UNC Health Launches UNC Health Ventures to Expand Strategic Investment Platform
UNC Health has announced the rebranding of Rex Health Ventures and the launch of UNC Health Ventures, its corporate venture capital and strategic investment platform. The initiative builds on more than a decade of investment experience and will help UNC Health partner with emerging healthcare companies that support better care, stronger operations, improved patient experience, and long-term value creation.
Established in 2012, Rex Health Ventures was created to invest in and partner with emerging healthcare companies. Its work has since expanded across UNC Health, connecting entrepreneurs, co-investors, clinicians, and operational leaders to evaluate and adopt promising technologies strategically. The transition to UNC Health Ventures aligns the platform more closely with the UNC Health brand and reinforces its role as a system-wide capability. The platform is funded through UNC Health’s broader investment portfolio, with all returns reinvested into the health system to support patient care, operations, research, and future innovation. Each investment undergoes rigorous due diligence with clinical and operational input and approval by a systemwide investment committee.
UNC Health Ventures will identify, invest in, and collaborate with companies whose solutions align with the health system’s mission to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians. The platform is designed to generate both financial returns and strategic value while strengthening care delivery and operations. Rex Health Ventures has supported nearly 30 early-stage companies, including Reprieve Cardiovascular, which is advancing personalized fluid management for patients with acute decompensated heart failure.
Cristy Page, M.D., MPH, CEO of UNC Health and Dean of UNC School of Medicine, said novel technologies are essential to advancing the care provided to patients and communities. Page noted that UNC Health Ventures gives the organization the opportunity to engage with promising healthcare advancements earlier, helping clinicians evaluate new approaches to care while shaping solutions that address real-world challenges across the health system.
Will Bryant, Chief Financial Officer of UNC Health, said UNC Health Ventures represents an important extension of the organization’s commitment to responsible stewardship and long-term value creation. Bryant noted that by engaging strategically with emerging companies and technologies, the health system is able to support innovation that aligns with its mission while positioning the organization for future growth and sustainability.
Anita Watkins, Managing Director of UNC Health Ventures, said over the past decade, the team has worked to build a disciplined and collaborative investment approach closely aligned with the needs of clinicians and operational leaders. Watkins noted that this next phase reflects both the progress made and the opportunity ahead to deepen partnerships and support innovation that can deliver meaningful impact across the healthcare system.
Mark Pacyna, CEO of Reprieve Cardiovascular, said partnering with UNC Health Ventures has played a pivotal role in advancing the company’s mission to redefine care for patients with acute heart failure. Pacyna noted that UNC Health’s support extends well beyond capital, providing clinical collaboration, strategic insight, and real-world experience that accelerated progress toward meaningful impact for patients, clinicians, and health systems. The team will continue working with physicians, clinical leaders, and system stakeholders to identify investment and partnership opportunities with meaningful impact across UNC Health and the communities it serves.
