Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States and drives nearly $415 billion in annual health‑related costs, according to the American Heart Association, highlighting the need for scalable, real‑world health innovation. In response, the American Heart Association is investing in early-stage health innovators and collegiate entrepreneurs working to build solutions designed for adoption, trust, and measurable impact.
The Association today announced the close of applications for the 2026 EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator™, a national, eight-week program that provides early-stage, purpose-driven businesses with nondilutive funding, deep mentorship, and market validation to help purpose-driven businesses scale solutions that advance equitable health.
The EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator is built for founders navigating complex health systems where success depends not only on bold ideas, but on adoption, trust and measurable impact. Rather than focusing solely on pitch refinement, the program equips entrepreneurs to understand how decisions are made across healthcare and community ecosystems, identify structural barriers to progress and design pathways for sustainable change.
"Innovators closest to communities often have the most powerful solutions, but they face the steepest barriers to growth," said Marcella Roberts, Esq., member of the American Heart Association Board of Directors. "The EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator helps close that gap by pairing funding with the insight, validation and narrative clarity founders need to move from promising concept to real‑world impact."
Generous support for the 2026 EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator is provided in collaboration with MATTER Health, and the Wells Fargo Foundation. Through this collaboration, the accelerator delivers structured programming, mentorship, ecosystem access and strategic guidance designed to position founders for additional capital and long‑term success. The program integrates accelerator design, founder sourcing, alumni engagement and national amplification strategies to strengthen the health innovation pipeline. Through this collaboration, selected founders receive a comprehensive support package that includes:
- Flexible funding to help early-stage health innovators and collegiate entrepreneurs move their ideas forward, without giving up ownership.
- Hands-on guidance from experienced leaders who have built, scaled, and supported successful health-focused organizations.
- Opportunities to test and strengthen solutions with real people and communities, not just in theory.
- Support to clearly tell their story in front of partners, funders, and communities to understand the value and impact of their work.
Applications for the 2026 cohort opened March 3 and closed April 27. Applicants will be notified beginning June 1, with cohort onboarding taking place June 15–19. The core accelerator runs June 22 through Aug. 14, followed by Rapid Validation Labs for selected participants. The program culminates with a on Oct. 22 at MATTER headquarters in Chicago, where founders will present their work to investors, partners and ecosystem leaders.
The accelerator is open to U.S.‑based founders age 18 and older who serve as the founder or CEO of a nonprofit or pre‑seed, seed or Series A startup. Eligible innovations demonstrate the potential to improve equitable health outcomes in the United States.
Over the coming months, the American Heart Association will announce the 2026 cohort and share stories of founders working at the intersection of health, equity and innovation highlighting how early, mission‑aligned investment can unlock lasting change.
Entrepreneurs, investors and community leaders interested in supporting or learning more about the EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator can visit EmPOWEREDtoServe.org. To stay informed about future accelerator opportunities and founder stories, follow @HeartNews on X.
More than 8 in 10 (82%) U.S. adults say they are confident in the American Heart Association to provide trustworthy information related to public health, according to a recent article, . The Association ranked second only to an individual's personal health care provider.
Additional Resources
- American Heart Association. 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of U.S. and Global Data From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2026;153:e275–e906.
- American Heart Association Scientific Statement: Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health
- American Heart Association resources and materials: ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease
