Areas of focus
This program is seeking to accelerate digital health tools that enhance preparedness and response to public health emergencies due to:
- Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats
- Pandemic influenza
- Emerging infectious diseases
Technology focus areas for this accelerator program:
Digital health technologies for rapid screening and detection
Rapidly deployable digital health technologies for screening, detection, diagnosis and/or risk assessment of health security threats including but not limited to influenza and pandemic influenza, CBRN threats and emerging infectious diseases.
AI tools for medical countermeasure development
AI algorithms and architectures that can enable MCM development specifically in de novo drug design, drug candidate repurposing, optimizing clinical trials and addressing regulatory bottlenecks in the clinical development process.
Novel analytics and data sources for health threat assessment
Combining novel analytic approaches, such as AI/ML, with broadly accessible data sources such as images, audio, sensors or user data from smartphones/wearable devices; or other novel digital data sources for screening, detection, diagnosis and/or risk assessment of health security threats.
Wearable IoT for continuous disease monitoring
Wearable IoT producing accurate and reliable data, which enables real-time monitoring for early disease detection.
If your solution is working in another segment or space, please provide a narrative around how it relates to the focus areas above.
Background
Digital health solutions are playing a crucial role in enhancing public health preparedness and response capabilities. In the face of evolving global health security threats, the integration of digital technologies has proven to be essential for rapid diagnosis, real-time data sharing and informed decision-making across healthcare systems.
The Paratus Digital Health Accelerator-BARDA Accelerator Network Hub for Digital Health program provides comprehensive support to digital health companies to build and scale their solutions. This support is provided at no cost to program participants.
Benefits of participation
This program will provide participants access to mentorship, exclusive resources and interactive curriculum from subject matter experts to refine their value propositions and craft their pitch through a 10-week accelerator program. The program will culminate in a virtual showcase.
Participants should expect to:
- Participate in a customized 10-week curriculum with a commitment of 3-5 hours a week, including:
- Weekly one-hour mentor sessions
- Weekly 1-2-hour curriculum workshops
- Additional sessions with subject matter experts (30 minutes-1 hour each week)
- Guided activities for completion on your own time
- Engage with other cutting-edge startups
- Network with peers and leading influencers
- Receive mentorship from industry leaders and subject matter experts
- Gain exposure to the MATTER community
- Present to potential investors, partners and clients
- Participate in a virtual showcase
Timeline
Who should apply?
We’re seeking entrepreneurs and university-backed researchers who are developing digital health solutions that will empower the nation to prepare for and respond to health security threats and improve the continuum of clinical care.
This global call for solutions is open to startups from across the innovation ecosystem with an established proof of concept, evidence of product-market fit and business model potential.
This program is fully virtual. Participants should plan to spend about 3–5 hours each week from January 19 to March 27, 2026.
Selection criteria
We will evaluate submissions with the following criteria in mind:
- Ability to clearly identify and articulate how the proposed digital health solution aligns to the BARDA mission space and accelerator program focus areas
- Demonstration of the quality, feasibility and scalability of proposed solution
- Differentiation of solution within the competitive landscape
- Capability of participant to develop and execute concept/idea
- Extent to which Paratus Digital Health Accelerator can advance solution
Submission process
Applications are open October 15 to December 3, 2025, at 11:59 PM CT. By January 14, 2026, MATTER will select and notify up to seven finalists to participate in the 10-week accelerator. The program will conclude with a final showcase in March 2026.
See the full Terms and Conditions.
About MATTER
MATTER, the premier healthcare incubator and innovation hub, includes hundreds of cutting-edge startups from around the world, working together with dozens of hospitals and health systems, universities and industry-leading companies to build the future of healthcare. Together, the MATTER community is accelerating innovation, advancing care and improving lives. Since its inception in 2015, MATTER has supported more than 1,000 current and alumni healthcare technology startups from around the world that have created more than 10,000 jobs and raised more than $5.3 billion in capital. Their products have been used by more than 1.25 million clinicians. For more information, visit matter.health and follow @MATTERhealth.
The BARDA Accelerator Network
The BARDA Accelerator Network aims to provide comprehensive support to health security innovators, startups and BARDA portfolio companies through wrap-around accelerator services, technical and business/commercialization expertise, and resources. The network will facilitate the rapid development, evaluation, validation and commercialization of medical countermeasures.
