This Just In Radio Show: Inside the CancerX Accelerator 2026 Cohort

Recorded on-site at Moffitt Cancer Center, Justin Barnes goes inside the CancerX Accelerator with Dr. Kamal Jethwani, VP Digital Ventures & CEO of AccelerOnc, and Dr. Nainesh Parikh, VP Chief Clinical Expansion & Partnership Officer at Moffitt Cancer Center, for a look at this year's cohort and what it actually takes for an oncology startup to succeed. The two doctors break down the results from CancerX's third accelerator cohort, explain why so many promising startups fail before ever reaching a health system, and share practical advice for anyone facing a cancer diagnosis. Key discussion points: 🔷 Inside CancerX's third accelerator cohort: 12 companies, 16 champion organizations, roughly 35 deals or potential deals, close to $80 million in funding raised or committed, and 55 mentorship relationships created 🔷 The new Clearwater cybersecurity mark, saving startups three to eight months of due diligence when engaging a health system 🔷 Why 80% of promising oncology startups fail, from founders too narrowly focused on their product to those who miss the details that matter to clinicians on the ground 🔷 Why speed, not just technology, is the biggest adjustment health systems face in the age of AI 🔷 How new champion organizations like Rush, Atlantic Health, AstraZeneca, and Novartis benefit from joining the CancerX ecosystem 🔷 Screening and prevention as the most underserved area in cancer innovation today, alongside end of life care A defining insight from this episode: Dr. Jethwani's advice for anyone facing a cancer diagnosis: keep up with personalized screening, go to a top cancer center at the first suspicion, and always get a second opinion. As he put it, colonoscopies can be painful, but they are not more painful than stage four cancer. Subscribe for more executive conversations from our Cancer Innovation & Best Practices Series, recorded on-site at Moffitt Cancer Center.