About MassChallenge HealthTech 

We believe solving massive challenges in healthcare is possible when the world’s best startups and industry leaders work together.

MassChallenge HealthTech (MCHT) accelerates healthcare innovation by matching top digital health startups with industry-leading strategic partners (“Champions”) to work on demonstration projects that achieve actionable results and by convening the top digital health community in the world to improve health.

In 2020, we accelerated 27 startups and generated 65 partnerships, 87% of which extended beyond the program. Get more insights into the 2020 program and our goals for 2021 in our annual Impact Report [view it HERE].

Program Benefits

• Partner with industry-leading organizations to collaborate on demonstration projects that achieve actionable results
• Goals & milestones planning process facilitated by MassChallenge HealthTech
• Evidence-based curriculum that helps you become enterprise ready [AMA ROI Calculator, Together.Health Security Assessment, Managing Partnerships, etc.]
• Measurable growth in revenue, funding, and employee size
• A community of experts, partners, and innovation enthusiasts
• More than $250K in equity-free prizes

Champion Challenges

Our champions are working to solve some of healthcare's most massive challenges. Hear directly from our Champions about their priorities for the 2021 program below or in this blog post.

2021 Applications Timeline

FAQs

What are the requirements to apply?   

To be eligible, you must be a digital health startup that has less than $10M in funding and less than $10M in revenue. Because our program is centered around the startup-Champion relationship, we recommend that you have a product or service that is ready to validate.

What is the selection process?  

The process begins with Online Judging, which is powered by our community of industry experts. These experts are executives from the healthcare  industry looking for high-impact digital health startups with the potential for  growth  and  sustainability.  If your startup passes this round of  judging, you will be asked to participate in Matchmaking. 

New this year, Matchmaking will be a virtual judging round where startups provide a 20-minute presentation to the Champions that they have matched with. Matching is based on challenge and Champion alignment. After Matchmaking, Champions extend an offer to startup(s) that they want to work with throughout the program. 

What level of commitment does your program require?  

We do not take a one-size-fits-all approach. However, we do require that at least one team member engages in our program.  Levels of engagement  range from core program events such as the Breakfast of Champions and Final Judging to attendance at curriculum events.

Can the program be completed virtually?

You are not required to be based in Boston to apply or participate. All program events in 2021 will have a virtual component, so you are able to complete the program from anywhere in the world! 

What are Champions?  

"Champions"  are our industry partners. They have submitted their strategic initiatives in hopes of matching with a startup that aligns with their challenges. Our Champions range from large provider institutions such as Massachusetts General Hospital to health plans like Harvard Pilgrim Health Care to pharmaceutical companies like Vertex, and more. 

What happens if our mentor or Champion wants to invest/purchase IP?  

MassChallenge HealthTech does not take equity. However, we will not get in the way of you doing business with our Champions or partners. We cannot anticipate what kind of deals you will build during the program.  

How is the prize  distributed to startups accepted into the program?  

Join us for a Prospective Applicant Info Session!

We are hosting information sessions on September 23rd, September 30th, and October 6th.

Register HERE today!

How to Apply

1. Go to our application platform
2. Create an entrepreneur profile
3. Register your startup
   
4. Pay the application fee to start your application
   

2021 Challenge Areas

Access to Care*

Access to Therapy

Activities of Daily Living

Addiction Recovery

Administrative Burden

Behavioral Health*

Blindness

Billing for Telehealth

Cancer Therapies

Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular Rehabilitation

Care Coordination

Caregiving

Chronic Disease Management

Client Experience

Clinical Decision Support

Cost of Care

Digital Transformation

Family Caregivers*

Food Insecurity

Health Equity*

Home Care

Home Insecurity

Loneliness & Social Isolation*

Maternal Wellness

Mental Health*

Natural Language Processing

Nursing Home Innovation

Patient Access

Patient Education

Patient or Member Experience

Pediatrics

People with Disabilities

Personalized Medicine

Phishing Attacks

Point Solution Integration

Price Transparency

Racial Disparities*

Rare Disease Diagnosis

Remote Monitoring*

Return to Work

Rural Populations

Social Determinants of Health

Underserved Populations*

Underwriting Policy

Virtual Care*

*top challenge areas

Collaborate With Our 2021 Champions

 Get Access to Our 2021 Partners

Accenture

American Medical Association

Atrius Health

Becton Dickinson

First Republic Bank

Goodwin Procter

J.P. Morgan

Merck

Microsoft

Mintz Levin

P&G Ventures

Sanofi