2027 Applications Now Open

Join the cohort that defines what’s next in medtech.

Applications close December 1, 2026

Start your applicationAttend an info session
What the accelerator delivers

Five months that change what your company can do next.

Networking & RelationshipsInvestor Access & FundraisingCredibility & Market PositioningCommercial Strategy & Go-To-MarketOperational Support & ExecutionPrize Capital

Relationships built to be there when it counts.

MTI connects companies directly with strategics, clinical and regulatory experts, value professionals, product development specialists, and peers who possess sophisticated knowledge and experience about what it takes to commercialize and scale medtech. These are real relationships, built in a closed-door environment, that hold value at every stage ahead.

Angel Enriquez
“MTI has really provided a great connection and network within the medtech community. The fact that you’re connected to these strategics that maybe you wouldn’t have a chance to even talk to and have consecutive meetings with them, actually listen to what they’re looking for in the field, that’s just super valuable for us as we’re developing.”
Angel Enriquez2025 Alumni
  • Know who your acquirers are before you need them and make sure they know you.
  • Get closed-door access to legal, regulatory, reimbursement, and clinical experts matched to your specific challenges.
  • Build peer relationships with founders 12 to 24 months ahead on your path and a network that keeps paying off after the program ends.

Raise more efficiently, from investors who are already tracking the category.

MTI companies enter the investor market with a structural advantage: category-specific intelligence on who is funding their space, inbound visibility through Open Rounds, and showcase positioning at the industry’s highest-visibility moments. The result is fewer wasted meetings and faster fundraising timelines.

Lucrezia Cester
“The MedTech Innovator is about, like, the best introduction to any VC. If you are vetted by the MedTech Innovator, it makes a huge difference to any VC, any service providers, any hospital… It’s a golden ticket of a business card to give to a VC because suddenly they care. Suddenly I’m vetted.”
Lucrezia Cester2025 Alumni
  • Know exactly who is funding your category before making your first call.
  • Let investors come to you through Open Rounds, the platform built for medtech deal flow.
  • Keep your fundraising momentum long after the cohort year ends.

Doors open differently for MTI companies.

Radar selection is third-party validation from one of medtech’s most rigorous evaluation processes. Paired with a platform at The MedTech Conference and a commercial narrative stress-tested by operators and strategics, MTI companies enter every room with credibility they didn’t have before.

Loic Van Horne
“MTI has really been a great way for us to come out of stealth mode… It’s grown our network by massive amounts in terms of opening doors to investors, to strategic partners, to physicians.”
Loic Van Horne2025 Alumni
  • Walk into medtech’s most-watched annual moment with maximum brand exposure, when the buyers, investors, and partners who matter are paying attention.
  • Leave the program with a company video asset that works across every audience and keeps working long after the program ends.
  • Walk into any room with a commercial story that holds up under scrutiny, because it already has.

A commercial strategy built on operator intelligence, not assumptions.

MTI programming addresses the friction points that slow most medtech companies down: value story, regulatory path, reimbursement strategy, and real-time market intelligence. Companies leave with a commercial plan that has been tested by the people who have executed one.

Melissa Krebs
“We put together the 60-second video and came up with a new, concise way of saying our value proposition, and then we used that new value proposition to work through all of our value analysis activities, and that has really impacted the way that we talk about our company and the value that we’re adding to patients, providers, and payers alike.”
Melissa Krebs2025 Alumni
  • Pressure testing in real time, leveraging MTI’s network of experts and successful alumni companies who have been there before, leading to a clearer roadmap.
  • Build a reimbursement strategy that increases your probability of commercial success post-clearance.
  • Navigate your regulatory path with guidance from advisors who have already taken it.

Years of medtech experience, compressed into five months.

The MTI curriculum is built from the accumulated experience of hundreds of medtech companies, mentors, and operators. Every component, from mentor matching and office hours to Fellows projects and the cohort itself, is applied directly to each company’s hardest problems.

Neal Piper
“What MedTech Innovator has done is curated the best and brightest. You can easily work with the wrong vendor or service provider, and all that money goes to waste. But MedTech Innovator has really curated the best.”
Neal Piper2025 Alumni
  • Get dedicated expert time on your specific blockers, not generic advice, so projects move forward instead of stalling.
  • Access institutional knowledge from years of cohort learnings, on demand, through the Innovator Portal.
  • Unlock in-kind services and a curated partner resource library with exclusive offers available only to accelerator companies.

$700,000+ in prize capital across four competitions.

MTI companies compete for prize capital at the industry’s most prominent stages, from the Grand Finals at The MedTech Conference to the Innovator Summit and beyond. Every award signals company strength to the market and extends runway when it matters most.

Liz Golden
“The accelerator propelled us into the spotlight, helped us engage with strategic visionaries, and accelerate fundraising. We are deeply grateful to MTI and the mentors who guided us on this journey.”
Liz Golden2025 Alumni & Execution Award Winner
  • Early-stage* companies compete for $350,000 at the Grand Finals at The MedTech Conference.
  • Mid-stage* companies compete for $250,000 at the Finals.
  • Additional awards available for the vision award, execution award, and best video competition.
Eligibility

What we’re looking for.

Who can apply:

  • Technology — Medical device, diagnostic, or digital health

  • Stage — Early through mid-stage, with clinical validation underway or in sight (see more about what stage companies are eligible)

  • Market — Companies anywhere in the world, with the U.S. as a target market

  • Leadership — Founders or C-suite with capacity to engage for the full five months

You might be a good fit if:

You’ll spend the next twelve months honing regulatory or reimbursement strategy, commercialization planning, or closing a funding round.

Access to strategic partners and mentors matters as much as capital.

The company is ready to be evaluated by the people who acquire, fund, improve, and adopt medtech.

Apply now
2027 Specialty Tracks

Optional focused pathways into three clinical areas.

  • American Heart Association

    Cardiovascular technologies and neurotech

    Learn more

  • American Society of Plastic Surgeons

    Reconstructive and aesthetic device innovation

    Learn more

  • Vantage

    Diagnostics and medical devices

    Learn more
Supported By

The accelerator is backed by the industry’s leading strategics.

MTI’s program partners are the global medtech companies, health systems, and strategic acquirers who help fund, shape, and mentor every cohort. Their support is what makes the program possible and what puts the right people in the room with founders throughout the five months.

The Process

Three steps is all it takes.

  1. Start Your Application

    Create your profile

    Applications are open now. Create your company profile at the application portal and begin your submission.

    There is no fee to apply.

  2. Complete Your Application

    Tell us about your company

    Tell us about your technology, your team, your clinical and regulatory status, and where you’re headed. We ask what we need to evaluate your company, not more. You can save and return at any point before applications close on December 1.

  3. Radar Review & Selection

    We take it from here

    Applications go through Radar, MTI’s multi-stage evaluation process. Expert reviewers assess your submission, selected companies pitch live (March/April), and a strategic partner committee makes the final call. Evaluation runs December through May, with notifications in late May 2027.

Start your application
Still Deciding?

Come to an info session.

Get your questions answered directly by the MTI team. Info sessions cover the program, the application process, and what the selection committee is looking for.

  • October 27, 202612 PM ET / 9 AM PT

    Learn about the MTI program and how to apply

    Get an inside look at the program, eligibility, key dates, and have your questions answered live with our team.

    Hosted by Nicole Black, PhD

    MTI Program Director

    Register now(opens in a new tab)
FAQs

The questions applicants ask most.

Is the program right for very early-stage companies?

MTI is designed for companies that are ready to accelerate. We look for teams with a clear clinical use case and development underway from early to mid-stage. If you're still at concept or pre-prototype, we'd encourage you to apply when you have more validation in hand.

Can international companies apply?

Yes. While the program is focused on the U.S. market, companies headquartered outside the U.S. are encouraged to apply. You should have a clear U.S. market strategy and leadership with the capacity to engage with the full five-month program.

We're already raising. Is that a problem?

Not at all. Many companies enter the program mid-raise or close a round during the cohort year. MTI's investor network and Open Rounds platform can be a meaningful asset during an active fundraise.

Do we need a complete founding team?

You don't need a full team, but you do need leadership with the bandwidth to engage intensively for five months. At minimum, a founder or C-suite leader should be actively involved throughout the program.

What technology areas does the program cover?

MTI accelerates medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health companies across a wide range of therapeutic areas and technology categories. Specialty tracks are available for select focus areas — including cardiac and cardiovascular technologies, reconstructive and aesthetic device innovation, and diagnostics and medical devices in the BARDA Accelerator Network through Vantage.

How does selection work?

Applications go through Radar, MTI's multi-stage evaluation process. Expert reviewers assess clinical rigor and market potential, selected companies pitch live to a room of industry leaders, and a strategic partner selection committee makes the final call. Notifications go out in late May.

  • Value

    • Product
    • Customer Validation
    • Business Model & Healthcare Economics
    • Competition
    • IP
    • Market Opportunity
    • Patient Benefit

  • Execution

    • Team Strength & Execution
    • Development Plan
    • Responsive to Feedback
    • Freedom to Operate
    • Regulatory & Clinical Burden
    • Existing Funding
    • Resources to Execute

  • Momentum

    • Stage of Development
    • Evidence
    • Time to Market
    • Traction & Sales
    • Partnerships & Relationships
    • Time to Key Milestones
    • Upcoming Funding
Is there a cost or fee to participate?

Yes. The program fee is $15,000; however, we are an extremely founder-friendly accelerator. You can pay it in cash, either upfront or in two equal installments, or through a $50K SAFE note, with terms executed prior to acceptance. Payment terms are intentionally flexible. MTI scholarships are available for qualifying companies and are applied at acceptance, offsetting a significant portion of the cost. Deferral may be available on a case-by-case basis. The American Heart Association and American Society of Plastic Surgeons Specialty Tracks require a $50,000 SAFE, and the Vantage program fee is covered by a 100% scholarship offered by BARDA. The fee includes the full five-month curriculum, mentor matching, MedTech Conference and Innovator Summit access, Open Rounds, the Innovator Portal, and eligibility for $700,000+ in prize capital competitions.

What if I can't attend a pitch event?

You can pitch virtually instead. Companies that can’t attend the Radar Forum in person can pitch at one of our virtual Radar pitch events. In-person slots are limited, so companies that apply early have the best chance of getting their preferred format.

Do I need to relocate to participate in the program?

The MedTech Innovator program features both in-person and virtual pitch events, as well as two mandatory in-person events that begin and end the program. Companies selected to participate do not need to relocate. However, they must commit a co-founder or senior member of their leadership team to attend our two events that kick off and end our program — the MedTech Innovator Summit in Los Angeles in June 2027 and The MedTech Conference in San Francisco on October 3–6, 2027.

I applied previously, and was not selected to move forward. Should I reapply?

Yes, you should definitely reapply! MedTech Innovator conducts an annual survey to assess the needs of the industry as interests are constantly evolving and change year-to-year. Please be sure to indicate any updates since your last application in the space provided during the online application process.

Two Programs

Not sure which program is right for you?

Two sister accelerators with different focus areas.

  • This Accelerator

    For companies developing medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health products.

    Applications close December 1, 2026

    You are in the right place.

  • Sister Accelerator

    For companies developing life science tools and research technologies.

    Applications close December 1, 2026

    Visit BioTools Innovator(opens in a new tab)
Apply Now

Join the largest accelerator for medical technology, built specifically for medtech.

Start your application