HealthTech Program
HealthTech
MassChallenge HealthTech works to accelerate high-impact digital health startups by forming partnerships with industry-leaders. The HealthTech community comprises of physicians, healthcare professionals, scientists, policy leaders, and business mentors all working together to improve health care through entrepreneurship.
Learn more details about the 2023 HealthTech Sprint here.
Read our Partner Challenge statements here.
Program Benefits
- Warm introductions to our global investors – with zero equity taken.
- Access to education, connections, and resources to effectively work with healthcare systems, payors, industry, government and industry partners
- One-on-ones with our industry experts to strengthen your enterprise readiness as you scale.
“We were really hoping, when we applied, that we'd have the opportunity to work with Brigham and Women's Hospital [-] to learn about the patient population they work with and to learn how the hospital adopts and rolls out innovations. Those were the key aims and the fact that we are working towards a pilot now is just icing on the cake for us."
"This was really an opportunity to get up close and personal with the divisions and different parts of government that are impacting population and public health across the US, [gain an] understanding on how companies can work with them, and insight on the innovation that's happening in government that we don't hear about often."
"It's important for mentors to listen a lot. When I was first jumping in as a mentor and pretending, I was a good advisor I tried to jump to solutions to help solve the founder's problem, but that's not so much mentorship. Mentorship coaching is the listening and then figuring out ways to possibly thread a needle."
Previous
Next
Key Dates
Eligibility Requirements
While Mass Challenge supports a wide array of early to late-stage startups – the HealthTech program is designed to support mid stage companies that possess a validated product/solution ready for scaling. See a more thorough breakdown of the criteria below:
- Validated product/solution for scaling – has enabled at least 2 proofs of concepts (pilots)
- 10 or more employees (preferred)
Please note these are guidelines, not firm requirements. While funding and revenue are important factors in enterprise readiness, we also look at team strength, product/market fit, customer traction etc.
About Our Community Initiatives
Health Equity Initiative
Since 2020, health equity has continued to be a leading priority across our digital health community of providers, government agencies, payers, pharmaceutical companies, startups, and other health care organizations. With the support and guidance of our partners, we launched our Health Equity Initiative – the focus areas of the initiative include the following:
- Identify and reduce inequities in health and care delivery
- Improve access to care
- Create more equitable solutions based on patient input (vs. “one-size-fits-all” solutions)
- Tackle the social determinants of health
- Support minority entrepreneurs and equip them with the resources they need to succeed.
2022 PandemicX Accelerator
In 2022 MassChallenge the US Department of Health and Human Services collaborated on a one-of-a-kind project set to support startups working to eliminate disparities and tackle drivers of inequity exacerbated by COVID-19.
To help facilitate the connection and long-term viability of solutions to COVID-19, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) and ONC teamed up to source startups and provide traction for the most viable opportunities for improving and eliminating COVID-19.
Challenge Partners
Community Partners
FAQs
While funding and revenue are important factors in enterprise readiness, we also look at team strength, product/market fit, customer traction etc. For these reasons we use the following eligibility guidelines to ensure we work with solutions that are best positioned to work alongside our partners: solutions that have a clear challenge fit based on our partners strategic priorities; solutions that have a validated product/solution for scaling – has enabled at least 2 proofs of concepts (pilots); and companies with 10 or more employees are preferred.
If you’re a startup solving issues in health services (broadly defined), we encourage you to apply. We know that many of our partners are facing more challenges than they even realize, and that you, as innovators, are working to solve problems that they haven’t anticipated yet. You may work with multiple partners, too. This collaboration is the key to the future of health services, and we want you involved.
Applications are processed on our Accelerate Platform linked above. For more information visit the 2023 HealthTech Program page HERE.
No, we accept applications from startups around the world. Any additional travel should be determined by you and your MCHT partner.
Due to COVID-19 pandemic, our program is fully virtual.
Most of your MCHT time will be spent working with your partner(s) while you continue to run your business. That being said, we’re a firm believer in continual growth-–so you’ll be introduced to experts from industries such as financial services, law, compliance and regulation, and technology.
Participation in the program requires at least 1 representative from your team to be present for our 8-week program (March – May). On average, startups dedicate at least 3-4 hours per week to the program. This includes meetings with partners, curriculum, and networking events.