We’re thrilled to introduce this year’s MassChallenge Boston cohort, which was selected from more than 1,600 applications from around the world, including 11 countries and 16 U.S. states. Representing the top 8% of all applicants, these 128 early-stage startups have the potential to create widespread impact across industries.
This year’s cohort—our most competitive and diverse to date—was evaluated by more than 800 investors, serial entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and top academics. Of the startups selected:
• 29% are general, retail, and consumer goods
• 28% are high tech
• 27% are healthcare and life sciences
• 9% are social impact
• 7% are clean tech and energy
We are also proud to share that 51% of startups have at least one female founder, up from 48% in 2017. This growth is reflective of our efforts to foster a more inclusive ecosystem, where women from all backgrounds have the opportunity to turn their ideas into a reality.
As part of the 2018 cohort, entrepreneurs will have unrivaled access to top corporate partners, expert mentorship, tailored curriculum, co-working space in the Innovation and Design Building, and scholarship opportunities through support from BNY Mellon, Cydan Development, Microsoft, MassCEC, and EYP – all at zero cost and for zero equity. Entrepreneurs developing physical products also have an opportunity to take advantage of MADE@MassChallenge, the organization’s 5,000 square-foot research and development lab.
In addition, startups in the social impact and food & beverage spaces will have the opportunity to participate in the program’s first-ever industry tracks, which offers specialized support, additional resources, and access to Boston’s impact ecosystem based on new demand in those areas.
On October 17, 2018, the accelerator program will culminate at the MassChallenge Boston Awards, where the most-promising startups compete for shares of more than $1.5 million in equity-free awards.
A Note from Kiki Mills Johnston, Managing Director:
“MassChallenge firmly believes that the best ideas can come from anyone, in any industry, from anywhere around the world. This cohort is reflective of that vision and is well on its way to creating widespread impact. We’re looking forward to working closely with our corporate partners, mentors, and of course, the Boston entrepreneurial community to help these startups launch and grow throughout the summer and beyond!”
Meet the 2018 Cohort
GENERAL / RETAIL / CONSUMER GOODS
Abridge News
U.S. | Massachusetts
Gets people out of their news echo chambers and makes it easy for them to understand a wide spectrum of opinions on important stories
Abstract
U.S. | Massachusetts
IoT system for manufacturers to identify and prioritize process improvements while providing real-time visibility into production status
AKUA
U.S. | New York
Creates food in the right way – healthy and delicious with a positive impact on the planet
Arable
U.S. | Massachusetts
befree, LLC
U.S. | Massachusetts
Creates zipOns® pants, which are stylish and functional so that people with disabilities or in the recovery/rehab process do not have to sacrifice fashion
Bluelaces Theater Company
U.S. | New York
Creates immersive, multi-sensory theatrical experiences for audiences with autism and other developmental differences
Boston Materials LLC
U.S. | Massachusetts
Creating a revolutionary three-dimensionally reinforced carbon fiber composite
Candorful
U.S. | Massachusetts
Matches transitioning Veterans with Mock Interview Practice via a double-sided platform so they can “nail the interview”
cleancult
U.S. | Massachusetts
Makes household green cleaners that actually clean
DetraPel
U.S. | Massachusetts
Makes nanotechnology protective coatings that protect any materials from any liquid
Dreamweaver Intimates
U.S. | Massachusetts
EchoMe
U.S. | Massachusetts
Eleis Farm
Guinea
Cultivates, processes, and exports palm oil for the African diaspora and farmer, while simultaneously empowering women and promoting socio-economic development
FarmSense Inc.
U.S. | California
findSisterhood
U.S. | California
HALL+HAVEN
U.S. | Texas
Creates right-sized rentals with the right rent, right where you want to be
Hypnap
U.S. | Massachusetts
An innovative way to improve the health and comfort of airplane passengers
IQ Bar
U.S. | Massachusetts
Democratizes brain food by creating grain-free, non-GMO energy bars that are packed with healthy fats and fortifying compounds
Kestrel Agritech
U.S. | Massachusetts
Reducing crop loss through automated pest detection & control using real-time thermal surveillance from unmanned drones
Kushae by BK Naturals
U.S. | Florida
All-natural solution to feminine hygiene and care, created by women for women to rescue women from chemicals and MAN-dated options
MAKOMAS, LLC.
U.S. | Massachusetts
Excites palates with hibiscus, baobab and ginger, all authentic, delicious, nutrient-rich beverages
Mobile Pixels
U.S. | Massachusetts
Lets you pack your productivity anywhere you go, whether you’re working in a hotel room or in a café
MTonomy, Inc.
U.S. | Massachusetts
Natured
U.S. | Massachusetts
Brings groceries from local food makers to your doorstep, making the farmer’s market experience convenient and affordable
OURgrain
U.S. | Rhode Island
Creates sustainable consumables that have a significant impact on food waste while delivering quality and healthfulness
Partrunner
U.S. | Massachusetts
An on-demand delivery service for home service technicians
Proventus
U.S. | Massachusetts
Providing affordable loans to financially marginalized farmers through an innovative lending platform and risk assessment system
reBLEND
U.S. | Illinois
Rootastes
U.S. | Massachusetts
Creates experiential lunch programs as a perk for the staffs of fast-growing and culture-centric companies
SecurSpace
U.S. | Indiana
Soliyarn
U.S. | Massachusetts
Develops a unique method to coat textiles with electrically conductive polymer, which enables smart garments without metals or bulky wires
The 1854 Cycling Company
U.S. | Massachusetts
A premium electric bicycle & apparel brand that creates living wage jobs targeted towards formerly incarcerated women
Tuverl
U.S. | Massachusetts
Unruly Studios
U.S. | Massachusetts
Unsize
U.S. | Massachusetts
Eliminates the question of “will this fit me?” for online shoppers while making fashion more inclusive
walkli
U.S. | Massachusetts
Transforming how travelers explore cities by providing free, crowdsourced walking maps created by local experts from around the world
WarmUp LLC
U.S. | Massachusetts
An all-natural, gluten-free, and high-protein coffee containing 15 grams of protein per serving that can be served hot or iced
HIGH TECH
A.I. Capital Management
U.S. | Massachusetts
As Google’s AlphaGo A.I. has solved the game of Go, we are using the same algorithm to solve the game of quantitative trading
addapptation
U.S. | Massachusetts
Provides user experience-as-a-service for Salesforce.com customers
Awaymo
United Kingdom
Biofire
U.S. | Massachusetts
Building the future of firearms to prevent gun violence
BitHoop
U.S. | Massachusetts
BlocksCAD
U.S. | Massachusetts
An easy to use, 3D modeling tool, designed for education, to help teachers improve student learning and engagement when working
Cleo Robotics Inc.
Canada
D-Fend Solutions
Israel
Detects, identifies and safely intercepts rogue drones in urban environments
Dig
U.S. | Louisiana
The Dog Person’s Dating App is the best way for dog lovers and dog owners to find a compatible date
Dondoctor
Colombia
An Airbnb-like online service to find doctors and medical centers in Colombia and Latin America
Fieldmotion Ltd.
United Kingdom
Mobile workforce management platform designed to improve communication between service & maintenance fieldworkers and office staff
FinWeGo
India
Fisherman
U.S. | Massachusetts
Fit Tech Wearables
U.S. | Massachusetts
Food for All
U.S. | Massachusetts
Dine for as little as $3 and save the planet – app connecting users to surplus food from restaurants at a deep discount one hour before they close
Heepsy
Spain
People search engine
Inkrypt
U.S. | Massachusetts
Creating a censorship-resistant distributed global network for content storage and retrieval geared towards journalism firms
Labber Quantum
Sweden
A toolkit for experimental quantum computing
Labby
U.S. | Massachusetts
An IoT analyzer that uses AI and spectroscopy for food, beverage & agro testing
Nodar
U.S. | Massachusetts
Novo
U.S. | New York
paerpay Inc.
U.S. | Massachusetts
Painting with Data
U.S. | Massachusetts
PERCH
U.S. | Massachusetts
Phood
U.S. | Massachusetts
Reason8
U.S. | California
AI-powered service for collaborative transcription, analytics and summarization of in-person business meetings
RFIDGenome
U.S. | Massachusetts
Sensii
U.S. | Massachusetts
Seoul Robotics
South Korea
Builds intelligent Lidar robotic perception software for autonomous robots, self-driving cars, and security systems
SiLAS
U.S. | Connecticut
Improves children’s social skills by combining technology with proven social skills training techniques
SPLITFIT
U.S. | Massachusetts
The easiest way to get quality personal training in reputable gyms & studios near you on-demand for $20
STEMgem
U.S. | Massachusetts
Provides wearable device toolkits that engages girls and allows students to build real, useful, and relevant technology
Tacit Motion Inc.
U.S. | Massachusetts
Utilizing a network of wearable sensors, Tacit Motion provides kinetic monitoring and personal sports coach, whenever, wherever
ThermoBionics
U.S. | Massachusetts
Wagmo
U.S. | Massachusetts
Zoba
U.S. | Massachusetts
Uses machine learning to predict human behavior in cities
HEALTHCARE / LIFE SCIENCES
1upHealth
U.S. | Massachusetts
Patient data aggregation platform for app developers, providers, and patients
ApreX Biotech
U.S. | Massachusetts
Develops a new generation of organs-on-chips systems to advance the development of pharmaceutical, and personalized medical products
Asparia Glycomics
Spain
AUGMENTx, Inc.
U.S. | Massachusetts
BioBind
Ireland
BioTrak Therapeutics
U.S. | Massachusetts
Digital behavioral therapy program for headache & migraine sufferers which improves quality of life through headache reduction
BMSEED LLC
U.S. | Arizona
Develops technology that helps patients with brain and spinal cord injuries and diseases
Breegi Scientific, Inc.
U.S. | Massachusetts
Medical device company developing disposable infant incubators for low resourced countries
Canomiks
U.S. | Massachusetts
Developing dietary supplements to support the management of chronic conditions based on the genomic signature of such conditions
CathBuddy
U.S. | Massachusetts
Handheld catheter sterilizer that empowers intermittent catheters users to regain agency and reduce their carbon footprint
Cellular Preservation Technologies LLC
U.S. | Massachusetts
Revolutionary technology for safe preservation of biological cells and tissues with hyperbaric xenon gas and refrigeration
EBT Medical, Inc.
Canada
Ejenta
U.S. | California
ImmunArtes LLC
U.S. | Illinois
Kernal Biologics
U.S. | Massachusetts
Developing onco-selective mRNA technologies for cancer
LuminDx
U.S. | Massachusetts
Lumme Inc.
U.S. | Massachusetts
Smokers increase annual corporate spending by $70M on an average, Lumme helps reduce that by 54%
Medical Surface, Inc.
U.S. | Massachusetts
Develops innovative surface coating technologies that improve the biocompatibility and performance of implanted devices and biosensors
Meter Therapeutics
U.S. | Massachusetts
Developing awareness and treatments for rare respiratory disorders with unmet need, starting with chronic hiccups
MicroQuin
United Kingdom
Targeted delivery of chemotherapy with a fast time-to-market
Neurescence Inc.
Canada
We combine the power of AI with our patent pending brain imaging technology to cure brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Epilepsy, depression
noP
U.S. | Massachusetts
Over 800 million needles are used per year in the US for drug administration. “noP” aims to make drug delivery painless
OrthoFit Inc.
U.S. | New York
Makes the workplace safer by preventing musculoskeletal injuries and automating ergonomic evaluation
Oxalo Therapeutics, Inc.
U.S. | Illinois
Biotech company developing a novel drug to prevent kidney stones using breakthroughs in microbiome research
Pilleve
U.S. | North Carolina
An integrated pill bottle that prevents prescription opioid abuse, misuse, and addiction using real time data and security.
PionEar
U.S. | Massachusetts
Revolutionizing the treatment of ear infections with minimally invasive, antifouling, drug delivery ear tube implants
Prapela Inc.
U.S. | Massachusetts
Award winning baby box helps newborns breathe, relax, and sleep
Remora Therapeutics
U.S. | Massachusetts
Somax Systems
Spain
Spiro Therapeutics
U.S. | Indiana
The first therapeutic treatment for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, restoring lung function with nano polymer surfactant technology
SurgiBox
U.S. | Massachusetts
TREND Community
U.S. | Pennsylvania
Turns anecdotes into evidence on a platform for those living with rare disease who can engage in community powered science
VitaScan
U.S. | New York
X-COR Therapeutics
U.S. | Massachusetts
SOCIAL IMPACT
Black Girls Nutrition
U.S. | Massachusetts
Geo-social network culturally customized for black women & daughters battling obesity
Blue Water Metrics
U.S. | Massachusetts
Solves the gaps in ocean health monitoring by crowdsourcing data collection through ocean-going vessels
Colletteys Cookies
U.S. | Massachusetts
Born with down syndrome, Collette could not find a paying job – so she opened her own homemade cookie company and is employing people with disabilities
Enlightened Shadowing
U.S. | Massachusetts
Designed a method for coaching real world social skills in a child’s daily life environment such as playgrounds, schools, and museums
Forward F1rst
U.S. | Massachusetts
Creating resources and community to empower first generation college students to thrive on the road to graduation and beyond
Green Gas (Global Citizens Imperative)
U.S. | Massachusetts
Learning Beautiful
U.S. | Massachusetts
Create timeless, Montessori-inspired toys for young children to learn about computer science, without computers
Magnomer
U.S. | Massachusetts
Magnetic markers for zero waste single-use plastics
MEANS Database
U.S. | Washington, D.C.
Fights food waste and hunger throughout the US by connecting retailers and restaurants with unsold food to nearby hunger nonprofits
Project Alianza
U.S. | Massachusetts
Fills the rural education gap in Nicaragua by building, developing, and staffing robust primary schools on privately-owned coffee farms
pumpspotting
U.S. | Maine
A social app and global community connecting breastfeeding women over milk, motherhood, and the best places to nurse & pump
Tarjimly
U.S. | California
Solves the language problem for NGOs, immigrants in need, and the 23 million refugees worldwide
CLEAN TECH / ENERGY
ADS
U.S. | Massachusetts
eCeptacle
U.S. | Indiana
An IoT company offering an intelligent waste management platform that increases efficiencies, reduces cost, through deployment of smart tech
Flux Marine LTD
U.S. | Massachusetts
Global Water Labs
U.S. | Washington
Infinite Cooling
U.S. | Massachusetts
Kinetic Batteries LLC
U.S. | Massachusetts
NovoMoto
U.S. | Wisconsin
Takachar
U.S. | Massachusetts
Uses decentralized biomass upgrading technology to bring a larger fraction of biomass energy to cost parity
WatchTower Robotics
U.S. | Massachusetts
Pipe Management System for early detection, accurate mapping, and actionable maintenance recommendations for pipe leaks
About MassChallenge
MassChallenge is a global network of zero-equity startup accelerators. Headquartered in the United States with locations in Boston, Israel, Mexico, Switzerland, Texas, and the UK, MassChallenge is committed to strengthening the global innovation ecosystem by supporting high-potential startups across all industries, from anywhere in the world. To date, more than 1,500 MassChallenge alumni have raised more than $3 billion in funding, generated over $2 billion in revenue, and created over 80,000 total jobs. Learn more about MassChallenge at masschallenge.org.
Top MassChallenge Boston Partners
Altria, Autodesk, The Boston Consulting Group, The Boston Foundation, CASIS, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, CVS Health, Deshpande Foundation, Draper, Bose, BNY Mellon, Fidelity Investments, FM Global, MITRE, GE, Henkel, PwC, Honda, Jamestown, Microsoft, Molex, PAN Communications, PepsiCo, PTC, Stanley, Black & Decker.