Reza Amin started his first business at the age of 18 while he was studying for his bachelor\u2019s degree. Since then, entrepreneurship has been a big part of his life, and UConn\u2019s entrepreneurship ecosystem has paved the path to his next success.<\/p>\n
Amin, who earned his PhD from UConn in 2018, just inked a $2.2 million investment agreement for his latest venture \u2013 his men\u2019s reproductive health company, Bastion Health. It\u2019s the largest single investment in a student business initiated through UConn\u2019s Peter J. Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation<\/a> to date.<\/p>\n \u201cMen\u2019s health is a niche field that does not get as much attention as it should,\u201d Amin says. \u201cThat is why we created Bastion.\u201d<\/p>\n Amin is still a UConn international graduate student \u2013 he\u2019s currently enrolled in the School of Engineering\u2019s Master of Engineering in Global Entrepreneurship program \u2013 while Bastion is beginning to take off. The $2.2 million infusion in Bastion from Werth Family Investment Associates comes amid the global coronavirus pandemic, where the startup\u2019s telehealth platform now feels more relevant than ever.<\/p>\n \u201cI met with Reza and his partners to review their work and their path forward,\u201d says Peter J. Werth, the philanthropist, pharmaceutical CEO, and manager of Werth Family Investment Associates. \u201cIt was obvious they needed several million dollars to get to the next step. My investment philosophy is to treat each project\/business like a horse race. In a horse race, you can either bet on the horse \u2013 the business plan\/idea \u2013 or the jockey \u2013 the management. Over the years, I\u2019ve found that betting on the jockey is more important than betting on the horse. My opinion was that Reza and his management team were extremely good for a startup company, so I decided to help them reach the next step and invested $2.2 million. I will continue to help them where I can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHealth care needs to be reshaped, it needs to be changed,\u201d Amin says. \u201cIt’s so expensive, and it’s not effective. My whole focus is on health care, medical devices, low-cost solutions, something that can really revolutionize.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s his goal with Bastion: To revolutionize men\u2019s reproductive health.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can find a lot of solutions for female reproductive health, and that\u2019s good, but it\u2019s also putting more pressure on women,\u201d Amin says. \u201cWe believe that any reproductive issue is not a man versus woman problem; it\u2019s a couple problem. So men should take responsibility, and we are designing this product for responsible men who want to really be part of this process.\u201d<\/p>\n His product is an app-driven ecosystem that will offer lifestyle tracking, education, and telehealth visits with a network of doctors and medical providers.<\/p>\n Health care needs to be reshaped, it needs to be changed. It’s so expensive, and it’s not effective. My whole focus is on health care, medical devices, low-cost solutions, something that can really revolutionize. — Reza Amin<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cOne of the problems right now that is plaguing men’s health in general, but reproductive health specifically, is that guys are very reactive with seeking health care,\u201d says Khashayar Dashti, Bastion co-founder and Amin\u2019s partner in the venture. \u201cOur vision is to foster proactivity. We are creating an interactive ecosystem for guys to use every day. They can set up appointments with doctors on our application and get lifestyle planning, wellness planning, prescriptions if they need it, or referrals if the problem can\u2019t be handled online or with just a visit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n