Wolf&Grayson EditorialAlternova, a San Francisco based innovation studio focused on building digital health and wellness products, began life as a video game studio before pivoting into digital health under the guidance of co‑founder Maria Clara Mesa Abad. Mesa quickly recognized the potential of applying gaming principles to healthcare and wellness solutions, seeing not only a way to boost patient engagement and adherence, but also, in parallel with Alternova’s evolution into health solutions, an opportunity to build with impact by employing and training local talent. In her native Colombia, she has supported training programs that introduce young people to coding, opening doors to careers in technology and empowering the next generation of innovators.
Today it is taking another leap forward, shifting into a venture builder that invests directly in early stage companies aligned with its mission to improve human well-being. “We come from gaming,” Mesa explains. “So it makes sense to mix the knowledge we have from both industries. If we merge principles from gaming into healthcare, we’re able to add value to engagement and adherence to treatment. That’s so important for actually having healthier people.”
Her understanding of how to keep people engaged now informs how she translates design and interaction into meaningful health outcomes.
Building Products That Last
Mesa’s approach to digital health ventures is anchored in three priorities: design, compliance, and scalability – emphasizing that, in healthcare and wellness, execution alone is not enough. “Design for us is king, and it should be what really differentiates a product,” she says. “Especially in healthcare and wellness, where engagement with digital products is so low, the experience and design are what will set a solution apart.” Equally important, she argues, is thinking about compliance from the beginning. Many early stage companies rush to build, only to discover that their products fall short of regulatory and security standards. “Startups spend a lot of money and time waiting to go to market because they have to rebuild their products once they actually get a hospital or other healthcare entity to agree to buy or try them,” Mesa explains. “If they had thought about compliance early on, they could avoid that.” By focusing on compliance and security from day one, Mesa and her team have been able to position Alternova as a long-term partner for healthcare providers, wellness companies, and financial institutions.
Partnering with Visionaries
Over the years, Alternova has been approached by clinicians, health entrepreneurs, and wellness experts who see gaps in patient care but lack the product and engineering resources to address them. Being able to attract these kind of partners – people who know the problems inside out and have clear routes to market – has been key to Alternova’s shift into venture building. “We’re good at building products and making them scalable and secure,” she notes. “But we cannot be the people pushing the sales of 10 or 15 different products. That’s why the role of the person who will be amazing at distributing these is so important.” Alternova enters into selective partnerships where it contributes not only its technical expertise but also equity. In doing so, the company shares in the risks and rewards, aligning their incentives with those of the entrepreneurs. Reflecting on the most compelling opportunities to date, she points to founders who have lived through a healthcare challenge themselves and are determined to change the system. “They’re building their business case with a very clear understanding of the problem and who to sell to. What they need is a reliable partner to build their product, and one that has skin in the game.”
Rethinking Health Engagement
Traditional gamification in healthcare, such as badges, leaderboards, and rewards, has not solved the challenge of keeping people engaged with their health and wellness journeys. Instead, Mesa envisions a future where health seamlessly integrates into entertainment itself. “Health needs to be part of our entertainment, not the other way around. Rather than building health applications that just hand out useless rewards, we want to bring health into real entertaining experiences,” says Mesa. By reframing health as an integral part of enjoyment, Mesa aims to tackle one of the greatest barriers in digital health: sustained engagement. This philosophy, carried over from her gaming background, could redefine how patients and consumers interact with therapeutic tools.
Building for Human Thriving
Their mission is ambitious: to build technology that allows humans to thrive. The ventures Alternova supports must demonstrate that they genuinely enhance people’s lives. From expanding access to financial services in underserved communities to creating more engaging health experiences, impact must flow from relevant problemas and creative business models. “We want to support ventures that are solving problems worth solving,” she reflects. “Ones that truly help us thrive and live better lives.”
For more insights from Maria Clara Mesa Abad, connect with her on LinkedIn or visit her website.
