Boston's Top Acceleration Programs for Digital Health Startups
With some of the best hospitals, medical talent, and healthcare systems in the United States, it's not surprising that Boston is a breeding ground for digital health startups. According to StartUp Health, Boston is the third most active innovation hub in the United States, with $4.4B in funds raised in health innovation in 2021.
Boston is home to 508 HealthTech startups; I love keeping an eye on the supportive system of booming startup scenes, and understanding where the most thriving companies get their funding, incubation, acceleration, and mentorship. Here are some of the most interesting programs around Boston I spotted for digital health startups:
MassChallenge HealthTech is a Boston-based accelerator for health tech startups that aim to transform healthcare. It has a match-making process that matches startups with industry-leading Partners. Every startup receives best-in-class training, mentorship, and at least one partner.
Techstars offers a 90-day acceleration program with personal mentorship, financial contribution, and office space, among other benefits. The program focuses on the most promising startups in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and historically has focused on digital health in Boston. On average, Techstars companies raise more than $2M of outside capital after the program.
Richi Entrepreneurs is an initiative for companies from around the world with high-impact solutions in Biotech, Medtech, and Digital Health sectors. During a two-week immersion program in Boston, companies connect and initiate meaningful relationships with Boston’s key innovation players - investors, market players, advisors, industry experts, and private & public institutions.
TechSpring is the digital innovation team of Baystate Health in Springfield, MA, providing product development acceleration services for healthcare innovators, and flexible co-working and event space. Participants can simulate or demonstrate their solutions using assets from Baystate and network partners, pilot in a live clinical environment, consult with users & experts, and get their product to market.
Xontogeny is a life sciences accelerator that collaborates with entrepreneurs, scientific founders, and first-time CEOs to drive the successful development of their technologies and enable new treatment options for patients with serious diseases. They offer their operational support, seed investment capital, access to their network, and mentorship. They work across a variety of technologies, including therapeutics, diagnostics, and devices, with the singular goal of shepherding each program through a compelling clinical proof-of-concept study.
Boston Children's Hospital Innovation and Digital Health Accelerator (IDHA)
IDHA draws together a team from across Boston Children’s, including innovators and trailblazers in the fields of informatics, technology, clinical, digital, business development talent, and the TeleHealth team, and provides Boston Children’s with a mechanism for sourcing, vetting, resourcing, building, piloting and commercializing innovations in collaboration with others across the enterprise. Through the creation of the IDHA, Boston Children’s reinforces a commitment to and investment in pediatric innovation.
Petri is co-founded by a group of leaders who have deep experience building ideas into iconic companies and academics who are driving foundational science in bioengineering. Petri companies receive mentorship, access to their community, talent recruiting services, and pre-seed capital & access to a vast network of investors.
Cogolabs is a technology-driven venture accelerator that aspires to be at the nexus of innovation and entrepreneurship. Their fast-paced and innovative approach enables them to guide startups from inception to profitability and beyond. They identify business opportunities with data assets, run experiments, and spin out profitable portfolio companies with strong revenue growth.
Philips Ventures is Philips' early-stage innovation arm, collaborating with and investing in startups and founders who are making an impact in healthcare around the world. They aim to clear the obstacles for their startup partners’ paths toward achieving breakthrough performance.
More acceleration programs in Boston and its surroundings
This list is the first approach to Boston's digital health acceleration programs. Please feel free to comment on other programs in the area!