MATTER named a finalist in the 25th annual Chicago Innovation Awards

Chicago, IL — Out of more than 350 nominees, MATTER has been named one of the Top 100 Finalists for the 25th annual Chicago Innovation Awards. The awards celebrate the most innovative new products and services in the Chicago region across all organization sizes, sectors and industries. Over 700 business and civic leaders will come together to honor the winners when they are announced on November 17 at the UIC Forum.

“Chicago continues to rise as a global hub of innovation that cuts across industries, large corporations and startups, for-profits and non-profits,” said Luke Tanen, President and CEO of Chicago Innovation. “The impact that this year’s nominees generated is profound – their new products and services generated $3 billion in revenues and raised nearly $1 billion in investment capital.”

MATTER was recognized for its validation network, which connects startups with healthcare organizations to test a specific, high-value question about their solution in a real-world setting. Since launching the model in 2023, MATTER has completed 73 validation projects involving more than 40 startups and 20 healthcare organizations. The framework now supports multiple MATTER accelerator programs, including SMILE Health, the PARATUS Digital Health Accelerator within the BARDA Accelerator Network and the U.S. Market Validation Study Program with KOSME.

“Healthcare innovators need more than a promising idea — they need credible evidence that their solutions can work in the real world,” said Steven Collens, CEO of MATTER. “We built MATTER’s validation network to help innovators answer critical questions faster and give healthcare organizations greater confidence when evaluating new solutions. We’re pleased to see this work recognized by the Chicago Innovation Awards.”

MATTER is also eligible for the Chicago Innovation Awards’ People’s Choice Award, which allows the public an opportunity to vote for their favorite innovation among the Top 100 Finalists. Vote for MATTER here.

About MATTER

At MATTER, we believe collaboration is the best way to improve healthcare. The MATTER collaborative includes more than 1,000 current and alumni 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 we are accelerating innovation, advancing care and improving lives. For more information, visit matter.health and follow @MATTERhealth.