HealthTech AI Frontier 2026
Lone Star HealthTech AI Frontier 2026 is an exclusive, invitation-only summit taking place on February 27, 2026, at TMC³ (Texas Medical Center Innovation) in Houston, Texas. Hosted by CENA Research Institute and Modi Ventures, the event brings together approximately 300 high-leverage leaders from academia, healthcare systems, MedTech startups, pharma, policy, and venture capital to focus on practical AI implementation in healthcare—moving beyond hype to examine real-world deployment, measurable outcomes, and scalable solutions.
The summit is co-hosted by two organizations:
CENA Research Institute (CRI)
Led by Dr. Asif Ali, Cardiologist, Clinical Researcher, and Med-Tech Strategist
Dr. Ali is also a Partner at Houston Cardiology Consultants
Focuses on bridging academic research and commercial success in healthcare technology
Modi Ventures
Founded and led by Sahir Ali, General Partner
Venture capital firm focused on healthcare technology innovation
Website: modivc.com
Event Organizers
Dr. Asif Ali - Director & Organizer
Cardiologist | Clinical Researcher | Med-Tech Strategist
Partner at Houston Cardiology Consultants
Represents CENA Research Institute
Sahir Ali - Co-organizer
Scholar. Engineer. Scientist. Inventor.
Founder & General Partner, Modi Ventures
Event Purpose & Mission
The summit exists to address a critical inflection point in healthcare AI. While innovation has accelerated, the true challenge lies not in capability—but in execution. Health systems do not fail at AI for lack of clever models; they fail when AI collides with clinical reality, misaligned incentives, trust, workflow, and unclear ROI.
Core Mission Statement: "This is not a theoretical discussion. It is a working dialogue designed to bridge innovation with adoption."
The forum is deliberately built around the end-to-end pathway: policy → validation → implementation → scale.
Key Objectives
Move beyond hype to examine how AI is being responsibly deployed today in clinical workflows, operational efficiency, patient engagement, and outcomes improvement
Focus on real-world implementation with measurable impact and scalable solutions
Bridge the gap between academic research and commercial success
Catalyze investment commitments and health system integration decisions for vetted AI companies
Create neutral ground where buyers, builders, and capital can engage in productive dialogue