HEXCITE: Excited for Healthcare
Hexcite is a 16-week, AI and digital health venture lab, where Johns Hopkins innovators transform digital health ideas into fundable startups through customer discovery, AI-powered prototyping, and deliberate team building. We embrace the messy, early stages of entrepreneurship to help participants validate whether their ideas can become viable startups while building the skills and networks needed to pursue them.
Joining Hexcite instantly connects you with Johns Hopkins’ leaders in AI and digital health. Participants will validate ideas through AI-based prototyping, customer discovery, and team building, guided by weekly JHTV-curated workshops that advance commercialization. Throughout Hexcite, mentors and teammates will help with your challenges. At the end of the program, a select project is awarded $10,000 to accelerate and solidify the and build early traction.
Eligibility – Idea Track
Faculty, clinicians, or staff from JHHS or JHU, Graduate students (may receive credit), or Postdocs with an idea or project in digital health.
Application Process
- Applicants submit their own digital health ideas or projects to accelerate the progress toward commercialization.
- Applicants may already have a team in place or may request help forming a team.
- Applicants will go through an evaluation process by JHTV to select the Hexcite 2026 cohort.
- JHTV will match Idea track participants with Operator track participants for those that need to form a team.
- Six Idea track participants will be accepted.
Eligibility – Operator Track
Faculty, clinicians, or staff from JHHS or JHU, Graduate students (may receive credits), Postdocs, JHU Alumni, or Local entrepreneurs with experience in the digital health field.
Application Process
- Applicants bring diverse skills (e.g., technical, design, business) in digital health and a strong will for entrepreneurship to transform an idea into a fundable startup.
- Applicants will go through an evaluation process by JHTV to be selected to join and work together with an Idea track participant.
- Prior to the matching process, JHTV will provide a list of ideas selected for Hexcite 2026.
- Upon successful matching, Operator track participants will be paired with an appropriate Idea track participant.
Program Benefits
Upon completion of Hexcite participants will have:
- Connections to the community of leaders in AI and digital health technology innovation at Johns Hopkins.
- Co-founders and a business team
- 40+ interviews with prospective customers completed
- Polished pitch deck
- Prototype of their app
- Funding application started
- New methods for problem-solving
- Understanding of the pathways to bring innovations to market at Johns Hopkins
Program Commitment
Participants must meet the following requirements:
- Attend in-person afternoon sessions at East Baltimore Campus (either Mon or Fri TBD)
- Dedicate 10-20+ hours per week to the 16-week program
- The weekly workshop will be 2-3 hours, and the rest of the time will be dedicated to working on the project together with your team members
- Present at the final showcase event
Weekly Workshop Topics
Some of the weekly topics include:
- Commercialization pathway, market size and definition, and competitive matrixes
- Interviewing: What works (and what doesn’t)
- Exploring business models
- IP, disclosure, regulations, and more
- Product planning and the minimum viable product
- Data and integration at Johns Hopkins
- Testing and perfecting your pitch
- Funding and grants
Key Dates
- Application Open: September-November 7, 2025 Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We plan to select six projects for Hexcite 2026
- Application Deadline: November 7, 2025
- Team Matching: November – December 2025
- Program Kickoff: Late January 2026
- Showcase Event Date: Early May 2026
Questions
Contact us at [email protected] for more information.