CHICAGO – Northwestern Medicine and Techstars today announced that applications are now open for the second class of the Northwestern Medicine & Techstars Healthcare Accelerator. Building on the success of the inaugural class, 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 2025 inaugural class delivered powerful innovations, including solutions like AI-optimized workforce management, automated medical coding, supply chain disruption tools, EHR automation, AI-native care environments, and multimodal cardiovascular disease management platforms. These startups showcased their pitch and progress at a high-impact Demo Day last summer at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in front a packed auditorium.

"We were initially drawn to the Northwestern Medicine & Techstars Accelerator for the opportunity to pilot with a leading AMC. Beyond earning the pilot, we were pleasantly surprised by the growth in hospital sales muscle, product focus, and meaningful connections that we achieved through the openness and expertise of the Northwestern Med and Techstars teams,” said Joey Panella, Co-founder and CEO of Decimal Code, a portfolio company from the accelerator’s inaugural program.

“Our collaboration with Techstars demonstrates our strong commitment to empowering the next generation of healthcare entrepreneurs,” said Doug King, senior vice president and chief information officer, Northwestern Medicine. “We believe the combination of Techstars’ proven accelerator model along with access to Northwestern Medicine’s clinical and leadership excellence, we are at the doorstep of unlocking new pathways to improve patient care and outcomes.”

“As we open applications for the second class, we are looking for founders who deeply understand their customers and are committed to transforming healthcare,” said Brad Schnitzer, Managing Director of the Northwestern Medicine & Techstars Healthcare Accelerator. “The first class proved what is possible when driven entrepreneurs gain direct access to world-class clinicians, cutting-edge research, and an ecosystem designed to help them succeed. We are ready to partner with the next wave of innovators who want to make a lasting impact on patient care.”

New Techstars Investment Terms

For this cohort, Techstars is offering an enhanced investment package of $220,000. This includes $20,000 in exchange for 5% common equity under a Post-Money Convertible Equity Agreement (CEA), plus $200,000 via an uncapped SAFE with Most Favored Nation (MFN) terms. Techstars receives a minimum of 5% equity, with the SAFE converting at future financing terms, giving founders flexibility and alignment with investors.

Key Dates

•  Application Opens: August 25, 2025

•  Program Duration: March 9 to June 4, 2026

•  Demo Day: June 4, 2026

About the 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 second class.

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