MedTech Innovator Radar Forum April 7-9 Levels Up MedTech Industry’s Most Rigorous Evaluation Platform and Leading Accelerator Program

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 6, 2026--

MedTech Innovator (MTI), the world’s largest and most impactful accelerator for early to mid-stage medical technology startups, today announced the evolution of its long-standing multi-city Road Tour pitch events into a single consolidated event – MTI’s Radar Forum.

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“Over the past decade, MedTech Innovator has constantly refined and expanded our industry-leading evaluation process to give more stakeholders a seat at the table,” said Paul Grand, CEO. “Radar is the latest innovation in what has become the industry's most effective platform for stakeholders to collaboratively identify, evaluate, and streamline the path to market success for the world's most promising medtech and digital health companies.”

Taking place April 7–9, 2026 in Manhattan Beach, California, Radar Forum is invite-only and will convene nearly 500 attendees from around the world with a focus on the U.S. Market. Uniquely, 300 of the world’s top experts in every major stakeholder category (strategics, payers, providers, investors, societies, service providers, and regulators) will collaboratively evaluate and provide feedback to the top 150 of 1,835 applicants that have already passed initial diligence filters from hundreds of experts.

Radar Forum is the final phase of MTI’s proprietary evaluation process. Companies are evaluated on all aspects of readiness, clinical viability, and real-world commercial relevance. The pairing of evaluators and startups is curated and intentional, based on strategic fit, expertise, and interests of the evaluators. When startups aren’t pitching, Insights Track workshops and panels, along with Ask the Expert sessions, will feature key stakeholders offering candid perspectives on how decisions are made and where things are heading across the regulatory, provider, payment, and funding landscapes.

Some of the event’s many in-person key stakeholder speakers and participants include Michelle Tarver, Director of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, who will share insights on the evolving regulatory landscape and what medtech founders should understand as they bring new technologies to market. Dr. Tarver will join a panel discussion with Brian Waldersen, Director, Division of Specialty Payment Models at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, who will discuss the CMS ACCESS model and what it means for the future of value-based care. Zach Hochstetler, Vice President, CPT Coding and Payment at American Medical Association, will discuss how CPT codes support innovation and pathways to payment.

Additional featured speakers include April Marrone of the FDA’s Total Product Life Cycle Advisory Program (TAP), Nir Goldenberg from Mayo Clinic, Jeff Shuren ( former FDA ), and Laura Findeiss ( former CMS ), offering perspectives spanning regulation, reimbursement, clinical adoption, and healthcare system innovation.

From Radar Forum to the Accelerator and Innovator Summit

MTI’s newly minted Radar Forum reflects the organization’s core purpose: strengthening the healthcare innovation ecosystem by emphasizing signal over volume and connecting promising technologies with the expertise and partnerships needed to bring them to market. Rather than solely offering partnering and short pitches, the Radar Forum creates space for expert judges and MTI's corporate partners to more closely examine a company’s technology, strategy, and commercial readiness through structured small-group discussions and large group deliberations.

The Radar Forum is about identifying strong signals, giving them a forum where they can be amplified in a more complete way with meaningful outcomes. After the Radar Forum and diligence follow-ups, all companies will be provided with written feedback on how to improve. MTI’s corporate partners will champion 65 startups for MTI’s 2026 U.S. Market Accelerator program which kicks off at MTI's Innovator Summit, June 2-5 in San Francisco.

About MedTech Innovator

MedTech Innovator is the world’s largest accelerator of medical device, digital health, and diagnostic companies. Its mission is to improve human health by accelerating the growth of companies transforming patient care. MTI has been a catalyst for groundbreaking healthcare solutions, sourcing over 16,000+ applicants and fostering the growth of 838 graduates. Alumni have collectively raised $12 billion in follow-on funding, achieved 63 acquisitions, and introduced 500+ products to the market, improving the health of millions worldwide. For more information about MedTech Innovator, its annual programs, portfolio of industry-leading startups, and insights on trends, visit MTI’s website, follow MTI on LinkedIn, and subscribe to its monthly newsletter.

MedTech Innovator Radar Forum

TOKYO (AP) — Asian markets that were open for trading mostly rose Monday, as investors continued to closely watch the war in Iran, soaring oil prices and what President Donald Trump might say next.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.6% to finish at 53,413.68. South Korea's Kospi gained 1.4% to 5,450.33. Trading was closed in Australia for Easter; in Hong Kong and Shanghai for a traditional Chinese holiday, and in France, Germany and Britain in observance of Easter.

Trump threatened to hit Iran’s critical infrastructure hard if the country’s government doesn’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his Tuesday deadline. But there was no sign Iran was easing its closure of the strait crucial to global oil supplies.

The market is keeping focused on oil prices.

Benchmark U.S. crude dropped $1.76 to $109.78 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, lost 73 cents to $108.33 a barrel. Energy markets were closed Friday, but the prices have been surging lately on fears that the Iran war will drag on longer than expected.

The U.S. relies on the Persian Gulf for only a fraction of the oil it imports, but oil is a commodity and prices are set in a global market. Some nations, like resource-poor Japan, import a large portion of their energy needs and rely heavily on access to the Strait of Hormuz.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told lawmakers recently that Japan was releasing its reserves and was working on alternative routes. South Korea's trade ministry said it plans to send at least five ships to Saudi Arabi in the coming weeks to establish new oil transport routes in the Red Sea.

“As we kick off the first full trading week of April, the word uncertainty is paramount. Last year it was centered on the impact of ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs, this year it's uncertainty surrounding the ongoing Iranian War,” said Jay Woods, analyst at Freedom Capital Markets in New York.

U.S. markets were closed for Good Friday and will reopen Monday. Some markets in Europe also did not trade on Friday.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar inched down to 159.39 Japanese yen Monday from 159.63. The euro cost $1.1555, up from $1.1517.

Associated Press writers Kim Tong-Hyung in Seoul and Matt Ott in Washington contributed to this report.

Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

U.S. President Donald Trump is seen on a screen as traders work at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, April 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders watch monitors at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, April 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)