Reckitt has announced the expansion of its Catalyst program in the United States, a global social impact initiative designed to provide funding, mentorship, and strategic support to health and hygiene ventures founded by women and underrepresented entrepreneurs who are working to improve access to essential healthcare services in their communities.
Reckitt's Catalyst program made its debut at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, where entrepreneur-in-residence Serena Williams joined a panel discussion alongside two of the newly named U.S. founders — Kwamane Liddell of ThriveLink and Mika Eddy of Malama Health — along with representatives from Reckitt and partner organization Acumen America. The panel explored the systemic barriers that innovative founders navigate as they develop solutions for populations often overlooked by traditional healthcare systems and investors.
Reckitt's Catalyst US cohort currently includes five startups addressing different dimensions of the healthcare access crisis.
Image Credit: Reckitt
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Corporate-backed Social Incubators
- Large consumer companies extending incubator programs create pathways for scalable startups focused on public health needs to access brand resources and distribution networks.
- Women and Underrepresented Founder Funding
- Targeted funding streams for women and underrepresented entrepreneurs are reshaping venture flows and highlighting market opportunities that mainstream VC has historically overlooked.
- Localized Healthcare Access Solutions
- Community-centered health and hygiene ventures deploying tailored delivery models and low-cost technologies are redefining care access in underserved regions.
Where This Applies
- Consumer Health and Hygiene
- A heritage consumer goods sector is intersecting with social impact initiatives, enabling product-led solutions that address hygiene-related public health gaps at scale.
- Digital Health and Telemedicine
- Remote care platforms and telehealth services are enabling new models for reaching populations excluded from traditional care infrastructures.
- Impact Investing and Social Finance
- The growth of mission-aligned capital is creating financial instruments and support structures tailored to early-stage ventures delivering measurable health outcomes.
