MassRobotics opens applications for Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst program

MassRobotics opened calls this week for applicants for Cohort 6 of its Catalyst program for healthcare robotics startups. 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 the healthcare and life sciences industries.

Applications are open now and will close December 31, 2026. The group will run from February to June 2027, concluding with company presentations at the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston.

MassRobotics welcomed Intel to the program’s steering committee this year, joining founding partners Festo, Novanta and Mitsubishi Electric US

Intel said its Health and Life Sciences team offers mentorship and technical depth in cutting-edge artificial intelligence and on-device computing for surgical and procedural robotics and operating room automation, an area of ​​growing interest across the group.

“After supporting the MassRobotics Healthcare Catalyst program for three years, I am proud of the journey we at Festo have taken – from a founding member to seeing amazing startups like Tenomix thrive,” said Johannes Linzbach, head of Festo’s Research Hub Boston. “What I love most is discovering the people behind the technology – their ambitions, their ideas and what drives them. We at Festo are excited to support Cohort 6 with our expertise and connections across the ecosystem as they turn those ideas into scalable solutions.”

35 startups have joined the program since its launch in 2021

Healthcare Robotics Catalyst connects select startups with senior mentors from MassRobotics corporate partners, along with practicing physicians and leading medical organizations. Startups work towards practical milestones such as proof of concept, pilot design, regulatory planning or systems integration and receive organizational and technical support.

Since 2021, the Catalyst Program has led 35 startups from pre-seed to Series A, with teams from Boston, Toronto and Paris to Barcelona, ​​Sydney and beyond. According to MassRobotics, alumni have completed a public list, spearheaded multiple proof-of-concept implementations, and collectively disclosed more than $180 million in funding. The organization said this reflects the program’s track record in guiding healthcare robotics initiatives from early prototypes to market-ready platforms.

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

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

MassRobotics describes the application process

Startups building robotics or automation for healthcare and biotech are eligible, 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, AI/on-device processing, and cybersecurity for medical devices.

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

• Personalized 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 bi-weekly mentor work sessions
• Customized workshops based on group needs on regulatory strategy, cybersecurity and software bills of material (SBOM), clinical workflow, pilot design and more
• Visibility across MassRobotics channels and the June Robotics Summit showcase

Applicants are evaluated based 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 assessments and interviews from January 1-20, 2027. The Boston-based nonprofit will announce the Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst group on January 29.