UCSF Health Converge

Building AI where healthcare happens

What participants gain

UCSF Health Converge gives participating companies direct access to the clinical, operational, and technical expertise needed to develop AI solutions for real health system use. Selected companies work inside one of the nation's leading academic health systems, with the executive sponsorship, operational access, technical guidance, and evaluation support needed to move from promising product to meaningful adoption.

The program is executive-led, operator-grounded, and venture-informed. With sponsorship and engagement from UCSF Health senior leaders, including the CEO and CIO, participating companies gain access to the UCSF Health teams who understand the operational problems, workflows, technology systems, and implementation requirements that determine whether a solution can succeed at scale. Venture collaborators bring company-building expertise, founder networks, and deep industry perspective to help shape solutions with broader market potential.

Each participating company receives:

Participants receive structured IT and project management support, including technical guidance, integration planning, and coordination with health system governance processes. With oversight and direct involvement from the CIO and Chief AI Officer, projects are developed as priority business initiatives of the health system, aligned with data needs, integration requirements, technical standards, and governance expectations.

Participants have the opportunity to develop solutions within a world-class academic health system known for complex care, clinical excellence, scientific rigor, and innovation. Working inside UCSF Health means building against the standards that matter in real care delivery: safety, trustworthiness, health equity, patient-centered care, and measurable impact. This creates a powerful foundation for credibility, validation, and broader market relevance.

Companies have access to UCSF Health expertise in evaluating the impact of AI tools in real health system environments, including support for defining success metrics, collecting and assessing outcomes data, and understanding whether a solution is delivering meaningful clinical, operational, and experiential value. This evaluation helps determine whether a solution is ready for responsible adoption within UCSF Health and builds the evidence and credibility founders need to bring it to the broader health care market.

Information for applicants

Who should apply?

UCSF Health Converge is designed for companies building AI-enabled solutions that support health system operations and care delivery. Companies at a range of stages are eligible, but the strongest applicants will have a viable product or platform with the potential to scale, and a clear sense of the clinical and/or operational challenges their solution seeks to address. Participants should be prepared to deeply embed with our teams and willing to adapt their product to the workflows, technology requirements, electronic medical record infrastructure, and implementation realities of a complex academic health system.

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How to apply

UCSF Health Converge selects a small number of companies each year.

Applications for the inaugural cohort open July 15 and will remain open through September 14, 2026, at 11:59pm PT. We expect to announce selections in the late fall.

Apply now

Program collaborators

UCSF Health Converge is led by UCSF Health in collaboration with Kleiner Perkins and Doerr Capital, who provide investment support and hands-on mentorship to selected companies. Their experience building and scaling healthcare technology companies – along with their founder networks and market perspective – complements UCSF Health's expertise in clinical care, health system operations, and large-scale delivery.

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Kleiner Perkins
Doerr Capital

Senior leadership

UCSF Health Converge sits within UCSF Health’s IT organization and is led by an executive director:

Elizabeth Engel
VP, UCSF Health | Executive Director, UCSF Health Converge

Governance

Oversight of the strategy and day-to-day operations of UCSF Health Converge is led by the CIO and CAIO with leadership representation across clinical and operational domains. The program is also governed by an executive committee:

Suresh Gunasekaran
President & CEO, UCSF Health | Executive Committee, UCSF Health Converge
Mamoon Hamid
Partner, Kleiner Perkins | Executive Committee, UCSF Health Converge
Sanjey Sivanesan
Partner, Doerr Capital | Executive Committee, UCSF Health Converge