ANDHealth’s ACTIVATE returns in 2026 following standout founder feedback

Why ACTIVATE matters

For digital and connected health founders, the challenge is no longer just building a good idea. It is proving commercial readiness, navigating regulation, and scaling in a system where credibility matters as much as capital.

That is the gap ANDHealth’s ACTIVATE program is designed to fill.

On 28 January 2026, ANDHealth announced applications are now open for the 2026 intake of ACTIVATE, its six-month accelerator supporting Victorian healthtech companies ready to scale. The program is backed by LaunchVic and the Victorian Government, and targets founders who are past concept stage but not yet operating at full commercial velocity.

ACTIVATE combines structured content, hands-on mentoring and deep industry access, with a focus on helping founders move from pilot to scalable business.

The numbers behind the impact

Since launching in 2023, 45 companies have completed the ACTIVATE program. Together, they have raised $35.7 million in dilutive and non-dilutive capital, generated $15 million in new revenue, created 156 jobs and impacted more than 398,000 patients.

Just as telling is the feedback from founders themselves.

Across all cohorts, 371 industry experts have delivered more than 726 hours of program content and 271 hours of mentoring. That effort has translated into an average Net Promoter Score of 92. In 2025, the program achieved a record NPS of 100, with every participant rating ACTIVATE as “excellent” or “very good”.

A maturing ecosystem in Victoria

According to ANDHealth’s national pipeline data, Victoria now leads Australia in digital and connected health. As at 31 December 2025, the state is home to 567 companies, representing 42.7% of the national total and growth of more than 118% since December 2022.

ANDHealth Chief Executive Bronwyn Le Grice says the results reflect both program quality and ecosystem maturity.

“Achieving a Net Promoter Score of 100 from our 2025 ACTIVATE cohort is an extraordinary result and a clear reflection of the value this program delivers to founders,” Ms Le Grice said.

“Every participant rated the program as excellent or very good, which tells us that ACTIVATE isn’t just meeting expectations, it’s exceeding them. It demonstrates the strength of Victoria’s growing digital health ecosystem and reinforces that our evidence-based, expert-led approach is setting a new benchmark for accelerator programs in Australia,” she said.

“As the Victorian innovation pipeline matures, we’re seeing companies enter ACTIVATE with increasing commercial and technical readiness. We expect the outcomes of our future cohorts to grow exponentially as these founders build globally competitive digital and connected health solutions right here in Victoria.”

Backed by government, valued by founders

LaunchVic CEO Dr Kate Cornick says healthtech remains one of Victoria’s strongest startup subsectors.

“HealthTech is one of Victoria’s strongest startup subsectors. By backing proven programs like ANDHealth ACTIVATE, LaunchVic is ensuring aspiring founders receive the tailored support they need to grow and scale their startups in this crucial sector,” Dr Cornick said.

For founders, that support translates into practical outcomes. ACTIVATE alumni consistently cite the program’s sector focus and mentor access as transformative.

“ANDHealth’s ACTIVATE program has everything you’d expect from an accelerator plus more. The network we were introduced to not only supported our sales but deepened our understanding of the unique digital health landscape,” said Lisa Stephenson, Co-founder of I’m In Health and ACTIVATE participant.

What founders need to know

Applications for the 2026 ACTIVATE cohort close on Sunday 22 March 2026 at 11:59pm (AEDT). The program will run from May to December 2026.

For Victorian digital and connected health founders, the signal is clear. Expectations are rising, but so is the calibre of support available. Programs like ACTIVATE are increasingly about execution, evidence and ecosystem leverage, not just acceleration for acceleration’s sake.

For more information, visit andhealth.com.au/activate

Image source: ANDHealth