MassChallenge

MassChallenge connects startups, experts, corporations, and communities to grow and transform businesses and economies. Through a non-profit, zero equity accelerator model, they support more than 400 startups a year, across all industries and from anywhere in the world. Their accelerator programs provide an efficient pathway to connect startups, experts, corporations, and communities to accelerate the growth of new technologies and businesses. 

Through their partners and experts, they bring together some of the leading teams in corporate innovation, industry knowledge, and government leadership to their promising, high-impact startups. Startups admitted into MassChallenge go through a 4-month period of curriculum, mentorship, and exhibition events designed to produce avenues of growth, funding, and 3rd-party collaboration.

They have several locations across the North America and Europe. While the majority of their accelerators are industry agnostic and early-stage, they also have strategic focus on high impact, emerging categories including FinTech, HealthTech, Blue Tech, Enterprise Technology, Safety and Security, Space commercialization, Sports Tech, Sustainable Food Systems, or the US Force Lab.

Portfolio: Arbor, Andes Wealth Technologies, Datia, Fligoo.

General information

 For the early-stage accelerator programs in Boston, Israel, Switzerland, Mexico, and Texas, applications for early-stage startups across all industries, from anywhere in the world, are accepted. If a startup has raised less than $1M in equity-based funding, generated less than $2M in annual revenue, and are set to make a big impact in your industry or on the world, it meets the requisites of the program.

For the vertical programs MassChallenge HealthTech and MassChallenge FinTech:  applications from industry-focused startups that have raised less than $10M in equity-based funding and generated less than $10M in annual revenue are accepted. If a startup exceeds these guidelines, they still recommend that it applies for the accelerator program. There will be an opportunity on the application for these candidates to provide more information about their current funding amounts. Prospective startups should be developed enough to work collaboratively with a large business or institution. 

Application process

MassChallenge uses a competition model to select startups. Prospective MassChallenge startups submit application(s) for the MassChallenge program(s) they would like to join. After submitting the application, startups will participate in one or two rounds of judging. At the end of these judging rounds, the highest-impact and highest-potential startups are invited to participate in the program as finalists.

 In the first round of judging, all applications are reviewed online by our international community of judges. Each application is reviewed by at least three judges, and each applicant receives individualized feedback from the judges.

 Startups are notified if they make the second round of judging. In the second round of judging, those startups pitch to a panel of judges or challenge partners in-person or via Skype (in some circumstances).

 In order to apply for this fund, candidates must register at https://accelerate.masschallenge.org by creating a founder profile. Then, they create a startup profile and finally complete and submit the application.

Last update: April 6, 2022