Sprint and Techstars Add Mercy R&D and Johns Hopkins to List of Health Systems Working With Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator

University of Kansas Medical Center and Providence Health & Services also will support 2015 Accelerator

2015 Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator, Powered by Techstars begins March 9

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), February 19, 2015 – March 9 will be Day 1 of the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator, Powered by Techstars. In its second year, the program is expanding its network of health system collaborators that will offer mentorship and possible opportunities for clinical validation or pilot programs. Mercy Research & Development and Johns Hopkins are the two most recent additions to the health systems network, Sprint (NYSE:S, news, filings) and Techstars announced today. They join the two previously announced collaborators, University of Kansas Medical Center and Providence Health & Services.

The Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator, Powered by Techstars, is a three-month, immersive, mentor-driven program for startups. Ten participating companies, which will be announced on March 9, will relocate to Kansas City for the duration of the program to build and strengthen their businesses. Each company receives up to $120,000 in funding. In 2015, Techstars is adding a first-of-its-kind equity back guarantee.

During the inaugural program in 2014, the 10 mobile health-related startups traveled to Kansas City from across the country and Australia. Two of the companies, FitBark and Symptom.ly, now have made Kansas City their permanent home, bringing even more talent to the burgeoning technology scene in Kansas City.

“We have the advantage of experience from the inaugural program in 2014, plus new health care system collaborators and mentors to make the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator even stronger,” said Kevin McGinnis, vice president of Pinsight Media+, powered by Sprint. “Our team is ready to dive into our second accelerator program less than one month from now with 10 new mobile health companies.”

Working with the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator in 2015 are:

• Johns Hopkins physicians and mentors
• Mercy Research and Development
• Providence Health & Services
• University of Kansas Medical Center

“We are thrilled to add Mercy R&D and Johns Hopkins physicians and mentors to our highly acclaimed group of collaborators,” said John Fein, managing director, Techstars. “As with Providence and University of Kansas Medical Center, these health systems will provide our innovative companies valuable opportunities for potential pilots and clinical validation, and access to some of the top experts in health care. We’re honored to work with such world-class organizations and can’t wait to see the benefits resulting from our startups working with them.”

“Mercy has a rich history of innovation, and the team at Mercy Research & Development is a crucial piece of that innovative culture,” said Keela Davis, director of Mercy Research & Development. “We understand the product development process as well as the needs and priorities of health care providers like Mercy. Techstars and the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator have created an amazing program for transformative health care technology companies. We’re excited to be part of it and are looking forward to using our expertise to help these ventures succeed.”

About Sprint and Its Support for Entrepreneurship

Sprint has a strong history of working with startups in Silicon Valley, Kansas City and around the globe, helping young companies navigate the corporate world and build momentum behind their new businesses. Sprint is committed to supporting the entrepreneurial movement across the country, delivering new business opportunities and spurring the startup spirit within the company. In 2014, Sprint opened the award-winning Sprint Accelerator in Kansas City – home to the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator, Powered by Techstars. The accelerator space also is used to deliver year-round programming, including mentor engagement, STEM programs, entrepreneurial community collaboration and co-working space for startup organizations.

About Sprint

Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications services company that creates more and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about most. Sprint served nearly 56 million connections as of Dec. 31, 2014, and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America for the past four years. You can learn more and visit Sprint atwww.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

About Techstars

The massive Techstars interconnected network of over 3,000 successful entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and corporate partners help the most promising startups do more faster. With 16 programs worldwide, our mentorship-driven accelerators fund the best companies in the most entrepreneurial communities. Since 2006, 80% of the 500 companies from over 45 Techstars programs have received funding, representing approximately $2.5 billion in market capitalization. For more information, visitwww.techstars.com.