Rebranded health care startup accelerator welcomes new class of medical innovators

To better represent an expanded mission to serve more innovators in the medical startup space, the Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University Alliance for Health Care has rebranded the program, formally known as the MedTech Accelerator, to the Health Care Accelerator for 2026.

The accelerator provides emerging companies with a multiday immersive curriculum in health care entrepreneurship, including lectures and workshops with world-class scientific and engineering experts; resources to navigate regulatory pathways; and tools for product commercialization and customer acquisition. Additionally, participants attend mentoring, business development and networking events.

The newest cohort brings together 10 companies from across the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East that are pushing the boundaries of how diseases are detected, treated and studied. From AI-supported early detection platforms for cancer, vascular disease and mental health to breakthrough regenerative medicine and next-generation tissue modeling technologies, these startups are leveraging data, advanced diagnostics and novel biomedical engineering to transform patient care. While some focus on predicting disease years before symptoms appear, others are improving how clinicians deliver treatment or how researchers develop the next generation of therapies. Together, the cohort reflects a growing global shift toward earlier diagnosis and more personalized care.

“Greater Phoenix has become one of the nation’s fastest-growing hubs for health care innovation, with bioscience employment growing at nearly three times the national rate, and the industry contributing more than $32 billion to the regional economy. Programs like the Health Care Accelerator are critical to sustaining that momentum by helping emerging companies translate breakthrough ideas into real-world solutions that improve patient care. By connecting global innovators with Arizona’s research institutions, clinical partners and investors, the accelerator strengthens the region’s position as a leading center for next-generation health care,” said Barbara Marusiak, director of the Health Care Accelerator for ASU.

After the two-week curriculum portion of the program, the cohort will remain a part of the Health Care Accelerator support network, allowing continued collaboration and guidance.

"What stands out about this accelerator cohort is the combination of scientific credibility and truly bold ideas about the future of health care,” said Dr. Steven Lester, medical director for Mayo Clinic’s Discovery Oasis and co-founder, director and chief medical officer of the Health Care Accelerator. "By connecting these innovators with experienced physicians, researchers, Mayo Clinic administrators and industry leaders, we can help accelerate the translation of breakthrough ideas into technologies that meaningfully improve patient care around the world. Programs like the accelerator are an important part of the collaborative innovation ecosystem emerging around Discovery Oasis.”

Anivance AI — Zhubei City, Taiwan

Anivance AI develops next-generation organ-on-chip and human data intelligence platforms that replace animal testing with clinically relevant human models. By combining automated microphysiological systems, real-time imaging and AI-driven analytics, the company delivers predictive human data for drug safety, efficacy and precision medicine development. With partnerships across Asia, Japan and the U.S., Anivance AI is redefining how human biology and data intelligence accelerate the path from laboratory research to clinical application.

Cell-Lipo — Tel-Aviv, Israel

Cell-Lipo is developing a point-of-care technology that standardizes the preparation of stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from adipose tissue for regenerative medicine applications. Using a closed, sterile, mechanical processing workflow, Cell-Lipo separates and concentrates regenerative cell-rich fractions while removing fibrous tissue and impurities, delivering higher consistency, improved cell viability and reproducible biological output. Designed for clinical practicality, the platform enables surgeons and physicians in orthopedics, aesthetics and related fields to access a more predictable and evidence-driven SVF product, supporting improved clinical outcomes and stronger translational research in adipose-based therapies.

ImageAiD — Scottsdale, Arizona

ImageAiD is developing the world’s first noninvasive vascular screening platform that uses Doppler ultrasound and AI to detect peripheral artery disease up to five years before symptoms appear. By shifting vascular care from late-stage detection to early prediction, ImageAiD enables proactive interventions that save lives, reduce costs and improve patient outcomes. Backed by collaborations with Mayo Clinic and Sutter Health, the company combines handheld hardware with a scalable SaaS platform to deliver immediate, predictive insights at the point of care. ImageAiD Founder and CEO Josh Hanson is an ASU alum and currently part of the IMPACT master's program.

ISBRG — Toronto, Ontario

ISBRG is developing SpotLight-C, a noninvasive, AI-powered cancer screening technology that uses FT-NIR spectroscopy and phenotypic analysis to detect proteomic and metabolomic signatures associated with cancer. Designed as a fingertip-based test with no blood draw, reagents or laboratory processing, SpotLight-C aims to deliver ultra-low-cost, point-of-care screening capable of identifying early-stage cancers and supporting real-time monitoring of treatment response. By combining optical sensing with advanced analytics, ISBRG’s platform enables scalable, accessible cancer detection and monitoring pathways that extend beyond the reach of current liquid biopsy and imaging-based approaches.

Marker X — Taipei, Taiwan

Marker X leverages proteomic analysis and AI/ML algorithms to develop diagnostic tools for early cancer detection and disease monitoring. Their MCED panels achieve ~95% accuracy in early-stage cancers, and their MM-MRD platform improves sensitivity by over 1,000 times compared with traditional methods.

MindX Sciences — Indianapolis

MindX Sciences delivers precision medicine for mental health and pain through biomarker-based blood testing, digital assessments and an integrated patient app — enabling objective diagnosis, personalized treatment matching and proactive prevention of future clinical episodes, helping patients and clinicians move forward with clarity and confidence.

Pixacare — Strasbourg, France

Pixacare provides a secure, collaborative platform for streamlining medical photo/video documentation and wound care remotely. Boosted by AI that makes wound documentation and data collection simple. Trusted by clinicians and CROs to capture, measure and track wounds with accuracy for better care and stronger research.

Scopemed — Brunswick, Ohio

Scopemed has developed Orizon, an advanced oxygen mask that integrates supplemental oxygen, continuous capnography and on-demand positive pressure into a single platform. Designed for use during procedural sedation, emergency response and critical care, Orizon enables early intervention and rescue breathing without interrupting procedures — reducing hypoxemia and improving both patient outcomes and clinical efficiency. By uniting airway management and monitoring capabilities in one device, Scopemed is redefining oxygen delivery for safer, smarter procedural care.

Tachmed — Guildford, England

Tachmed is a digital diagnostics company delivering a cost-effective, easy-to-use consumer device and online platform that generates real-time patient data for use in virtual primary care. By increasing access, reducing costs and enabling scalable data insights, Tachmed empowers payers, providers and health systems to improve outcomes and equity in frontline health care.

VivoTex — Newberg, Oregon

VivoTex develops high-precision, 3D-printed microfiber scaffolds, and provides co-development consulting services that enable researchers and clinicians to create more biologically relevant and reproducible tissue models. Their scaffolds are used across regenerative medicine and drug discovery to improve experimental consistency, enable precise cellular patterning and enhance functional readouts in 3D cultures and organoids. The core technology is proprietary, at-scale, melt electrowriting (MEW), an advanced additive manufacturing process that produces customizable scaffolds at true cellular resolution. MEW enables exceptional control over the cell microenvironment, supporting accelerated cell growth, improved cell-to-cell communication and increased cell viability. Customers can select from a growing catalog of application-specific scaffold designs or collaborate directly with an engineering team to co-develop custom solutions tailored to their research or clinical needs.

Learn more about both the accelerator and the alliance at healthcareaccel.com.