newswire

Related to: Censinet
March 16, 2026
Homecare Hub News

Homecare Hub Awarded NIH SBIR Grant to Support Complex Hospital Discharges

Homecare Hub Awarded NIH SBIR Grant to Support Complex Hospital Discharges  Eastern Progress

Related to: Homecare Hub
February 24, 2026
Censinet News

Censinet Unveils AI-Powered GRC Platform and Systemic Risk Tools at ViVE 2026

Censinet Unveils AI-Powered GRC Platform and Systemic Risk Tools at ViVE 2026  Digital Health News

Related to: Censinet
February 12, 2026
Homecare Hub News

Emplify Health Partnership with Homecare Hub Addresses Critical Post-Hospital Care Gap - citybuzz -

Emplify Health Partnership with Homecare Hub Addresses Critical Post-Hospital Care Gap  citybuzz -

Related to: Homecare Hub
February 12, 2026
Ballad Ventures News

Ballad names Anderes managing director of Ballad Ventures - The Bristol Herald Courier

Ballad names Anderes managing director of Ballad Ventures  The Bristol Herald Courier

Related to: Ballad Ventures
February 6, 2026
Ballad Ventures News

Ballad Health announces new managing director - Elizabethton Star

Ballad Health announces new managing director  Elizabethton Star

Related to: Ballad Ventures
November 1, 2025
Censinet News

Censinet, AHA, and the Scottsdale Institute Launch the 2026 Healthcare Cybersecurity Benchmarking Study - Memorial Care Innovation Fund

Censinet, AHA, and the Scottsdale Institute Launch the 2026 Healthcare Cybersecurity Benchmarking Study  Memorial Care Innovation Fund

Related to: Censinet
February 19, 2025
Censinet News

Censinet, AWS partner to improve healthcare risk management with AI-powered GRC, cybersecurity solutions - Industrial Cyber

Censinet, AWS partner to improve healthcare risk management with AI-powered GRC, cybersecurity solutions  Industrial Cyber

Related to: Censinet
November 24, 2024
Ballad Ventures News

TailorMed: Healthcare Technology Company Raises $40 Million

TailorMed: Healthcare Technology Company Raises $40 Million  Pulse 2.0

Related to: TailorMed

About Ballad Health

Ballad Health System Map

Integrated Community Health Improvement Organization

Ballad Health is an integrated community health improvement organization serving the Appalachian Highlands region with a mission to improve the health and well-being of our communities.

Serving 29 Counties

Our comprehensive healthcare system spans 29 counties across Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, Northwest North Carolina, and Southeast Kentucky, bringing world-class healthcare to rural Appalachia.

Get in Touch

Ready to share your healthcare innovation with us?

Location

Johnson City, Tennessee