Northwestern Medicine and Founders Factory to Scale European AI Ventures Into America’s Leading Health System

• AI is driving healthcare’s next wave: AI and deeptech advancements are transforming healthcare infrastructure, delivering novel approaches to safer, more efficient and more personalised patient care

• Advancing innovation within the Midwest’s largest healthcare system: The cross-border collaboration will explore how new technologies can be utilized by Northwestern Medicine and its UK partner, The London Clinic

• Unlocking US market entry: The new accelerator will support UK and EU pre-Series A ventures entering the highly competitive US health market through unique access to one of its top medical institutions

Northwestern Medicine, one of America’s premier, academic healthcare systems, is partnering with global startup accelerator Founders Factory to bring the UK’s and Europe’s top AI founders to the US health market. This new programme boosts Northwestern Medicine’s strategy to embrace innovations that advance new models of patient care, supercharge research and deliver operational efficiencies.

AI-enabled technologies are instrumental to improving healthcare. From detection and chronic disease management to treatment optimism, systems-wide change and expediting research, AI delivers far-reaching benefits across health systems. For example, in oncology over 40% of AI‑discovered drugs rely on AI‑assisted trial platforms in early‑stage development¹, while industry reports suggest that clinical AI could help prevent around 250,000 deaths globally by 2030.

The UK is well regarded as a global science and tech powerhouse, with London ranked one of the world’s best tech ecosystems³ and Founders Factory named as the country’s top startup hub⁴. The new accelerator will support UK and European founders as they deliver breakthrough technologies that address the most critical challenges in US healthcare.

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A key element of this collaboration is the access to Northwestern Medicine, Chicago’s premier integrated academic healthcare system (11 hospitals, 5,400+ affiliated physicians, research facilities, and 200+ outpatient/diagnostic sites). The health system is anchored by Northwestern Memorial Hospital. For 14 consecutive years, Northwestern Memorial has been named to the Best Hospital Honor Roll by U.S. News and World Report. The program will focus on helping the selected startups to test, deploy and scale their solutions with Northwestern Medicine and its ecosystem of partners, driving opportunity in the world’s largest healthcare market.

“Northwestern Medicine is committed to accelerating innovation that meaningfully improves patient care, advances research, and strengthens the way healthcare is delivered,” said Doug King, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Northwestern Medicine. “This collaboration with Founders Factory creates a powerful bridge between world-class European talent and one of America’s leading academic health systems.”

Founders Factory, added, “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 programme promotes cross-border collaboration that will ultimately drive patient outcomes in the US.”

The four-month program will be led by Founders Factory and will focus on helping founders to test, deploy and commercialise their solutions with both Northwestern Medicine and its ecosystem of healthcare partners, such as The London Clinic in the UK. The cohort will also be invited to a residential week with Northwestern Medicine in Chicago to collaborate with key clinical and commercial teams from across the health system.

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