MassChallenge Joins a Nationwide Network Working to Accelerate Transformative Health Solutions
Boston, Massachusetts, November 21, 2023—MassChallenge, the global network for innovators working to solve massive challenges, is pleased to announce that it has been selected as a spoke for the Investor Catalyst Hub, a regional hub of ARPANET-H, a nationwide health innovation network launched by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).
Based in the Greater Boston area and managed by VentureWell, the Investor Catalyst Hub seeks to accelerate the commercialization of groundbreaking and accessible biomedical solutions. It utilizes an innovative hub-and-spoke model designed to reach a wide range of nonprofit organizations and Minority-Serving Institutions, with the ultimate aim of delivering scalable healthcare outcomes for all Americans.
“ARPA-H’s mission to drive biomedical and health breakthroughs to deliver transformative, sustainable, and equitable health solutions for everyone is deeply aligned with our mission and model,” said Cait Brumme, CEO of MassChallenge. “We know the enormous impact startups can have on our most pressing health challenges – and the enormous need for uncommon partnerships along the way. We are honored to bring our expertise to contribute to the Investor Catalyst Hub.“
MassChallenge joins a dynamic nationwide network of organizations aligned to ARPA-H’s overarching mission to improve health outcomes through the following research focus areas: health science futures, proactive health, scalable solutions, and resilient systems. Investor Catalyst Hub spokes represent a broad spectrum of expertise, geographic diversity, and community perspectives.
“Our spoke network embodies a rich and representative range of perspectives and expertise,” said Mark Marino, Vice President of Growth Strategy and Development for VentureWell and Project Director for the Investor Catalyst Hub. “Our spokes comprise a richly diverse network that will be instrumental in ensuring that equitable health solutions reach communities across every state and tribal nation.”
As an Investor Catalyst Hub spoke, MassChallenge gains access to potential funding and flexible contracting for faster award execution compared to traditional government contracts. Spoke membership also offers opportunities to provide input on ARPA-H challenge areas and priorities, along with access to valuable networking opportunities and a robust resource library.
The spoke network will continue to grow as The Investor Catalyst Hub expands its efforts, with applications being selected on a rolling basis. Interested organizations can visit https://investorcatalysthub.org/ to learn more or submit a membership application.
About MassChallenge
MassChallenge is the global network for innovators. Headquartered in the United States with eight locations worldwide, it is the non-profit’s mission to help bold entrepreneurs disrupt the status quo and create sustainable change. Since launching in 2009, MassChallenge has run programs in 24 countries, supported more than 4,000 startups from around the world, and awarded over $18M in equity-free cash and prizes. Learn more about MassChallenge at masschallenge.org.