Incubators and accelerators are programs designed to help start-up companies gain traction. Incubators generally focus on very early companies or entrepreneurs at the idea stage, while accelerators are designed for more advanced companies with products in preclinical or clinical trials.
The programs come in many different flavors. Incubator and accelerator programs can be non-profit or for-profit. Some offer standard in-person courses for several weeks or months. Others offer virtual programs or customized programs. We’ve assembled a list of some of the incubators and accelerators throughout the world that have expertise in medical devices in the table below.
Incubators and accelerators can provide a wide variety of much-needed resources for early-stage medical device companies, including brick-and-mortar resources, professional services, networking opportunities, and some even provide capital. According to the International Business Incubation Association, companies that participate in these programs are 43% more likely to be successful than companies that do not.
Participating companies can have access to a number of advantages, such as:
- Reduced costs for shared facilities like lab equipment, supplies, IT, and rent.
- Expertise from staff on numerous topics, including legal, accounting, intellectual property, regulatory, and reimbursement.
- Network of investors, strategic partners, consultants, and clinical sites.
- Shared experiences with other participating companies.
When evaluating which program may be the best for your company, here are some aspects to consider:
- Location. If your company is not already in the same location as the program, how expensive, distracting, and inconvenient would it be for some or all of your team to be there? Location can also impact funding, which can be easier to raise in certain cities, states, and countries. Could a virtual option be more appealing?
- Stage of Development. Evaluate whether the program is suited to your company’s stage of development.
- Services and Facilities. Although some programs do not require an equity share, some of them do. If so, ensure that the value of services and facilities provided by the program are worth the value of the equity required to be given to the organization to participate in the program.
- Reputation. Participating in a well-known, successful program can add to the company’s credibility. A program’s negative reputation can make it more difficult for the company to raise capital in the future.
- Success Rate. Check out the success rate for prior participants/graduates. How much money did they raise? What is the exit rate? What is the average length of time to graduation?
- Network. Look at the program’s networking capabilities. Which strategic partners are actively involved? If a program is dominated by one large company, does that fit with your exit strategy? How successful is the investor network? Does the program have connections to health systems, clinical sites, patient advocacy organizations, manufacturing?
- Cultural Fit. Evaluate the cultural fit for your company and your team with the mentors and other companies participating in the program. Is the mentor(s) an expert in medical device development and your therapeutic area? Determine whether the culture and values of the program align with your company’s mission and team dynamics. Are the other companies close competitors (which could make participating in group activities more challenging)? Do they have some synergy with your business so you can learn from shared relevant experiences?
- Focus/Distraction. Review the program’s curriculum, workshops, events, and milestones. Are they directly aligned with critical steps in your commercialization pathway? If the program is too general or focused on things that are not on the critical path, evaluate how participation could distract the team from what needs to get done in the short term for success.
If you would like more information about incubators and accelerators, email the FUS Partners team at fuspartners@fusfoundation.org.
Additional Resources:
Gomez, M.E. 10 Accelerators and Incubators Revolutionizing Medical Device Innovation (1/7/2025) https://hattrick-it.com/blog/10-accelerators-and-incubators-revolutionizing-medical-device-innovation
Kaufman Foundation Entrepreneurship Issue Brief 2020: No. 2. Measuring Accelerator Performance: Potential Metrics and the “4Cs”. https://www.kauffman.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Kauffman_Issue-Brief_Measuring-Accelerator-Performance_2020.pdf
Sriram, R. 11 Best Medical Device Incubators and Accelerators in the US (1/9/2020) https://www.kolabtree.com/blog/best-medical-device-incubators-and-accelerators-in-the-us/
Thibault, M. 26 Medtech Incubators and Accelerators You Need to Know (5/19/2017) https://www.mddionline.com/business/26-medtech-incubators-and-accelerators-you-need-to-know
Tippmann, N. Ultimate List of Medical Device Incubators and Accelerators (50+) (1/12/2018) https://www.greenlight.guru/blog/medical-device-incubators-accelerators
Medical Device Incubators and Accelerators
(2025)
| Location | Incubator/ Accelerator | Funding provided by Organization directly | Virtual/ In-Person | Program Duration | |
| 43north | US, NY | Accelerator | Yes | In-person | Flexible |
| ABCT | US, CT | Incubator | No | Hybrid | 6 months |
| Accelerator Life Science Partners | US, WA | Accelerator | Yes | Hybrid | Flexible |
| Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone | India | Incubator | No | In-person | Flexible |
| Austin Technology Incubator | US, TX | Incubator | No | In-person | Flexible |
| BIOSCI labs | US, RI | Incubator | No | In-person | Flexible |
| Boomtown Innovation | US, CO | Both | No | Virtual | Flexible |
| Center for Innovative NeuroTech Advancement | US, MA | Incubator | Yes | Hybrid | 1 – 4 years |
| CIMIT | US, MA | Both | No | Virtual/ Hybrid | Program dependent |
| Co11ab Novena | Singapore | Incubator | No | In-Person | Flexible |
| CoMotion Labs | US, WA | Incubator | No | In-person | Flexible |
| Cville BioHub | US, VA | Incubator | No | In-person | Flexible |
| DreamIt Health | US, PA | Accelerator | No | Both | 2-week sprints |
| DTP@STAR Incubator | US, DE | Incubator | No | In-person | Flexible |
| ExploraMed | US, CA | Incubator | Yes | Virtual | Flexible |
| FastTraCS | US, NC | Incubator | No | Both | Flexible |
| Fogarty Innovation | US, CA | Incubator & accelerator | No | In-person, virtual, hybrid | Multiple programs |
| Hardware Catalyst Initiative | CAN | Incubator | No | In-person | Flexible |
| Hatch | US, AL | Incubator | No | Hybrid | 10 weeks |
| Health 10x Accelerator | AU | Accelerator | Yes | In-person | 10 weeks |
| Health Wildcatters | US, TX | Accelerator | Yes | Hybrid | 3 months |
| HealthBox | US, IL | Accelerator | Yes | Virtual | Flexible |
| Idea Foundry | US, PA | Accelerator | Yes | Virtual | Flexible |
| Incubator at North Brunswick | US, NJ | Incubator | No | In-person | Flexible |
| Innovation Works | US, PA | Both | Yes | Both | Flexible |
| IntuitiveX | US, WA | Incubator | No | Virtual | Flexible |
| JLABS by Johnson & Johnson | Multiple locations US, Int’l | Both | Yes | Both | Flexible |
| JumpStart Foundry | US, TN | Accelerator | Yes | Virtual | Flexible |
| LaunchPort | US, MD | Incubator | No | In-person | Flexible |
| M2D2 | US, MA | Incubator | Yes | In-person | Flexible |
| Mass Challenge | US, MA | Both | Yes | Hybrid | Program-dependent |
| MATTER | US, IL | Fee-based accelerator & Incubator | No | Virtual | Flexible |
| MD Start | France | Incubator | Yes | In-person | Flexible |
| Medical Alley | US, MN | Both | No | Virtual | Flexible |
| Medical Innovation Xchange | Canada | Both | No | Both | Flexible |
| Medical Innovations Incubator GmbH | Germany | Both | No | Virtual | 6 months |
| MedStartr | US, NY | Accelerator | Yes | Both | Flexible |
| Medtech Accelerator | UK | Accelerator | Yes | Virtual | Flexible |
| MedTech Accelerator | US, AZ | Accelerator | No | In-person, hybrid | 12 month |
| Medtech Actuator | AU | Accelerator | No | Hybrid | 9 months |
| MedTech Actuator | Multiple | Accelerator | No | Both | 9 months |
| Medtech Innovator | Virtual | Accelerator | Yes | Hybrid | 5 months |
| Medxelerator | Israel | Incubator | Yes | Hybrid | 2 – 3 years |
| mHUB | US, IL | Accelerator | Yes | In-person | 6 months |
| NLC | NL | Incubator | Yes | Virtual | Flexible |
| Plug and Play | Multiple | Accelerator | Yes | Both | Flexible |
| Rev1 Ventures | US, OH | Both | Yes | In person | Flexible |
| Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology | India | Incubator | No | In-person | Flexible |
| StartUp Health | US, NY | Accelerator | No | Virtual | Flexible |
| StartX Med | US, CA | Both | Yes | In-person, hybrid | Multiple programs |
| The Foundry | US, CA | Accelerator | No | In-person | Flexible |
| The Innovation Factory | US, GA | Incubator | Yes | Virtual | Flexible |
| TMCx/TMCx+ | US, TX | Accelerator | No | Hybrid | 6 months |
| Trendlines Medical Singapore | Singapore | Incubator | Yes | In-person | Flexible |
| UF Innovate | US, FL | Incubator | No | In-person | Flexible |
| World Upstart | Virtual | Accelerator | No | Hybrid | 2 months |
| XLerateHealth | US, KY | Accelerator | No | Both | 3 months |
| Y Combinator | US, CA | Both | Yes | Hybrid | 3 months |
| Zero to 510 | US, TN | Accelerator | No | Hybrid | 3 months |