Health Equity Innovation accelerator

What Health Equity Innovation accelerator does

MATTER is a Chicago-based healthcare innovation incubator and accelerator founded in 2015 at the Merchandise Mart. The organization operates a multi-sided platform that mobilizes healthcare entrepreneurs, industry executives, and investors through curated accelerator cohorts, corporate innovation challenges, and community programming. Since inception, MATTER has supported over 1,000 healthcare and life sciences startups whose member and alumni companies have collectively raised $5.1 billion in funding all-time and generated $163 million in revenue in 2023.

The company runs multiple branded programs spanning distinct healthcare verticals: the Health Equity Innovation Accelerator (in partnership with YWCA Metropolitan Chicago), SMILE Health (oral health, with CareQuest Innovation Partners), Paratus Digital Health Accelerator (health security, as digital health hub of the federal BARDA Accelerator Network), 51 Labs (maternal mortality), the AGA Incubator (digestive disease care), Beyond Barriers (diabetes), and the VSP Vision Innovation Challenge. The technical platform is described as a "healthcare innovation incubator and accelerator platform" without proprietary AI/ML or software IP; the core capability is community curation, program management, and corporate-startup matchmaking.

MATTER's business model combines subscription-style startup memberships (Flex and Select tiers), enterprise corporate innovation services with healthcare systems and Fortune 500 companies, government program administration via BARDA, and grant-funded nonprofit accelerators with foundations such as AbbVie and Beyond Type 1. Revenue streams are anchored by episodic multi-program partnerships and government contracts rather than recurring SaaS. Customer segments span early-to-mid-stage healthcare startups, healthcare corporations (Parkview Health, BayCare, Walgreens, VSP Vision, Topcon, Astellas), and foundations/government entities (BARDA, KOSME, AbbVie Foundation, CareQuest), with the 60,000-person broader community providing the network substrate.

Name

Health Equity Innovation accelerator

Legal name

MATTER

Website

https://matter.health

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

MATTER is a Chicago-based healthcare innovation incubator and accelerator founded in 2015 that runs branded accelerator cohorts across health equity, oral health, digestive disease, maternal health, diabetes, and digital health security for startups, healthcare corporations, and federal partners such as BARDA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Incubator and Accelerator Services

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD), Health Equity & Social Determinants Program Funding (HLAJALAK)

Keywords

• Healthcare startup accelerator
• Health equity programs
• Corporate innovation partnerships
• Medical innovation hub
• Incubator cohort programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Corporate Innovation Services: MATTER helps forward-thinking organizations source and co-develop solutions, harness emerging technologies and build innovation capacity through corporate partnership programs.
2. Startup Membership Programs: MATTER offers Select and Flex membership tiers for healthcare startups, providing access to learning and development opportunities, capital, customers and a dynamic community. The organization has supported over 1,000 startups with $5.1 billion raised all-time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Health Equity Innovation Accelerator is a cohort-based program that supports startups developing solutions to advance health equity and address health disparities in underserved communities. Operated in partnership with YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago and housed within MATTER's healthcare innovation hub, the accelerator provides selected founders with mentorship, industry connections, and programming designed to scale health equity-focused ventures. The broader MATTER platform extends this core through additional accelerators, innovation challenges, and membership programs serving over 1,000 startups.

Product overview

The Health Equity Innovation Accelerator is a specialized accelerator program operated by MATTER in partnership with the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago. This program is designed to advance health equity through innovation by sourcing, supporting, and scaling startups and organizations developing solutions that address social determinants of health and improve health outcomes for underserved communities. The accelerator focuses on addressing inequities in areas including access to care, affordability, and quality of care across different populations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Health Equity Innovation Accelerator: A program in partnership with the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago focused on advancing health equity through innovation.
• SMILE Health
• Paratus Digital Health Accelerator
• 51 Labs
• AGA Incubator: Improving GI Care

Products and services

• Health Equity Innovation Accelerator

Quantifiable outcome

• $5.1 billion all-time funding raised by member companies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Beyond Type 1coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2025Beyond Barriers Innovation Accelerator supporting organizations improving diabetes care. Up to $50,000 grants with mentorship for 5 organizations in 2026 cohort.
• American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Launched first incubator dedicated exclusively to digestive disease care. Ten startups selected for 6-month program culminating at Digestive Disease Week 2026.
• Healthcare Education, Research, and Innovation Foundation (HERIF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2024Future HealthTech Leaders Innovation Challenge for college students and early career professionals to improve health inequities
• VSP VisioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2024Annual VSP Vision Innovation Challenge to source and advance solutions enhancing eye care experience. Topcon Healthcare offering $400,000 investment through THINC Ventures.
• KLAS ResearchcoreTechnology or Integration · 4 April 2024Strategic partnership providing MATTER members access to KLAS reports and third-party healthcare insights for product development and validation
• Alzheimer's AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2024Annual Alzheimer's Association Pitch Competition sourcing solutions for underserved communities
• CareQuest Innovation PartnersflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2022Launched SMILE Health accelerator - first-of-its-kind program for oral health improvement and health equity. Over $400M allocated to oral health innovation in 2024. Program has 16 graduates with 90%+ satisfaction rate.
• Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 May 2021U.S. Market Adoption Program preparing Korean healthcare companies for U.S. market entry. Has supported over 10 Korean companies since 2021 with network of critical resources, mentorship and programming.
• YWCA of Metropolitan ChicagoflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch the Health Equity Innovation Accelerator focused on addressing health disparities and advancing health equity solutions in Chicago communities
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Health Equity Innovation Challenge to address health inequities through innovation
• RRF Foundation for AgingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Accelerating Innovation in Aging program focused on empowering older adults to live longer, healthier lives
• AstellascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 51 Labs initiative focused on maternal mortality crisis
• WalgreenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 51 Labs initiative addressing healthcare disparities
• BayCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 51 Labs and COVID-19 screener collaboration
• Parkview HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple partnerships including Healthy Mom and Baby Competition, Healthy Kids Healthy Future Accelerator, and 51 Labs maternal health initiative
• University of Chicago MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 51 Labs focused on maternal mortality crisis
• Loyola University ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth Equity Quest partnership addressing health disparities and climate change

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Healthbox: Healthbox is a healthcare-focused accelerator and innovation services firm that partners with hospital systems and payers. It is a direct competitor in the healthcare incubator and corporate innovation services space where MATTER operates.
• Dreamit Ventures: Dreamit Ventures operates industry-specific accelerators including Health and UrbanTech verticals with corporate-sponsored cohort models. It is comparable to MATTER's accelerator structure and corporate partnership approach.
• Plug and Play Health: Plug and Play operates vertical-specific accelerator programs including a Health vertical. It is comparable in model (corporate-sponsored vertical accelerators, startup cohort programming) and competes for both health-tech startups and corporate partners.
• MassChallenge HealthTech: MassChallenge HealthTech is a zero-equity healthcare accelerator based in Boston that partners with hospitals, payers, and pharma. It is comparable to MATTER in model, non-dilutive structure, and corporate partnership approach.
• Startup Health: Startup Health is a health-focused innovation company running a long-duration, global health moonshot-style accelerator. It is comparable in mission and in offering community, capital access, and corporate partnership support to health entrepreneurs.
• Cedars-Sinai Accelerator: Cedars-Sinai runs a health-tech accelerator in partnership with Techstars. It is comparable to MATTER's hospital-anchored innovation programs (e.g., 51 Labs, Parkview collaborations) and competes for digital health startup deal flow.
• UCSF Rosenman Institute: UCSF's Rosenman Institute is a health-tech accelerator and community anchored by a leading academic medical center. It competes with MATTER for digital health startups and corporate partnership opportunities.
• Techstars Healthcare: Techstars runs accelerator programs with healthcare-specific tracks (including partnerships with major hospital systems and payers). It directly competes with MATTER for healthcare startup applicants, corporate sponsorship deals, and mentor networks.

Regional players

• 1871: 1871 is Chicago's premier tech hub and incubator, also housed at the Merchandise Mart. While broader than healthcare, it competes with MATTER for Chicago-based startup mindshare, workspace demand, and corporate innovation engagement locally.

Broad incumbents

• NewYork-Presbyterian Innovation Center: NYP runs an internal innovation center and accelerator in partnership with startup programs. It is comparable to MATTER's hospital-anchored programs (Parkview, BayCare collaborations) but operates within a single large health system rather than as an independent hub.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/MATTERhealth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/matterhealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments8 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Health Equity Innovation accelerator