Northwestern Medicine and Techstars Help Health Tech Startups Accelerate Growth

Clinical Collaboration Helps Fast-Track Innovation

You probably already know Techstars. It’s a global network powering accelerators and bringing together startups and venture capital across more than 50 industries worldwide.

Northwestern Medicine has partnered with Techstars to help bring clinical expertise to select early stage health tech startups who are reimaging the future of health care, with a particular focus on areas like access to care, artificial intelligence and digital therapeutics.

The Impact On Innovation

For the first cohort, Northwestern Medicine selected six companies (Figure 1) with a breadth of expertise. Some solutions focus on improving documentation for clinicians, such as Decimal Code, which helps with medical coding in the operating room and results in more accurate coding.
Others are leveraging AI to streamline clinical preparations and improve patient outcomes, including Exact RX, a tool that automates financial clearance through checklists for clinicians, and Voythos, which has developed an AI model to identify aortic disease progression.
Another area of focus is on optimizing workforce management and supply chain work, including Last Minute, an AI-enabled software that helps with workforce optimization, and Efficient SC, which helps automate supply chain management.

Figure 1: The six companies selected offer unique digital and AI solutions to improve the patient journey, from managing the workforce to assisting with documentation.

Startups accepted into the inaugural accelerator program in 2025 benefited from:

Over 60

Northwestern Medicine clinical, technical and operational leaders provided hands-on workshops and mentorship for programming hosted by Techstars

30+

interactive workshops delivered over the three-month program

Up to $220,000

investment per company

Outcomes:

Four companies have entered a formal engagement with Northwestern Medicine

Founders gained real-time clinical feedback to strengthen product and market fit

Startups deepened healthcare expertise across workflows and operations

Companies accelerated readiness for next-stage growth

The Impact on Innovation

Demand continues to grow, with more than 711 applications submitted for the 2026 program. Notably, 5% of applicants have already raised more than $1 million, signaling high-quality startups entering the pipeline. The finalists were selected in early 2026, including Arul Health, Slideflow Labs, Soihtu DTx, ImmPro, and Verbal AI, and the program will continue until June 2026.

"Northwestern Medicine brings incredible value to the accelerator with its deep clinical expertise and access to top healthcare professionals,” says Managing Director Brad Schnitzer.

With health tech consistently ranked by Techstars investors as one of today’s most innovative sectors, the accelerator program at Northwestern Medicine helps early stage companies move faster and turn big ideas into meaningful impact that improves patient outcomes and shapes the future of health care.

Learn more about the accelerator program

Northwestern Medicine brings incredible value to the accelerator with its deep clinical expertise and access to top healthcare professionals

Brad Schnitzer, Managing Director