The US Health Accelerator is Halcyon’s program for health ventures based in the United States that use technology to improve health outcomes, reduce barriers to care and make healthcare more affordable. Halcyon is a Washington, DC accelerator founded in 2014, and states it has supported more than 650 founders across its climate, health and EquityTech verticals.
The 2026 edition backs solutions for women’s health and for underserved communities, across diagnostics, patient navigation and telehealth, financial inclusion and payment, supply chain, and physical health infrastructure. A cohort of 10 ventures runs from June to November 2026 in a hybrid format: a virtual kickoff day, a week-long residency in Chicago, four virtual programming days, and a closing week in Washington, DC.
Halcyon has run a health cohort every year since 2024, when eight ventures took part in an eight-week residency in Washington, DC; the 2025 edition ran from February to April. The 2026 cohort was announced in July 2026. That cycle’s application window closed on 7 May 2026, while the year-round eligibility form stays open for later cohorts.
Benefits & funding
- A $6K equity-free stipend per venture, paid in instalments that include payments before the residencies and one once the program concludes.
- $10K in Amazon Web Services credits per venture.
- Two week-long in-person residencies: 16–24 July 2026 in Chicago, and 29 October–6 November 2026 in Washington, DC.
- A virtual kickoff day on 24 June 2026, plus four virtual programming days on 19 August, 2 September, 23 September and 15 October 2026.
- Workshops in Halcyon’s methodology covering product-market fit, capital strategy and leadership.
- Health-specific training on provider and payor relations, healthcare regulation, data privacy and cybersecurity, grant writing, and AI in healthcare.
- Professional advisors from Halcyon’s expert network, investor introductions, and entry to an alumni community of more than 650 founders.
- Halcyon takes no equity in participating ventures.
Eligibility
- The venture must be based in the United States.
- For-profit and scalable, with impact built into the core business model and contributing to one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
- A working minimum viable product with realistic potential to scale, plus early user feedback or early commercial validation such as pilots, letters of intent or revenue.
- Users or paying customers already in place.
- Founders working full-time on the venture.
- The applicant is the venture’s CEO or holds primary decision-making authority, and may apply with up to one co-founder.
- At least 21 years old.
- Fluent in English, since programming is delivered in English.
- Able to attend every residency, virtual session and program activity in full.
- No nationality requirement and no degree requirement.
- Sector fit: health for women and underserved communities, across diagnostics, patient navigation and telehealth, financial inclusion and payment, supply chain, physical health infrastructure, and other health technology.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Residence required
USA
Age requirement
≥ 21 yrs
Appears to be for women “for women”
confirm in the requirements
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Application process
- 1Submit Halcyon’s year-round eligibility form, a short survey reviewed on a rolling basis. One submission per venture covers every Halcyon program.
- 2Wait for an invitation. When the accelerator opens its multi-week call, qualified ventures are invited to a second-round application and have about two weeks to complete it.
- 3Complete the invitational application, which covers team, traction and impact; Halcyon’s programs and leadership teams score it.
- 4Shortlisted finalists pitch on virtual pitch days to an external selections committee of subject-matter experts.
- 5The committee shapes the final cohort of 10 ventures, and selected founders are notified.
- 6Join the virtual kickoff day, then both residency weeks.
Program timeline
Application window opens
Apr 13, 2026
Invitational application deadline
May 7, 2026
Virtual pitch days for finalists
May 21, 2026 to May 22, 2026
Selected founders notified
Jun 1, 2026
Virtual program kickoff
Jun 24, 2026
Residency week 1, Chicago
Jul 16, 2026 to Jul 24, 2026
2026 cohort announced publicly
Jul 20, 2026
Virtual programming days
Aug 19, 2026, Sep 2, 2026, Sep 23, 2026, Oct 15, 2026
Residency week 2, Washington, DC
Oct 29, 2026 to Nov 6, 2026
Not yet published
the 2027 cycle; the eligibility form stays open year-round