Applications for 2026 Startup Accelerator Cohort Now Open

CancerX Opens Applications for 2026 Startup Accelerator Cohort to Advance Cancer Innovation

Groundbreaking Public-Private Partnership Seeks Innovative Startups to Transform Cancer Care Through Four Key Themes

TAMPA, Fla., (Sept. 9, 2025) – CancerX, the pioneering public-private partnership dedicated to accelerating innovation in the fight against cancer, today announced that applications are now open for its highly competitive 2026 Accelerator Cohort.

The 2026 cohort will focus on four critical themes, derived from Champion-led workshops to prioritize the most in-demand areas of innovation: Clinical Trials Reimagined: Access & Research Innovation, Bringing Excellence In Cancer Care Closer To Communities, Smarter Cancer Care Decisions & Operational Excellence, and Aligning Payors and Providers to Address Patient Financial Toxicity. These themes address some of the most pressing challenges in cancer care today.

"Innovation thrives when startups have the right champions in their corner," said Nainesh Parikh, M.D., chair of the Accelerator Selection Committee for CancerX. "Through the CancerX Accelerator, these champions serve as mentors, partners and force multipliers, helping startups move faster and scale farther than they could alone. Building on our incredible success from previous cohorts, we're excited to continue supporting companies with meaningful opportunities through our incredible champion organizations."

Program Highlights

The CancerX Accelerator offers participating startups strategic partnerships with leading healthcare organizations and investors, an expert mentorship network with deep digital health and oncology expertise, customized programming that blends virtual and in-person events, and unique federal government collaboration opportunities. The champion-startup matchmaking process is a unique differentiator that enables startups to get hands-on support from their target customers.

Proven Success

The 2025 accelerator cohort achieved exceptional results, with 100% of startups advancing at least one strategic opportunity during the program, 92% engaging with multiple champions, and 50% connecting across different sectors including pharma and health systems. Startups averaged 2.2 champions per company and achieved significant outcomes ranging from acquisitions to pilot program deployments, highlighting the transformative impact of their cutting-edge technologies.

“We continue to have strong support from Champion organizations, with most organizations returning this year to champion our startups, and several new health systems and pharma companies being added to the mix” said Xavier Avat, executive sponsor of CancerX and chief business officer, Moffitt Cancer Center.

Eligibility and Timeline

We seek digital health startups that have a proven product ready for growth, have tested it with at least 50 patients, align with our focus areas, and have a plan to expand into cancer care.

Key Dates:

• Applications Open: September 9, 2025
• Applications Close: October 28, 2025
• Cohort Announcement: January 2026
• Program Duration: 2026 through July 2026
• Demo Day Showcase: June 2026 in Boston

The program's mission aligns with the national goal of cutting the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years. CancerX operates as part of the InnovationX initiative, bringing together federal health agencies with private sector innovation.

To learn more about the CancerX accelerator or this year's cohort, please visit www.cancerx.health/accelerator.

About CancerX

CancerX is a groundbreaking public-private partnership designed to accelerate innovation in the fight against cancer. Hosted by the Moffitt Cancer Center, in collaboration with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), CancerX is part of the InnovationX program launched in 2018.