Chicago Venture Summit: Future of Health 2026

2026-10-19 · Chicago

Chicago

167 North Green Street, Chicago

Held at 167 North Green Street, this flagship summit gathers 500 healthtech leaders, researchers, and investors to drive Midwest deal flow and explore the future of medicine.

The Chicago Venture Summit: Future-of-Health on October 20, 2026, where World Business Chicago convenes global innovation ecosystems for networking, deal flow, and strategic insights. It highlights Future of Health, bringing together founders, investors, healthcare systems, researchers, and corporate leaders.

Founder brief

Who should attend

Founders building in healthtech, digital health, biotech, and life sciences will find high value here, particularly university spinouts seeking early capital, clinical partnerships, or corporate validation from major regional healthcare systems.

What happens

World Business Chicago curates a startup portfolio paired with targeted investor introductions and strategic growth programming. Activity centers around the Grainger Engineering Tech Startup Challenge, a pitch competition highlighting engineering-driven ventures competing for funding.

Who's in the room

More than 500 participants convene on site, featuring city leaders like Mayor Brandon Johnson alongside executive leadership from World Business Chicago, including Phil Clement, Charles Smith, and Mark Tebbe, alongside healthcare researchers and corporate executives.

How to prepare

Refine your pitch deck to clearly convey scientific validation, clinical pathways, and capital requirements. Prepare a concise verbal overview of your technology to navigate quick conversations with visiting venture capital investors and potential corporate partners between formal sessions.

Organizer: World Business Chicago

Register

At a glance

Format
Curated startup portfolio with investor introductions; selected companies receive summit programming and growth support; Grainger Engineering Tech Startup Challenge pitch competition on October 20.
Theme
Future of Health
Prizes
Significant funding
Attendance
Over 500 carefully curated guests, including founders, investors, corporate executives, and public sector leaders.
Sectors
Healthtech, Digital health, Biotech, Life sciences

Agenda

  1. October 20 · Grainger Engineering Tech Startup Challenge — Pitch competition bringing together engineering-powered startups from leading universities across the Midwest and beyond; entrepreneurs pitch their ventures to investors and industry leaders.

Speakers, judges and hosts

  • Brandon Johnson — Mayor of Chicago (Speaker)
  • Charles Smith — Vice Chair, World Business Chicago (Speaker)
  • Mark Tebbe — World Business Chicago Board Member; Chair, WBC Innovation and Venture Advisory Council, World Business Chicago (Speaker)
  • Phil Clement — President and CEO, World Business Chicago (Speaker)

Sponsors and partners

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