Northwestern Medicine, a leading academic healthcare system in the United States, has formed a partnership with Founders Factory, a global startup accelerator. The collaboration aims to bring top artificial intelligence (AI) startups from the UK and Europe into the US health market.
The initiative is part of Northwestern Medicine’s ongoing strategy to incorporate new technologies that improve patient care, enhance research, and increase operational efficiency. According to Doug King, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Northwestern Medicine, “Northwestern Medicine is committed to accelerating innovation that meaningfully improves patient care, advances research, and strengthens the way healthcare is delivered. This collaboration with Founders Factory creates a powerful bridge between world‑class European talent and one of America’s leading academic health systems.”
AI-enabled technologies have been shown to play an important role in healthcare by supporting disease detection, management of chronic conditions, treatment optimization, and speeding up research processes. Industry reports indicate that more than 40% of drugs discovered using AI rely on AI-assisted trial platforms during early-stage development (https://www.drugdiscoverytrends.com/six-signs-ai-driven-drug-discovery-trends-pharma-industry/). Other studies suggest that effective use of clinical AI could help prevent approximately 250,000 deaths worldwide by 2030 (https://southcarolina.himss.org/node/293195).
London is recognized as one of the top technology ecosystems globally (https://www.wipo.int/gii-ranking/en/united-kingdom), while Founders Factory holds a reputation as a leading UK startup hub (https://rankings.ft.com/incubator-accelerator-programmes-europe/regions/uk-and-ireland). The program will assist founders from the UK and Europe in introducing innovative solutions to address key challenges within US healthcare.
As part of this effort, selected startups will gain access to Northwestern Medicine’s network in Chicago. The system includes 11 hospitals, over 5,400 affiliated physicians, multiple research facilities, and more than 200 outpatient or diagnostic sites. Northwestern Memorial Hospital serves as its anchor institution and has appeared on the Best Hospital Honor Roll by U.S. News & World Report for 14 consecutive years.
A spokesperson for Founders Factory said: “By teaming up with Northwestern, one of America’s top medical institutions, we are de-risking entry into the world’s biggest healthcare market for UK and European startups. There has never been a more exciting time for healthcare breakthroughs and technological efficiencies, and it is very exciting to be supporting the best of Europe with access to one of America’s most important healthcare providers. This program promotes cross-border collaboration that will ultimately drive patient outcomes in the US.”
The four-month accelerator program will focus on helping founders test and deploy their products within both Northwestern Medicine’s network and among its partners such as The London Clinic in the UK. Startups accepted into the cohort will also participate in a residential week at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.
Applications are now open via Founders Factory’s website (https://foundersfactory.com/) until March 31, 2026.
Northwestern Medicine operates under its parent organization Northwestern Memorial HealthCare (https://news.nm.org/) and continues its commitment to providing high-quality care through initiatives focused on education and research (https://news.nm.org/). Howard B. Chrisman serves as president and chief executive officer for Northwestern Medicine (https://news.nm.org/). The organization frequently engages in strategic collaborations aimed at advancing clinical research while recognizing community service through awards that reflect compassion and positive impact (https://news.nm.org/).
