Deadline approaching for UK musculoskeletal innovation accelerator applicants
Researchers, clinicians, engineers and entrepreneurs developing new technologies for musculoskeletal health have until 4 October to apply for the 2026 MSK Innovation Accelerator.
The six-month, fully funded programme offers each participating venture more than £80,000 worth of specialist support, including entrepreneurship training, commercial and regulatory guidance, mentoring from MSK innovation experts and access to investors, clinicians and industry specialists.
Described as the UK's only accelerator dedicated exclusively to MSK innovation, the programme is aimed at researchers, clinicians, engineers and entrepreneurs developing technologies across areas including orthopaedic devices, digital health, AI, rehabilitation, diagnostics, mobility technologies, advanced manufacturing, wearables and novel therapies.
Each participating venture will receive more than £80,000 worth of specialist support, including entrepreneurship training, commercial guidance, mentoring from MSK innovation experts, regulatory expertise and access to investors, clinicians and industry specialists. Participants will also have the opportunity to pitch for investment from Orthopaedic Research UK (ORUK).
The 2026 programme is sponsored by TIME Interconnect MedTech UK, with support from ORUK and Joint Venture Academy, and is run by Imperial College London's MedTech SuperConnector (MTSC) and Enterprise Lab.
Since its launch eight years ago, the MTSC programme has facilitated the creation of 24 spin-out companies and helped participating ventures raise more than £26 million in combined grant and venture funding.
ORUK has also provided pre-seed and seed investment to five accelerator alumni, including three companies from the 2025 cohort, helping technologies progress from research towards commercialisation.
“The UK has no shortage of brilliant ideas that could improve musculoskeletal health,” said Arash Angadji, chief executive officer of ORUK. “The challenge is helping innovators turn those ideas into technologies that genuinely reach patients.”
The accelerator is intended to help address that gap by providing support across the commercial and regulatory challenges that can prevent promising technologies from progressing beyond research and early development.
Applications for the 2026 MSK Innovation Accelerator are open until 4 October 2026.
MTSC will also hold a free online information session on 22 September, from 11.30am to 12pm, for prospective applicants seeking further information about the programme and application process.
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