MassRobotics opens applications for Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program

Startups in the MassRobotics healthcare catalyst cohort will have an opportunity to showcase their technology at the Robotics Summit & Expo. | Source: MassRobotics

MassRobotics this week opened its call for applicants for Cohort 6 of its Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program. The program is a four-month, non-equity initiative that helps robotics and automation teams accelerate clinical readiness, technical validation, and go-to-market in healthcare and life sciences.

Applications are open now, and will close Dec. 31, 2026 . The cohort will run February through June 2027, concluding with company showcases at the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston.

This year, MassRobotics welcomed Intel to the program’s steering committee, joining founding partners Festo , Novanta , and Mitsubishi Electric U.S.

Intel said its Health and Life Sciences team brings mentorship and technical depth in edge AI and on-device compute for surgical and procedure-enabling robotics and OR automation, an area of growing interest across the cohort.

“Having supported the MassRobotics Healthcare Catalyst Program for three years, I’m proud of the journey we at Festo have taken — from founding member to seeing standout startups like Tenomix thrive,” said Johannes Linzbach, the head of Research Hub Boston at Festo. “What I love most is discovering the people behind the technology: their ambition, their ideas, and what drives them. At Festo, we’re excited to support Cohort 6 with our experience and connections across the ecosystem as they turn those ideas into solutions that can scale.”

Sponsors of MassRobotics’ Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program. | Source: MassRobotics

35 startups have joined the program since its start in 2021

The Healthcare Robotics Catalyst connects selected startups with senior mentors from MassRobotics’ corporate partners, along with practicing clinicians and leading organizations in the medical field. The startups work toward practical milestones such as proof-of-concept builds, pilot design, regulatory planning, or systems integration and receive organizational and technical support.

Since 2021, the catalyst program has mentored 35 startups spanning pre-seed through Series A, with teams from Boston, Toronto, and Paris to Barcelona, Sydney, and beyond. Alumni have gone on to complete a public listing, advance multiple proof-of-concept deployments, and collectively disclose more than $180 million in funding, according to MassRobotics. The organization said this reflects the program’s track record guiding healthcare robotics ventures from early prototypes to market-ready platforms.

“The MassRobotics Healthcare Catalyst Program gave us exactly what a deep-tech startup needs: direct access to people who have experienced similar problems before,” said Bingda Li, CEO of Whelix , which provides robots for cell culture automation.

“The technical support from Festo and Mitsubishi Electric US, combined with mentorship across technical development, business strategy, go-to-market, and product feedback, helped us make sharper decisions faster,” he added. “We are grateful to the MassRobotics team and the mentors who invested their time in Whelix, and we encourage other robotics startups in healthcare and life science to apply.”

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MassRobotics describes the application process

Startups building robotics or automation for healthcare and biotech, including but not limited to laboratory and pharmaceutical automation, diagnostics and imaging workflows, hospital logistics and operating room automation, rehabilitation and assistive devices, surgical and interventional robotics, and enabling technologies such as sensing , precision motion , edge AI /on-device compute, and cybersecurity for medical devices are eligible.

The program is open to robotics startups from around the world, and both early-stage and more mature companies, including those at seed through Series C funding, are encouraged to apply. Participants will receive:

Tailored mentorship with senior experts from Festo, Mitsubishi Electric US, Novanta, Intel, and yaxxoo

Clinical perspective through the Medical Advisory Board

Structured onboarding, goal setting, and biweekly mentor working sessions

Custom workshops based on cohort needs on regulatory strategy, cybersecurity and software bills of materials (SBOMs), clinical workflow, pilot design and more

Visibility through MassRobotics channels and the Robotics Summit showcase in June

Applicants are evaluated on technical maturity, clinical relevance, feasibility of near-term milestones, program fit, and mentor alignment. Teams able to pursue a proof-of-concept during the four-month program are especially encouraged to apply.

After applications close, MassRobotics will hold evaluation and interviews Jan. 1 to 20, 2027. The Boston-based nonprofit will announce the Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst cohort on Jan. 29.

Timeline for MassRobotics’ Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program. | Source: MassRobotics

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