Utah Valley University and HITLAB are launching a healthcare AI hackathon and innovation competition aimed at connecting startups, students, researchers, and healthcare leaders to accelerate commercialization of emerging technologies in digital health, applied AI, and digital identity systems.
Orem, Utah — May 15, 2026
Healthcare and technology leaders are partnering with Utah Valley University to launch two new competitions aimed at accelerating innovation in artificial intelligence, digital health, and digital identity systems.
The programs, organized through a partnership between HITLAB (Healthcare Innovation and Technology Lab) and Utah Valley University, are designed to connect students, startups, researchers, and entrepreneurs with investors, mentors, and healthcare industry leaders.
Healthcare innovation often struggles to move from research into real-world patient care because of limited funding, weak industry partnerships, and lack of institutional support.
“The gap between breakthroughs and patient care is still too wide, and it costs lives,” said Stan Kachnowski, Chair of HITLAB. “This competition closes that gap by connecting innovators directly with the mentorship, capital, and industry relationships that turn promising solutions into deployed reality.”
HITLAB is a New York City-based digital health research organization focused on digital health research, evaluation, and innovation. It uses evidence-based methods to test and validate health technology before bringing it to market. One of its published studies produced an algorithm that identified infant babbling patterns linked to early developmental issues with 91% accuracy.
The initiative will feature two separate programs running simultaneously: a university hackathon and the Healthcare Innovation World Cup.
The University Hackathon
Tyler Small, Senior Director of UVU's Kahlert Applied AI Institute, said the event is intended to create meaningful opportunities for both students and businesses.
“This isn’t a fake-problem type of hackathon,” Small said. “Organizations are paying money to have real technical problems solved. Companies attending will be looking for interns, full-time employees, and technical talent. It creates a direct bridge between students and industry leaders.”
The hackathon will also feature “bounties,” which allow companies to present unsolved technical challenges and attach cash prizes to successful solutions.
Companies provide detailed descriptions of their challenges, and participating teams spend the 24-hour competition developing solutions before presenting them to judges and company representatives. Winning teams receive the funding attached to each bounty.
According to Tyler Jennings, three companies are currently signed up offer bounties in 2026: Philo Ventures, Waystar, and Halda.ai.
“We at the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and The Nucleus Institute were thrilled with what teams built for our projects, and we’re excited to work with our bounty winners to bring these projects to life,” Jennings said.
Jennings also works as the local managing director for Sandbox, an entrepreneurial program focused on helping students launch businesses while earning academic credit.
“This partnership with HITLAB, the Governor’s Office, and the Utah System of Higher Education represents exactly what we’re building at UVU and the Smith College of Engineering and Technology,” said Barclay Burns.
“These collaborations create the ecosystem our students need by connecting academic innovation directly to industry networks, strategic mentorship, and the resources that turn classroom potential into real-world impact,” Burns said.
Other faculty members also expressed support for the event.
Majid Memari, who also serves as an NVIDIA ambassador and principal AI architect at the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy, said the competition offers students a more practical learning experience.
“I’m excited that we are hosting this hackathon,” Memari said. “This semester I took students to two conferences, but they wanted a more applied learning experience. This gives them an opportunity to build something meaningful.”
The Healthcare Innovation World Cup
The Healthcare Innovation World Cup is designed for startups, researchers, and innovators with validated concepts, prototypes, or early-stage companies.
Organizers say the competition is open to participants ranging from pre-seed startups to companies at the Series A stage. Academic research teams, graduate students, and interdisciplinary innovators with developed prototypes are also encouraged to apply.
Teams will compete in three innovation categories:
According to the HITLAB website, participants will receive mentorship from healthcare and AI leaders, pitch coaching, and opportunities to connect with investors, strategic partners, and pilot programs.
Burns said the event also reflects Utah’s growing role in digital identity development.
“The World Cup continues to position Utah and UVU as leaders in the mission-critical field of digital identity,” Burns said. “Secure digital identity systems are becoming foundational to healthcare, education, finance, life sciences, and emerging technology sectors.”
Organizers say they are seeking high-impact solutions that demonstrate strong problem-solution fit, technical feasibility, scalability, deployment readiness, and thoughtful consideration of ethics, privacy, and equity.
Applications for both competitions opened May 12 and close June 3. Finalists will be announced June 10, and the live final pitch competition and hackathon will take place June 17 and 18 at Utah Valley University.
More information is available at HITLAB World Cup.
