The new accelerator will fast-track Yale innovations in digital health and medical technology from lab to clinic.

Yale University has announced the launch of HealthTech Works, a new accelerator designed to advance digital health and medical technology solutions that speed drug discovery and development, transform patient care, improve clinical outcomes, and advance human health.

Powered by Yale Ventures, the university’s hub for entrepreneurship and innovation, HealthTech Works provides Yale faculty and their students and staff with mentorship, funding, and commercialization expertise to translate breakthrough health research into practical, scalable, and validated solutions. At the heart of the program is a venture studio model that builds startups from the ground up, combining expertise and hands-on support to accelerate and launch health technology innovation. This approach helps founders navigate the unique challenges of health technology innovation—from clinical validation and regulatory approval to integration within health systems and payer models. 

HealthTech Works is made possible by a generous gift from the Morse Family Foundation, representing two generations of Yale alumni from the Yale College classes of 1977, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2017 and Yale School of Medicine Class of 2019. Additional support is provided by Raj and Indra Nooyi ’80 MBA, Faiz Kayyem ’85, and Richard Gliklich ’83. 

HealthTech Works fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across the Yale School of Medicine, Yale School of Public Health, and Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science with support from Yale Ventures to develop innovations spanning domains, from AI applications for improving drug discovery and development, healthcare delivery and clinical care, novel diagnostics and medical devices, and other cutting-edge technologies. 

Scott Strobel, Yale University’s provost and Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry (MB&B)

"This is an exciting step in Yale's growing innovation ecosystem. By bringing together cutting-edge research across our medical, public health, and engineering communities, HealthTech Works is creating new pathways for faculty and students to apply their discoveries to solutions that improve and save lives."

Nancy J. Brown, The Jean and David W. Wallace Dean of Yale School of Medicine

“HealthTech Works represents an essential step forward for Yale’s mission to bring research into practice. By pairing clinical insight with entrepreneurial support, it will accelerate the path for digital health and medical technologies that directly improve patient care.”

Jeff Brock, Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the William S. Massey Professor of Mathematics at Yale University

“Engineering and technology play a critical role in shaping the future of healthcare. HealthTech Works creates a new and complementary infrastructure for Yale engineers and clinicians to co-develop solutions that can thrive in real-world settings.”  

Megan Ranney, Dean of the Yale School of Public Health

"The next generation of health solutions requires interdisciplinary collaboration. HealthTech Works will ensure that Yale’s expertise in public health & data science, engineering, and clinical practice come together to produce scalable innovations with broad population impact.”  

HealthTech Works builds on the foundation of Yale’s Center for Biomedical Innovation and Technology (CBIT), which for more than a decade has fostered student innovation, clinical hackathons, and early-stage startup mentorship. With the launch of HealthTech Works, CBIT will formally transition into this new accelerator, ensuring its mission evolves to meet the commercialization needs of Yale’s health innovators.

HealthTech Works joins a growing portfolio of Yale Ventures accelerator funds, including the Blavatnik Fund for Innovation (therapeutics and diagnostics), the Roberts Innovation Fund (engineering), the Colton Center for Autoimmunity (autoimmune and allergic disease), and the Planetary Solutions Impact Accelerator (planetary solutions). Together, these initiatives demonstrate Yale’s commitment to harnessing academic excellence for real-world impact. 

Yale is actively recruiting for the founding director of HealthTech Works.  People with experience and expertise in building digital health companies and/or investing in related technology who enjoy coaching and mentoring academic founders are encouraged to apply.  Faculty applications will open in early 2026.