Applications Now Open for Third Class of Northwestern Medicine & Techstars Healthcare Accelerator
August 24, 2026
Northwestern Medicine and Techstars have opened applications for the third class of their Healthcare Accelerator, inviting six health tech startups to join a three-month program in Chicago starting March 2027.
CHICAGO – Northwestern Medicine and Techstars today announced that applications are now open for the third class of the Northwestern Medicine & Techstars Healthcare Accelerator.
Building on the success of prior classes, this year’s program aims to attract another cohort of six exceptional health tech startups. Participants will benefit from three months of immersive, in-person support at Northwestern Medicine’s Mansueto Innovation Institute in Chicago, gaining access to funding, mentorship, and collaboration with clinical and technical experts.
The previous two classes delivered powerful innovations, including solutions like automated healthcare compliance, optimized medical coding, AI-powered pathogen analysis, and cutting-edge digital therapeutics. These startups showcased their pitch and progress at a high-impact Demo Day last summer at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in front of a packed auditorium.
Several companies from the 2026 class are rapidly gaining momentum following the program. Slideflow Labs, a company that develops in-house AI biomarker tests, recently finished first and secured funding in the University of Chicago Polsky Center’s New Venture Challenge earlier this summer, less than a week after Demo Day.
"The program connected us with the right mix of clinical, technical, and operational partners to pressure-test our thinking at every level,” said Akhil Chakravarti, co-founder and CEO of Slideflow Labs. “That feedback has strengthened our company and refined our path to market. We're thankful for the time and access the program afforded us."
Verbal, a company focused on auditing patient interactions with clinicians and AI agents, recently closed their seed round and is already integrating with health systems around the country.
"Techstars pushed us on how we build the company as a whole. Northwestern Medicine sharpened our positioning, our value proposition, and our path to customers. The combination was powerful, and we're grateful for it," said Waleed Mohsen, co-founder and CEO of Verbal.
“This accelerator brings together Northwestern Medicine’s clinical expertise and Techstars’ entrepreneurial network to help promising companies solve real problems in health care,” said Hannah Koczka, vice president, NM Ventures and Innovation. “By giving startups direct access to clinicians, operators and technology leaders, we can help advance practical innovations that improve the patient experience, support our teams and strengthen Chicago’s role as a center for health care innovation.”
“The incredible progress of our alumni shows that we are building something very special here,” said Brad Schnitzer, Managing Director of the program. “By giving these founders unparalleled access to Northwestern Medicine's world-class team and Techstars' network, we are accelerating the pace of healthcare innovation. I can’t wait to meet the next class and get to work.”
Key Dates
- Application Opens: August 24, 2026
- Program Duration: March 8 to June 3, 2027
- Demo Day: June 3, 2027
About Northwestern Medicine & Techstars Healthcare Accelerator
A pioneering collaboration, the accelerator combines Northwestern Medicine’s healthcare leadership with Techstars’ world-class startup infrastructure, now entering its third class.
