UNT Health, TechFW renew partnership to drive regional health innovation

Joint effort focuses on accelerating commercialization, supporting early-stage innovation in North Texas.

UNT Health Fort Worth recently renewed and expanded its partnership with TechFW to advance technology commercialization, support early-stage innovators and strengthen the region’s growing health innovation ecosystem.

Backed by funding from the Texas Legislature, the collaboration will connect researchers, entrepreneurs and investors to accelerate the development of new technologies that can transition from the lab into real world applications. TechFW is a nonprofit organization that has supported entrepreneurs and startups across North Texas since 1998. A partnership agreement with UNT Health was first signed in 2006.

“At UNT Health, we are committed to improving lives through research, innovation and discovery. We are pleased to renew our collaboration with TechFW,” said Dimitrios Karamichos, Ph.D., vice president of research and graduate studies at the academic medical center. “This partnership broadens opportunities for our faculty, students and startup founders to advance discoveries that can drive meaningful progress in health.”

Through this agreement, UNT Health and TechFW will develop programs that strengthen innovation pathways, prepare researchers and founders for successful commercialization, and provide structured access to entrepreneurial training.

The partnership has supported a range of successful ventures, including Ayuvis, Memsel, Cx Precision Medicine, ACDET, ZS Pharma and Resonant Sensors. These companies reflect diverse forms of engagement, including faculty and student involvement, lab space, Small Business Innovation Research support and other collaborative efforts. In 2015, ZS Pharma represented a notable success for the partnership, culminating in a $2.6 billion acquisition.

“TechFW is excited to work alongside UNT Health to support the researchers and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of health and technology in North Texas,” TechFW Executive Director Caitlin McMinn said. “Together, we’re growing an environment where innovators can thrive.”

The partnership will include shared milestones and reporting to track progress and guide ongoing collaboration. Leaders from both organizations note that the initiative will further elevate North Texas as an emerging hub for health innovation, translational research and high-impact startups.

About UNT Health

UNT Health Fort Worth is located in the heart of the Fort Worth Cultural District. UNT Health trains the health care providers, public health workforce and scientists of the future in an interprofessional ecosystem. Through its six colleges—Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, College of Public Health, College of Health Professions, College of Pharmacy and College of Nursing—students learn to work in teams and develop an innovative mindset that prepares them for a rapidly changing health landscape. UNT Health Clinical Practice Group, the clinical enterprise of UNT Health, provides patient-centered care to people across Tarrant County. UNT Health’s research enterprise provides a foundation to expand the frontiers of scientific discovery to improve health and well-being.

About TechFW

Founded in 1998, TechFW is a Fort Worth–based nonprofit startup incubator and accelerator that supports entrepreneurs building technology-driven companies across North Texas. For more than 25 years, TechFW has helped founders move ideas from concept to market by providing hands-on coaching, structured programs, and access to a strong network of mentors, partners, and investors while maintaining their equity.

Located on the James E. Guinn Entrepreneurial Campus, TechFW serves startups at every stage, from early idea validation through scale, with specialized support in health, biotech, and other high-growth technology sectors. Through programs such as ThinkLab, SmartStart, FastForward, and Cowtown Angels, TechFW plays a central role in strengthening Fort Worth’s startup ecosystem and driving long-term economic growth. Learn more at techfortworth.org