Acknowledged for its clinical data abstraction platform, Carta Healthcare showcases its leadership in shaping the future

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Carta Healthcare®, whose mission is to ignite healthcare improvement by unlocking the power of clinical data, is thrilled to announce its recognition as a winner in the prestigious 2025 BIG Innovation Awards, presented by the Business Intelligence Group. Selected from hundreds of global submissions, Carta Healthcare’s clinical data abstraction solution was celebrated for its groundbreaking impact on healthcare innovation.

“Humanity relies on innovation to improve our lives and the planet,” said Russ Fordyce, CEO of the Business Intelligence Group. “We’re thrilled to spotlight Carta Healthcare as a shining example of innovation making a profound impact.”

Clinical data abstraction is essential for hospitals to improve patient care, demonstrate quality, and comply with regulations. Unfortunately, manual clinical data abstraction methods historically have been labor-intensive, time-consuming, and expensive while failing to consistently produce the highest-quality data.

Carta Healthcare combines the power of AI technology with expert human abstractors to abstract data and insights that act as catalysts for healthcare transformation. Health systems and hospitals using the Carta Healthcare platform can lower their data abstraction costs by more than 50%, reduce per case abstraction time by two-thirds, and achieve an average 98%-99% Inter-Rater Reliability (IRR), a measure of data abstraction consistency and dependability.

“Innovation is what enables healthcare organizations to solve their biggest challenges and find new ways to provide better care for individuals and patient populations,” said Carta Healthcare CEO, Brent Dover. “This award reflects the creativity, dedication, and vision of the Carta Healthcare team, as well as our commitment to delivering solutions that inspire progress and improve the world around us.”

Since its inception in 2011, the BIG Innovation Awards have spotlighted industry leaders pushing the boundaries of creativity, measurable results, and global influence. Winners are evaluated by a panel of seasoned business leaders and executives who consider creativity, measurable results, and overall impact in their selections. Past winners include Fortune 500 companies and trailblazing organizations such as Google, IBM, and Amazon, underscoring the elite nature of this accolade.

For more information about the BIG Innovation Awards, visit http://www.bintelligence.comawardsbig-innovation-awards.

About Carta Healthcare:
Abstracting data for clinical registries is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and costly. Carta Healthcare helps hospitals and health systems abstract data faster, more efficiently, and at a lower cost with its clinical data abstraction platform that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and skilled expert abstractors to ensure the highest-quality data. Carta Healthcare’s innovation has earned it multiple honors, including a Merit Award, a Pinnacle Award, and a BIG Innovation Award. The company recently acquired patient-matching software vendor Realyze Intelligence. Learn how Carta Healthcare applies the power of AI technology, combined with expert clinical data abstractors, to transform healthcare at www.carta.healthcare.

About Business Intelligence Group
The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry award programs, these programs are judged by business executives having experience and knowledge. The organization’s proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.

Media Contacts:
Katlyn Nesvold
Amendola for Carta Healthcare
knesvold@acmarketingpr.com 

Eliana Starbird
Chief Nominations Officer
Business Intelligence Group
+1 909-529-2737
contact@bintelligence.com

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SOURCE Carta Healthcare

Equisoft commissioned LIMRA to conduct research in collaboration with UCT to assess data readiness for AI in the life insurance industry. This report enables life insurance carriers to evaluate their data readiness and benchmark critical areas for data modernization investment and prioritization.

MONTREAL and PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 15, 2025 /CNW/ – Equisoft, a leading global digital solutions provider to the financial industry, and LIMRA, in collaboration with Universal Conversion Technologies (UCT), a global leader for insurance data services, published the findings of the Assessing Data Readiness for AI in the Life Insurance Industry report, which enables insurers to assess their data foundation and implement data strategies that will deliver significant organizational results.

The report found that 78% of respondents believe data readiness is the biggest challenge in getting value from artificial intelligence (AI) and that while most companies rank as “progressive” in terms of their data perceived readiness, 46% of respondents say they aren’t ready to implement AI.

“Data is foundational to everything a carrier does, now and in the future. But carriers aren’t necessarily data ready for AI because they haven’t yet considered a wholistic view of their data practices. Data quality and integrity are still work-in-progress,” said Mike Allee, President of UCT. “While insurers have done a good job building their data infrastructure and are making progress on aligning data strategy with business objectives, many have yet to realize AI’s vast potential because their data practices aren’t fully aligned with their AI strategy and therefore aren’t fully mature. You can’t be AI ready if you’re not also becoming data ready.”

At the heart of the report is the Global Data Readiness Benchmark, a data maturity model that analyzed carriers across six key dimensions: organizational alignment, infrastructure, sourcing and integration, quality and integrity, governance, and analytics. The model reveals the relative preparedness of life insurance carrier data for implementing AI solutions and enables carriers to assess and compare their position on the spectrum to their peers.

“High-quality data is the bedrock of any AI initiative, and without it, the outputs of AI systems will be fundamentally flawed. Bad data leads to bad AI,” said Kartik Sakthivel, Ph.D., Vice President & Chief Information Officer at LIMRA and LOMA. “It is imperative that organizations prioritize data governance, quality, and integrity to harness the full potential of AI and drive meaningful business outcomes.”

Other key global findings from the report include:

Global Maturity Score: Globally, carriers scored themselves “Progressive” in AI data readiness. Australian insurers led in their assessment of data readiness maturity across all dimensions, while North America scored somewhat lower than other regions.87% of respondents are currently using AI in some operational areas like underwriting, operations and new business. Machine Learning is the most widely adopted AI technology, with rapid future growth expected for Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models.Data governance is also a significant area of concern, with many reporting that governance guidelines have been created but adoption and accountability are low. This is clearly an opportunity for progress globally.Carriers that have already implemented AI solutions are encountering project challenges due to unexpected issues with technology, scaling challenges or the negative impact of erroneous assumptions made during planning.

Key regional findings from the report include:

Australia was a top performer across all dimensions, with 38% of carriers being “Optimal” in readiness.Latin America outperformed global benchmarks; 82% of carriers are “Progressive.”66% of United States life insurance carriers feel unready for AI, with organizational alignment as the strongest dimension and sourcing & integration as the weakest.Canada scored the lowest regionally with infrastructure as the strongest dimension, but sourcing & integration needs improvement.

Download the full Assessing Data Readiness for AI in the Life Insurance Industry report from Equisoft and UCT to learn more: https://hubs.li/Q032tX-q0 

LIMRA and LOMA
LIMRA and LOMA represent more than 700 members, including most of the world’s largest life insurance companies, in 71 countries worldwide. Together, they provide members with substantive, timely, and relevant research and education. LOMA is committed to business partnerships with over 700 members worldwide in the insurance and financial services industry. Their goal is to improve company management and operations through quality employee development, research, information sharing, and related products and services.

About Equisoft
Founded in 1994, Equisoft is a global provider of advanced insurance and investment digital solutions. Recognized as a valued partner by over 300 of the world’s leading financial institutions, Equisoft offers a complete ecosystem of solutions, from innovative front-end applications to extensive back-office services and unique data migration expertise. The firm’s flagship solutions include SaaS policy administration, CRM, financial needs analysis, financial planning, asset allocation, fund and portfolio analysis, quotes and illustrations, electronic application, agency management systems, as well as customer, agent and broker portals. Equisoft is also Oracle’s largest and most experienced partner for the OIPA platform. With its business-driven approach, deep industry knowledge, innovative technology, and multicultural team of experts based in North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, Equisoft helps its clients tackle any challenge in this era of digital disruption. For more information, please visit www.equisoft.com.

About Universal Conversion Technologies (UCT)
Founded in 1992, UCT is recognized as the only North American company dedicated to life insurance data migration. An Equisoft subsidiary, UCT is a one-stop partner and solution provider for data analysis and auditing, data cleansing, conversion, integration, balancing and reporting. The firm specializes in complex, high-volume data conversion projects that frequently involve multiple systems. UCT also offers its advanced proprietary data conversion toolset under licensing agreements. Having successfully completed over 350 data projects globally for hundreds of insurance companies and policy admin vendors, UCT has developed a unique expertise, methodology and technology stack that dramatically reduces the risk and cost associated with data projects. For more information, please visit www.uctcorp.com. 

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SOURCE Equisoft Inc.

BERKELEY, Calif., Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Shiru, the leader in AI-powered ingredient discovery, today announced the launch of a global Request for Partners (RFP) aimed at finding a mission-aligned beverage partner to jointly discover and scale a natural sugar replacement. The partnership will leverage Shiru’s proprietary ProteinDiscovery.ai platform, which has already distilled over 450 million natural proteins into 33 million uniquely valuable candidates for applications in food, beverage, and beyond.

“The future of food isn’t about reinventing what we eat—it’s about enhancing the foods we already love,” said Dr. Jasmin Hume, founder and CEO of Shiru. “We believe the key to unlocking scalable, sustainable sweeteners lies in ingredient innovation at the molecular level, and AI is the driving force behind it. Our platform has made previously unimaginable advancements possible, and we’re ready to partner with an industry leader to accelerate the feedback loop enabling us to bring validated solutions to market much faster.”

Why This Matters

The demand for natural sugar replacements has never been higher. With global sugar reduction mandates intensifying and consumer preferences shifting toward healthier, sustainable options, the beverage industry is under increasing pressure to adapt. However, consumers are not asking for radical change—they want the flavors and experiences they already know, enhanced by better ingredients.

Shiru’s AI-powered discovery mirrors this evolution, identifying and refining nature-identical sweeteners that offer the taste, functionality, and scalability necessary to meet the needs of modern food systems. By unlocking these innovations at the ingredient level, Shiru enables brands to elevate existing products without disrupting consumer behavior or supply chains.

This RFP represents more than just the development of new sweeteners—it’s part of a larger movement to rewrite the future of food by addressing health, sustainability, and taste simultaneously.

The Ideal Partner

Shiru is seeking a partner that recognizes the transformative potential of ingredient innovation and shares a commitment to health-driven progress.

The ideal partner will have:

Global Scale Ambition – A proven ability to commercialize beverages globally.Technical Expertise – Strong R&D capabilities in food & beverage science and product development.Mission Alignment – A shared vision for sustainability, health, and the reinvention of food from the inside out.

Partnership Framework

Selected partners will gain access to Shiru’s proprietary discovery technology through flexible licensing agreements, customizable by geography and product line. The collaboration will focus on scaling validated sweetener molecules, with market readiness targeted for 2026. This partnership model reflects a core belief that transformative innovation emerges when technology pioneers and industry leaders join forces to bring breakthrough solutions to scale – ultimately accelerating the shift toward a more sustainable, healthier food system.

This initiative reflects Shiru’s broader ambition to bridge the gap between food innovation and everyday consumption. By embedding better ingredients directly into the food system, Shiru helps leading brands drive change from the inside out—enhancing rather than replacing the foods consumers love.

Interested parties can learn more by visiting shiru.com/sweetenerrfp/.

About Shiru, Inc.
Shiru is transforming product innovation through AI-powered ingredient discovery, unlocking the next generation of natural, scalable, and high-performance ingredients. In 2024, Shiru’s ProteinDiscovery.ai platform gained significant momentum, partnering with global leaders across food, beverage, skincare, and agriculture by accelerating ingredient innovation from years to months. Named a TIME Best Invention of 2024, Shiru’s technology enhances the products consumers already love—developing natural, scalable proteins, sweeteners, bioactives, and sustainable fats that promote health and sustainability without compromising quality. Backed by investors like S2G Ventures, Nourish Ventures, and CPT Capital, Shiru is scaling commercial production of novel ingredients in 2025 while expanding into industries beyond food and beverages. With partners including Ajinomoto, Puratos, and Griffith Foods, Shiru is leading the next wave of ingredient innovation—delivering scalable solutions that improve products and protect the planet. Visit shiru.com and ProteinDiscovery.ai for more.

Media contact
media@shiru.com

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SOURCE Shiru, Inc.