Startups eligible for the program must have a validated product or solution ready for scaling, with at least one launched or completed proof of concept (pilot) already in the market. Your digital solutions must be directly related to one of our four theme areas described above. Companies should have a designated liaison to engage with the selection team during the Accelerator program and be available to participate in both virtual and in-person programming.

Applications close October 1, 2026. If your application has been selected to advance to the next round, you will be notified by the CancerX Accelerator team by mid-October. Following this, you will be asked to complete a supplemental application and invited to participate in our Pitch Days, which will take place at the end of October. Detailed instructions will be provided, including what to include in your pitch presentation and how to prepare for the pitch process. If you are not notified by this date, it is possible that you are being considered as an alternate. All applicants will be notified of their final application status by January 2027.

Applications are evaluated based on a combination of factors, including the alignment to the CancerX Accelerator themes, product market fit, the expertise of your founding team, and the impact your startup could have. We also look for innovation, scalability, and your startup’s potential for growth. We require at least two champions to indicate strong interest in your solution to be accepted into the program. 

Our general themes for the 2027 Accelerator program are listed above. For more information on these themes, please see details below:

Theme 1: Increasing Access to Clinical Trials and Research

Life science organizations are developing life-saving treatments at unprecedented speed; however, those treatments struggle to reach patients. At eligible health systems, trials stall and are slow to reach activation due to increasingly complicated protocol systems and integration processes. At community and regional sites, providers are often unaware that trials exist, with limited bandwidth to add research in addition to life-saving patient care. And if they do end up getting into the hands of providers, some eligible patients never make it onto a trial due to gaps in trial criteria matching, equitable recruitment and access, as well as trustworthy consent infrastructure, with many left with little to no support in the middle of a trial or learn of outcomes once they end. We are seeking innovative solutions that help our healthcare systems to close these gaps end to end, from identifying, selecting, and engaging in the right trials, in order to bring more of these life-saving treatments to patients who urgently need them.

Theme 2: Increasing Access to Excellent Cancer Care, Everywhere

Most cancer patients do not live near major cancer care centers, and their outcomes suffer as a result. When cancer is first detected outside these centers, community practitioners lack the specialist-level tools to accurately diagnose and prognose. It is difficult to provide comprehensive, supportive care in these more remote settings, from screening and monitoring through survivorship, leaving many patients with a lower standard of care. We need more tools, education, care models, and technologies that improve outcomes for patients wherever they receive care; solutions that close the infrastructure and resource gap for clinicians, bring screening and diagnostics closer to patients, and pair new technology with the education that makes it usable, especially in rural settings.

Theme 3: Increasing Access to Smarter Care Operations

The introduction of more novel innovations and advanced technologies also means more complexity and more need for healthcare workers to focus time away from patients and people and more time on systems and processes. Coordinating care in an increasingly complex healthcare system takes more energy and focus from providers, often outside of their typical area of expertise. Clinician burnout and care coordination failure are costing patients the time and attention they deserve. We need more innovations that create smarter operational systems, data backbone infrastructure, and decision support aids in order to reduce the burden on our providers.

Our 2027 Accelerator program will run from February through June 2027. We will share more details to finalists about in person events, but please expect to travel to roughly 3 on-site events throughout the program. The first in person event will be hosted by Moffitt Cancer Center in March (Tampa, FL). We will confirm final details for you and your team to plan accordingly.

This is a very hands-on and targeted program and the more you can participate and be involved, the more benefits you will gain for your Accelerator experience. We will work together towards a successful outcome for you during the course of the Accelerator but cannot guarantee results.

Our champions are closely involved in the selection process, and the finalists in our 2027 cohort will have at least two champions leaning in to accelerate your company. Each champion will meet with you and discuss goals and approach. Recognize that they are large organizations with many complexities, so be prepared and be patient. The accelerator team is here to help you along the journey.

We welcome your questions. Please email accelerator@cancerx.health

The cohort will be announced in January 2027. 

Startups eligible for the program must have a validated product or solution ready for scaling, with at least one launched or completed proof of concept (pilot) already in the market. Your digital solutions must be directly related to one of our three theme areas described above. Companies should have a designated liaison to engage with the selection team during the Accelerator program and be available to participate in both virtual and in-person programming.