Call for Applications to the
MICCAI Society Virtual Startup Village
Continuing on the success of the MICCAI Society Startup Village at MICCAI 2020-2025, we open the door again to the future generation of technologies and entrepreneurs at the sixth edition of the MICCAI Society Virtual Startup Village as part of the MICCAI 2026 conference.
All Startups are invited to apply for participation in a global, virtual pitch competition - showcasing your solutions that are relevant to the MICCAI community. The top 10 leading Startups will be chosen to participate in the Virtual Pitch Competition. Based on the judges' evaluation, the top 3 Startups will be invited to highlight their work in person at the MICCAI 2026 conference.
We are delighted to inform you about some exciting benefits to the Startup Village participants:
VISIBILITY:
- Virtual pitch competition: You'll participate in a global, virtual pitch competition where all MICCAI Society members will be invited to and representatives from academia and industry (incl. NVIDIA and AWS) will serve as a jury.
- The top 3 Startups of this pitch competition will have a dedicated space in the exhibition area during the main conference of MICCAI 2026 - to discuss, showcase and highlight your work with all MICCAI participants!
- MICCAI 2026 Startup Village winners: Will be featured in the MICCAI Quarterly newsletter and social media channels - reaching all MICCAI Society members
CONNECT:
- Grow your visibility, expand your network and connect with MICCAI 2026 participants at the exhibition area
- We encourage all Startups attending MICCAI 2026 to participate in the successful MICCAI Student Board networking event. The top 3 Startups will also be invited to the event as networking partners. This is a great way to connect with outstanding researchers looking for job opportunities and with other companies connected to the MICCAI community.
AND MORE:
- MICCAI Society will offer a $1,000 travel award for the 1st place winner of the MICCAI Society Startup Village pitch competition to support the cost to travel to the MICCAI 2026 conference
- MICCAI Society will offer free registration for in-person attendance at MICCAI 2026 plus MICCAI membership for one year for the top 3 Startups (1 person per startup)
- For all Startups that are selected for the pitch competition stage: Personal introductions to industry contacts of startup programs like the NVIDIA Inception Program (providing potential additional benefits like GPU discounts, access to DLI courses,...) and the AWS Activate Startup Program (providing potential additional benefits like resources Startup need to build, launch, and scale on AWS)
Registration Form:
To apply for you and your company to participate in the MICCAI Society Virtual Startup Village, please complete the registration form at the link below.
MICCAI Society Startup Village 2026 Application
Selection Criteria:
In 2026, we will welcome up to 10 Startups in the program. The MICCAI Society Virtual Startup Village Committee will consider these selection criteria:
- Impact and innovation of the technology
- Relevance of company and product to MICCAI areas and activities
- Benefits to the company from participation in the program
Pitch Competition:
Format: Short slide-based pitch with presentation by one representative of the Startup, followed by a Q&A by the Jury
Jury: MICCAI Society, invited guests from academia and industry, and an audience vote
Important Dates:
- June 1, 2026
- Application due
- June 10, 2026
- Notification of acceptance, time to prepare slides for the pitch and a pre-recorded video
- July 2, 2026
- Virtual pitch competition
- July 28, 2026
- Winners announcement
- Sept 27 - Oct 1, 2026
- MICCAI 2026 conference - including exhibition area for the top 3 Startups and networking event
Do you have any questions? Please contact: startupvillage@miccai2026.org.
We look forward to seeing you at the MICCAI Society Virtual Startup Village virtual pitch competition and in person at MICCAI 2026 in Strasbourg, France!
