Join the cohort building the biotools behind every discovery.
Applications close December 1, 2026
Five months inside the industry that needs what you’re building.
Your customers are the people in the room.
BTI partners are leading biotech and tools companies, and they are not an audience, they are participants. Cohort companies get closed-door time with the scientists, procurement leads, and business development teams who decide what gets bought, licensed, and acquired in life science tools.
“The biggest benefit of joining BTI was the partnering with strategic partners, but also with the mentors… We completely redefined the way we do business since we joined the cohort. And now we have a better understanding of our customers and we can serve them better.”Jurek KozyraNanovery, 2025 alumni
- Strategic mentor matching puts you in front of the tools and instrumentation strategics who acquire and partner with life science tools companies. You know who your acquirers are before you need them, and they know you. Tools companies are acquired earlier than in medtech, so that timeline matters.
- Service-provider mentor matching and Spark Workshops open closed-door access to legal, regulatory, IP, and commercialization experts. Fewer expensive mistakes on the path to market.
- The cohort is a working resource, not a contact list. Founders twelve to twenty four months ahead of you, each carrying deep expertise in a problem you are facing: non-dilutive grant strategy, distributor and channel relationships, board management.
Customized support for tools companies, not generic startups.
BTI is not a pre-accelerator. Support is goals-based and mentorship-driven, set against where your company actually is, so a first-time grant recipient and a company shipping product both get five months that apply to them.
“Over five months, the mix of expert mentorship, well-structured webinars, and peer accountability meaningfully sharpened how we think about regulatory strategy, manufacturing, and product development…”Armin RadCo-Founder, Encapsulate Inc, 2025 alumni
- Go-to-market Channel and distribution strategy grounded in how tools companies actually reach labs, core facilities, and biopharma buyers, rather than a generic sales model.
- Product market fit Pressure test what you are building against the scientists and lab leads who would run it, so the product sharpens against real users rather than assumptions.
- Business model Pricing and revenue structure built for instruments, consumables, and services, including where research-use-only products sit relative to clinical and diagnostic use.
Raise from investors who already understand tools.
Tools and biopharma investors are a distinct set from medtech generalists, and generalists tend to misprice tools companies. BTI gives you the map of who funds this category and the introductions to reach them.
“Through the program, we gained access to capital from investors specifically focused on biotech, showcased our innovation to potential M&A partners, and collaborated with corporate giants to develop and validate new products using EmGenisys technology.”Cara WellsEmGenisys, 2024 alumni and grand prize winner
- Non-dilutive funding strategy, including federal grant programs, so runway extends without giving up equity at the earliest and most expensive stage.
- Open Rounds gives you inbound visibility to investors actively seeking tools deal flow, with multi-year access so the momentum continues after the cohort year ends.
- The road tour, Capstone, and Innovator Summit put you in front of investors repeatedly, in different formats, across the full program year. One presentation on one afternoon does not decide your fundraising year.
Selection that travels.
BTI companies go through a competitive selection process run by expert reviewers and a strategic partner committee. It is validation that holds up in a diligence conversation, a partnership discussion, and a grant application.
“We’ve gone through a variety of different programs: Mass Challenge, Entrepreneur Training, the I-Corps Program… and this program is just a step up from everything we’ve experienced.”Brian FengOsem Fluidics, 2025 alumni
- Third-party validation from a rigorous, industry-trusted selection process. Your credibility is no longer self-reported: you have been vetted in front of the investors and strategics who know the tools market.
- A full day in front of the ecosystem at the BioTools Innovator Capstone, plus showcase visibility at the Innovator Summit and road tour exposure in the markets where your customers and acquirers are based, not only your home cluster.
- A one-minute company video, a required program deliverable, that communicates your story to investors, partners, core labs, and media, and keeps working long after the program ends.
$300,000 in prize capital, awarded on the Capstone stage.
Awards extend runway at the stage where runway is tightest, and they signal company strength to the market at the same time. Every BTI finalist competes.
“As a winner, the most valuable part I would be tempted to say is the grand prize, but in reality it’s not all about money… the network that we built, the mentors that helped us, and everybody that we met… is going to stay for much longer than the money.”Luc HenryLimula, 2023 alumni and grand prize winner
- $250,000 for the finals competition winner, awarded at the BioTools Innovator Capstone. Up to four finalists will receive $25,000.
- $10,000 for the best video competition winner, judged at the Capstone in front of the ecosystem’s most-watched stage.
- Capital that extends runway and validates the company to investors and strategics in the same moment.
What we’re looking for.
Who can apply:
- Technology·Drug discovery, development and delivery technologies, research products and instruments, R&D and manufacturing services, diagnostics, or software
- Stage·Pre-seed through Series B, with a prototype and proof of concept in hand or close to it
- Geography·Companies anywhere in the world, with the U.S. as a target market
- Leadership·A founder, CEO, or senior leader with capacity to engage for the full program
You might be a good fit if:
The next twelve months are about landing your first institutional customers, proving your commercial model, or closing a round.
Access to biotech and tools buyers matters as much as capital.
The company is ready to be evaluated by the people who buy, fund, and acquire life science tools.
BTI serves companies selling to drug developers, not drug developers themselves. Companies developing drugs, biologics, cell therapies, or gene therapies are out of scope for both BioTools Innovator and MedTech Innovator.
We work across the full spectrum of life science tools
- Cell Research & Imaging
- Drug Discovery & Lead Selection
- Laboratory Automation
- Protein Analysis
- Assay Development
- Informatics & Data
- Sequencing
- Bioproduction
- Microbiome Analysis
- Sample Processing
- Cell & Gene Therapy
- Synthetic Biology
Optional focused path.
Companies are considered for the track through the same application. There is no separate form and no opt-in.
Enabling Technologies Hub
Focus areas: drug discovery and development, biomanufacturing, sample processing and assays, bioanalysis of emerging pathogens. Up to ten companies are selected.
Learn moreStill have a question?
Email the BioTools Innovator team and we will get back to you.
The accelerator is backed by the industry it serves.
BTI’s partners are the biotech and tools companies who help fund the program, shape the curriculum, and mentor each cohort. Their involvement is what puts procurement leads, scientists, and business development teams in the room with founders across the five months.
Founding Partners
Acceleration Partners
Three steps is all it takes.
Start your application
Create your profile
Applications open October 1, 2026. Create your company profile in the Innovator Portal and begin your submission. There is no fee to apply.
Complete your application
Tell us about your company
Tell us about your technology, your team, your funding, your milestones, and the customers you are selling to. We ask what we need to evaluate your company, not more. Most companies finish in one to two hours, and you can save and return at any point before applications close on December 1.
Radar review & selection
We take it from here
Applications go through Radar, the multi-stage evaluation process shared with MedTech Innovator. Expert reviewers assess your submission, selected companies pitch live, and a strategic partner committee makes the final call. Every applicant receives structured feedback. Evaluation runs December through May, with notifications in late May 2027.
Come to an info session.
Get your questions answered directly by the BioTools Innovator team. Info sessions cover the program, the application process, and what the selection committee is looking for.
Learn about the BTI program and how to apply
Get an inside look at the program, eligibility, key dates, and have your questions answered live with our team.
The questions applicants ask most.
Is the program right for very early-stage companies?
Can international companies apply?
We just raised a Series B, can we still apply?
Is there any criteria for life science industry-specific verticals?
We’re already raising. Is that a problem?
Is there a cost or fee to participate?
Do we need to be incorporated?
How long does it take to complete an application, and what do we need to submit?
How does selection work?
Value
- Product
- Customer Validation
- Business Model
- Competition
- IP
- Market Opportunity
Execution
- Team Strength & Execution
- Development Plan
- Responsive to Feedback
- Existing Funding
- Resources to Execute
Momentum
- Stage of Development
- Evidence
- Time to Market
- Traction & Sales
- Partnerships & Relationships
- Time to Key Milestones
- Upcoming Funding
Do I need to relocate?
I applied before and was not selected. Should I reapply?
Not sure which program is right for you?
Two sister accelerators with different focus areas.
For companies developing life science tools and research technologies.
For companies developing medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health products.