< $1M ARR
Pre-seed, seed, or early-stage companies primarily seeking funding and early traction.
What’s at stakePitch the panelFollow-on capital from judges’ fundsHospital-system & payor introductions
FAQ · Cycle 20265 sections · 19 questions · ask the rest
Everything founders, investors, and partners ask.
If yours isn’t here, write to info@ghfventures.com — we read everything and respond within five business days.
00 /Tracks
Two tracks. One application.
Both tracks compete in the same room with the same panel. The five finalists at the 2026 Yale Club finals are drawn across tracks based on category strength.
$1M–$15M+ ARR
Innovators looking to scale sales and/or seeking domain experts. Pitch live to a panel of global healthcare investors and leaders.
What’s at stake$100K–$10M Venture Forum prizeStrategic GTM partnershipsDirect executive access
01 /About the program
What it is, and what it isn’t.
GHF Ventures is a curated capital and governance platform — not an accelerator, not a fund. The Venture Forum is the annual flagship.
What is GHF Ventures?
A curated capital and governance alignment platform within the Global Health Forum. The Venture Forum is its annual flagship event — the moment selected ventures present to institutional investors, hospital-system leaders, and cross-border partners.
Is GHF Ventures an accelerator?
No. It is not a cohort-based accelerator. It is a selective capital alignment ecosystem that also operates focused programs addressing specific gaps in healthcare. Engagement is selective and aligned with long-term partnership.
What is the relationship to WestBridge Capital and Hitachi Ventures?
WestBridge Capital and Hitachi Ventures are GHF Ventures’ strategic capital partners. WestBridge invests $10M to $500M across Series A to IPO and, together with Hitachi Ventures, underwrites the $100K–$10M direct investment offered to the Venture Forum winner. They sit on the panel and conduct compressed, four-week diligence after the finals.
Is participation limited to U.S.-based ventures?
No. GHF Ventures supports international collaboration, including U.S.–India corridor engagement. Companies should be HQ’d in the U.S. or India, or shipping to U.S. health systems with a U.S. entity.
02 /Eligibility & application
Who should apply, how, and by when.
Eleven questions, fifteen minutes. Read by the sector lead end-to-end. Five business days to a yes or a no.
How do I apply?
Click Apply anywhere on this site to open the application form. The form takes 15–20 minutes. Your sector lead reads every submission end-to-end. We review every submission personally — you’ll hear from us within five business days.
When are applications due for 2026?
Saturday, August 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. Hard deadline — we don’t extend. Sector interviews are scheduled rolling through August; five finalists are notified by September 30, 2026.
Who is eligible? What stage companies are appropriate?
Companies with measurable traction or validated pilots, in one of our six investment sectors, shipping to U.S. health systems (or HQ’d in the U.S. or India). We accept two tracks:
- Early-stage: under $1M ARR. Pre-seed through early-stage. Primarily seeking funding and early traction.
- Growth-stage: $1M–$15M+ ARR. Innovators looking to scale sales or seeking domain experts. Pitching live to a panel of global healthcare investors and leaders.
What does the application ask?
Eleven questions across four sections: the team lead, company basics, your sector and stage, and a short narrative — how you’d spend the check, who in the room you most want to reach, and the strongest signal a customer has given you in the last 90 days. Optional upload: a deck, one-pager, or clinical-evidence document.
How are companies selected?
Three rounds. The sector lead screens every application. Shortlisted founders interview live with the lead — 45 minutes, no slides. Five finalists are invited to NYC. The panel — operators, hospital-system executives, and growth-stage investors — picks the winner in the room. Even if your company is not selected, we provide written feedback on the application.
What happens after I apply?
Within five business days you’ll get a personal note from your sector lead — either a next step or a no, with feedback. We don’t ghost.
03 /The event
When and where the cheque is placed.
Yale Club of New York. October 9–11, 2026. Tickets via globalhealth-congress.org.
Where and when is the 2026 forum?
Yale Club of New York, 50 Vanderbilt Ave. The 2026 Global Health Congress runs October 9–11, 2026. The Venture Forum first round and finals run within the Congress — first round 5:00–6:00 PM ET on Friday, October 9; finals 3:45–4:45 PM ET on Sunday, October 11.
How can I get tickets to attend?
The Venture Forum sits inside the Global Health Forum at the Yale Club, NYC. Public tickets to the wider Forum — panels, workshops, and the Venture Forum itself — are available at globalhealth-congress.org/tickets. Capacity is limited; early registration is recommended.
04 /Capital, terms, and IP
Equity, terms, and what we don’t sign.
$100K–$10M direct investment from WestBridge Capital and Hitachi Ventures on a standard SAFE. No NDAs at the application stage. Live pitches are room-only.
Does GHF Ventures take equity?
There is no standard equity model across the program. The $100K–$10M Venture Forum prize is invested by WestBridge Capital and Hitachi Ventures on a standard SAFE. Beyond the headline prize, engagement is relationship-driven and structured case by case. Selected ventures may receive strategic advisory support and non-dilutive capital aligned with governance-first principles.
Is funding guaranteed?
No. Only the Venture Forum winner receives the $100K–$10M check. Five finalists pitch; one wins. Non-winners regularly close follow-on rounds with judges’ funds, but capital alignment across the broader GHF Ventures platform occurs through structured engagement with investors — not as a guarantee of funding.
What did the 2025 prize look like?
Sensible — the inaugural 2025 winner — received the $25,000 Venture Forum Prize funded by WestBridge Capital, the first prize of its kind within the GHF platform. The 2026 program scales the headline check to $100K–$10M direct investment, on standard SAFE terms, with capital landing by January 2027.
What about IP and confidentiality?
Submissions are read in confidence by sector leads, co-chairs, and the panel. We don’t sign NDAs at the application stage — keep what you share pitch-friendly, not patent-grade. Live pitches are room-only; we don’t record. Decks shared with the panel are returned or destroyed at your request.
05 /What founders walk out with
Capital, customers, and the room.
200 decision makers in the room. Strategics from J&J, Roche, Optum. Growth-stage funds writing this year's A and B.
What do participating companies gain?
Capital ($100K–$10M direct from WestBridge Capital and Hitachi Ventures if you win), customers (200 decision makers in the room), strategics (corp dev from J&J, Roche, Optum), and investors (growth-stage funds writing this year’s Series A and B). Founders also gain direct access to hospital systems, payors, and policy leaders — bridging the critical gap between founders and the healthcare ecosystem.
Does presenting guarantee investment?
No. Participation is not a guarantee of funding. Companies form valuable partnerships, gain visibility, and build relationships with investors that can lead to future investment opportunities — in addition to the opportunity of securing the headline check.
Still have a question?
Reach out. We read everything.
Five-business-day response window — yes, no, or a follow-up question. We don’t ghost founders.