Heal.LA, powered by Larta Institute, is an eight to twelve month, nationally acclaimed and award-winning innovation hub, advancing medical devices, digital health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology innovations that improve the health and wellness of Los Angeles communities.
We connect entrepreneurial ventures with Los Angeles’ remarkable ecosystem of partners, customers, and investors, providing the guidance, validation, and catalytic funding needed to turn promising ideas into real-world impact.
Do you have an innovation to improve the health & wellness of communities in Los Angeles County?
startups supported since 2020.
in follow-on capital raised.
jobs created or preserved by Fellows.
Applications for our next cohort are open through February 13th. The program begins in March 2026.
Tell us about your idea & vision—and our team will be in touch with next steps & more info.
Heal.LA has been supporting entrepreneurs to develop and scale innovations that enhance health and wellness in Los Angeles since 2020.
Learn about the companies that have participated in our Heal.LA Accelerator and our Accelerator in partnership with LA Biospace.
Be the first to receive Heal.LA updates and opportunities through our monthly newsletter.
Learn about program activities, upcoming events, ways to support, and follow our Fellows and Alumni on their journey through features and highlights.
From mental health to AI-powered diagnostics, this year’s Heal.LA Fellows are rethinking what accessible, equitable healthcare can look like. These innovators are breaking down barriers to care—starting with the communities too often left behind.
Heal.LA has been supporting entrepreneurs to develop and scale innovations that enhance health and wellness in Los Angeles since 2020. Learn about the companies that have participated in our Heal.LA Accelerator and our Accelerator in partnership with LA Biospace.
Be the first to receive Heal.LA updates and opportunities through our monthly newsletter.
Learn about program activities, upcoming events, ways to support, and follow our Fellows and Alumni on their journey through features and highlights.
Our Mission.
Los Angeles faces cascading health challenges, deepened by the pandemic—inequitable access to care and persistent community-level disparities. Too many transformative ideas never reach the people who need them most.
Heal.LA bridges that gap. We identify and nurture high-potential entrepreneurs tackling the health and wellness challenges of diverse, underserved communities—bringing science, innovation, and equity together to build lasting community resilience.
Through the Heal.LA accelerator, innovators receive:
We seek innovators who:
Each year, Heal.LA curates targeted challenge areas that reflect the most pressing health needs across Los Angeles County. These focus areas may evolve annually to align with shifting priorities in the life sciences and healthcare ecosystem.
For 2026, the program focuses on three interconnected domains:
Advancing equitable care across reproductive, maternal, and infant health.
We seek innovations that address disparities in women’s, maternal, and infant health by improving access to care, health outcomes, and continuity of support across life stages.
Women’s Health:
Maternal Health:
Infant Health:
Supporting prevention, early intervention, and community-centered care models.
We welcome solutions that improve access to culturally responsive, affordable mental-health and brain-health innovations addressing:
Serious Mental Illness & Addiction:
Community Behavioral Health:
Promoting holistic, scalable solutions that support long-term health.
We support innovations addressing early detection, prevention, and care for conditions heavily impacting low-income Angelenos, including:
Each Heal.LA Fellow joins a cohort of mission-driven innovators dedicated to building healthier, more equitable communities.
The Heal.LA program has been instrumental in refining our business strategy and connecting us with valuable resources in the healthcare ecosystem. The program’s mentorship and strategic guidance have helped us navigate the complex healthcare landscape while accelerating our path to market.
2024 Heal.LA BioScience Accelerator Cohort Member
Co-founder, Sigma Healthsense
The Heal.LA Steering Committee comprises respected leaders and domain experts from across the life sciences, biosciences, and healthcare sectors.
Actively engaged in Los Angeles’s innovation community, they provide strategic counsel, open networks of investors, customers, and collaborators, and help shape program content, outreach, and direction to maximize impact.
Their guidance ensures Heal.LA remains deeply connected, forward-looking, and community centered.
Since 1993, Larta Institute has supported over 6,500 startups that have collectively raised $7B+ in funding.
Heal.LA extends this legacy by channeling innovation directly into the neighborhoods where it’s needed most—transforming Los Angeles into a model for inclusive health innovation.
Applications for the 2026 cohort are now open!
Apply now through February 13, 2026.
There are many ways to get involved! We welcome mentors, community-based organizations, investors, and ecosystem partners to collaborate, share expertise, and help our Fellows turn their innovations into real-world impact.
Please reach out to Laura Macias (lmacias@larta.org), our Community Programs Manager, to learn more.
Stay up-to-date with our monthly Heal.LA Newsletter. This newsletter includes program activities, such as upcoming events and ways to support, alongside Fellow and Alumni features and highlights.
We welcome for-profit, nonprofit, and hybrid ventures, including university-affiliated startups and academic spinouts, provided they are incorporated entities.
Eligible applicants should:
Participation in Heal.LA is completely free and non-dilutive.
We take no equity and charge no fees. Fellows receive full access to accelerator programming, mentorship, and ecosystem resources thanks to public and philanthropic support.
The Larta Impact Fund, supported by the California Jobs First (CJF) program, provides catalytic capital to help Heal.LA Fellows validate, pilot, and scale their innovations in Los Angeles County.
Fellows may be eligible for Innovation Awards—non-dilutive funding for pilot, demonstration, or validation projects—ranging from $75,000 to $150,000.
The Fund uses low-interest loans, recoverable grants, and convertible notes to accelerate community-based deployment and measurable local impact.
With support from CJF/GO-Biz, CalOSBA, and philanthropic partners including The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and Gilead Sciences, the Fund helps position Heal.LA as one of the region’s most recognized and community-driven life science organizations focused on accelerating innovations in the sector.
CJF is a program of the State of California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). It supports inclusive economic growth and job creation through regionally driven initiatives.
Through CJF, Heal.LA leverages catalytic capital to advance health innovation, workforce development, and community resilience across Los Angeles County.
For 2025, Heal.LA focuses on three core areas:
Fellows gain:
Yes. Heal.LA thrives on collaboration.
We welcome mentors, community organizations, investors, and civic partners to share expertise and amplify the impact of Fellows’ innovations.
Our network includes LA County DEO, LAEDC, BioscienceLA, and AltaMed Health Services (an FQHC).
 :
Applications for the 2026 cohort are open now! You can apply here.
Please reach out to Laura Macias ([lmacias@larta.org](mailto:lmacias@larta.org)), our Community Programs Manager, to learn more.
If you have an innovation to improve the health & wellness of communities in Los Angeles County, tell us about it and our team will be in touch with next steps & more info.
