TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tampa Bay Wave, a nonprofit, zero-equity startup accelerator, today announced a new partnership with Vanderbilt Health through the Brock Family Center for Applied Innovation to power its 2026 HealthTech|X cohort. The dual-region program will support startups building technology for behavioral health and addiction, two of the fastest-growing and most urgent categories in the industry.
Through the partnership, founders selected for the cohort will have direct access to Vanderbilt researchers, clinicians, informaticists and health system leaders, along with paths to clinical research partnerships, technology transfer and licensing of Vanderbilt technologies.
"Behavioral health and addiction don't leave room for ideas that only work on paper. Founders need clinicians willing to test their technology against real patients, fast. That's what Vanderbilt brings to this partnership, and paired with everything we've built in Tampa Bay, it gives these founders a shot most Accelerators can't offer,” said Linda Olson, Founder and CEO, Tampa Bay Wave.
“Vanderbilt Health and the Brock Center for Applied Innovation are excited to collaborate with Tampa Bay Wave to welcome innovative behavioral health and addiction-focused startups into the HealthTech|X cohort. Together, we look forward to connecting founders with Nashville’s vibrant healthcare innovation ecosystem and providing exposure to Vanderbilt’s world-class clinical, research, and entrepreneurial resources to accelerate their business progress,” said Ken Holroyd, MD, MBA, Director of Brock Family Center for Applied Innovation at Vanderbilt Health.
"Behavioral health and addiction are two critical areas of healthcare that need innovation from strong founders. The opportunity to pair two of the strongest HealthTech ecosystems in the United States in Tampa and Nashville is unique and a major inflection point for the Tampa Bay Wave, but most importantly provides an opportunity to rally investors, healthcare executives, and more to support the incoming cohort companies in a big way as they grow and scale their startups," said Richard Munassi, MD, MBA, Managing Director, Tampa Bay Wave.
"The entire Brock family and Brock Recovery Group team is excited to see the launch of the 2026 HealthTech|X Accelerator program focused on Behavioral Health and Addiction startups. With pairing together a world class Accelerator in the Tampa Bay Wave with all that Nashville and the Brock Family Center for Innovation at Vanderbilt Health has to offer, along with the tremendous ecosystems of Tampa and Nashville, the program will undoubtedly be of high value to all the matriculating startups, now and into the future," said Major Brock, CEO, Brock Recovery Group.
The 2026 HealthTech|X cohort will run across both Tampa and Nashville, with in-person session weeks in each city and virtual engagement between them, culminating in pitch nights in each market and a remote Demo Day. Tampa Bay Wave collaborates with a broader ecosystem of healthcare partners, including Tampa General Hospital, BayCare, USF Health, Moffitt Cancer Center and the Tampa Medical Research District.
Full program details are available at tampabaywave.org/healthtech.
About Tampa Bay Wave
Tampa Bay Wave, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing entrepreneurs with facilitated access to the resources, expertise and capital they need to grow vibrant technology-based companies in Tampa Bay. Since 2013, Tampa Bay Wave has supported more than 670 tech startups that have raised more than $2 billion in capital, created more than 7,600 jobs and completed 34 exits, driving an estimated $450 million in annual economic impact, thanks to grant funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), plus support from its economic development partners Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and the City of Tampa. Tampa Bay Wave also receives support from individuals, corporations and foundations such as: A-LIGN, Appspace, Bank of America, Celestar, Delta Air Lines/Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Florida High Tech Corridor, Foley & Lardner, Justworks, Kuducom, Nielsen Foundation, NextPath Workforce Solutions, St. Petersburg College, TECO, Thoropass, the University of South Florida and others. In 2026, Tampa Bay Wave was ranked the #3 accelerator in the U.S. and #1 in Florida by TIME. For more information, visit tampabaywave.org.
About Vanderbilt Health
Vanderbilt Health, a growing academic health system headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the largest and most prominent academic systems in the Southeast, providing patient care, conducting research and training the next generation of health professionals. With 43,000 employees, including 4,930 employed clinicians, Vanderbilt Health accommodated more than 3.5 million patient visits last year at its eight hospitals and 180-plus clinic locations. In 2025, Vanderbilt Health contributed $22.13 billion to the regional economy while also providing more than $1 billion in total community benefit and investment including patient financial assistance, medical research, health professional education, community grants and unreimbursed costs for government health programs. For more information, visit VanderbiltHealth.com.
Jack Phillips Vistra Communications 813-322-2590 jackp@consultvistra.com