Fellows take ownership of commercialization strategy, venture development, and healthcare innovation.
What You'll Gain
Guidance from leading investors, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals
Hands-on workshops, instructional training, conferences, and investor meetings
A full-time annual salary of $60,000, plus benefits
Program certificate jointly issued by Wharton, PSOM, and Penn Engineering advancing their venture.
What You'll Do
Lead commercialization strategy for a Penn or CHOP health technology
Conduct customer discovery with clinicians, strategic partners, and buyers
Develop pitch decks, market analyses, regulatory plans, and milestones.
Present quarterly to advisors, faculty, and investors
Application Timeline
ELITE Fellows operate as full-time commercialization leads—not observers—on active health-tech projects
Application Opens
February 9, 2026
Finalists Interviews
March-April 2026
Cohort Selection Notifications
May 2026
Program Start Date
August 1, 2026
Program End Date
July 30, 2027
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to apply for the fellowship?
The Fellowship is open to recent (typically within 1-2 years) University of Pennsylvania graduates or students graduating by May 2026. Applicants typically hold an MD, PhD, MBA, or equivalent advanced degree, or have comparable experience in healthcare innovation, technology, or entrepreneurship. Fellows must commit to the full-time, one-year program, reside in the Philadelphia region, and attend all required program activities.
How many Fellowship positions are available each cycle?
The ELITE Fellowship admits a small, highly selective cohort, typically up to three Fellows per year, to ensure deep mentorship, meaningful project ownership, and individualized support.
What is the work format for the Fellowship—hybrid, in-person, or remote?
The Fellowship is primarily in person, based on Penn’s campus. Fellows are expected to work on site to collaborate closely with faculty innovators, clinicians, advisors, and Venture Lab and Penn Health-Tech teams. Limited flexibility may be available depending on project needs, but this is not a remote program.
How are projects assigned, and do Fellows have input in their selection?
Fellows are matched with projects from Penn and CHOP’s health-technology portfolios based on background, interests, and project needs. Fellows serve as the entrepreneurial lead for their assigned technology and are responsible for driving commercialization strategy, milestone planning, and stakeholder engagement throughout the Fellowship.
Is this similar to a postdoc or academic fellowship?
No. ELITE is a full-time, salaried commercialization role. Fellows are not conducting bench research or academic training; they operate as entrepreneurial leads focused on translation, commercialization strategy, and venture development.
What do Fellows typically do after completing the program?
Fellows pursue a range of paths, including continuing to advance their ELITE project, joining startups as early operators, entering healthcare or life sciences roles in industry, or pursuing investing, venture creation, or translational leadership positions.
What are examples of potential projects?
Projects span medical devices, diagnostics, digital health, and other healthcare technologies emerging from Penn and CHOP. Due to intellectual property considerations, detailed project information is shared with finalists later in the selection process. Please contact venturelab@upenn.edu for more information.
2025-2026 Cohort
Neuroscience
Company: Eclipse EEG
Company Description: Eclipse EEG is developing non-invasive EEG-based technology to accurately assess consciousness in critical care settings and beyond."
Company: Eclipse EEG
Company Description: Eclipse EEG is developing non-invasive EEG-based technology to accurately assess consciousness in critical care settings and beyond."
Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Company: Vytrina
Company Description: Vytrina is developing Cytabond, a strong, reversible and scar-minimizing tissue adhesive for head and face, offering an alternative to the medical-grade "super glue" Dermabond
Company: Vytrina
Company Description: Vytrina is developing Cytabond, a strong, reversible and scar-minimizing tissue adhesive for head and face, offering an alternative to the medical-grade "super glue" Dermabond
Entrepreneurship/ Innovation and Finance
Company: Stealth Immune Health Venture
Company Description: A stealth-stage immune health platform under development at Penn’s Immune Health Center. The platform applies machine-learning to large-scale, high-resolution immune profiling data to model immune system behavior, forecast treatment response, and inform clinical decision-making.
Company: Stealth Immune Health Venture
Company Description: A stealth-stage immune health platform under development at Penn’s Immune Health Center. The platform applies machine-learning to large-scale, high-resolution immune profiling data to model immune system behavior, forecast treatment response, and inform clinical decision-making.
We are proud to collaborate across Penn’s world-class schools to provide novel, interdisciplinary education to the next generation of health-tech leaders. The Elite Fellowship will play a critical role in preparing innovators to address the challenges and opportunities in healthcare today.
Katie Reuther, Executive Director, Penn Health-Tech
The collaboration between Wharton, PSOM, and Penn Engineering is creating a dynamic opportunity for entrepreneurial minds to thrive. This Fellowship will not only enable participants to refine their leadership skills but also foster the innovation that will shape the future of healthcare.
Lori Rosenkopf, Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship, The Wharton School
Philadelphia needs a dedicated platform to train the next generation of leaders in health technology. The Elite Fellowship will serve as a springboard for the future CEOs, CTOs, and CMOs who will lead the next wave of healthcare innovation.
Trang Pham, Executive Director, Venture Lab
The Elite Fellowship is an exceptional opportunity for individuals looking to fast-track their careers in health technology. With access to Penn’s robust ecosystem and the guidance of our industry partners, Fellows will be positioned to make a tangible impact in the health-tech space.
Dr. Brian Litt, Professor of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Bioengineering at Penn
$10 Million Gift from Robin and Marc Wolpow’s Arbour Way Foundation Launches Healthcare Entrepreneurship Opportunities at the University of Pennsylvania’s Venture Lab
The Wolpows’ landmark gift, facilitated through the Arbour Way Foundation (“AWF”), will create vibrant programming focused on healthcare innovation and co-curricular learning and collaboration across the University of Pennsylvania.
Startup Stories
Find out what's happening across the #entrePENNeur community! Want to tell your story? Contact us at venturelab@upenn.edu.
