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Healthcare Robotics Catalyst Startup cohort member Ready Improvements confirmed its Alta Platform for affected person dealing with on the 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo. Supply: MassRobotics
BOSTON — MassRobotics yesterday introduced that the Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program is open for functions for its fourth cohort for 2024 to 2025. The initiative goals to speed up innovation and adoption within the healthcare robotics sector by offering startups with the assets, mentorship, and connections needed for fulfillment.
“We’re thrilled to announce the opening of functions for the fourth cohort of the Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program,” said Juan Necochea, director of strategic partnerships at MassRobotics. “This program, established and gaining continued momentum, displays our shared dedication to fostering innovation and supporting startups positioned to revolutionize healthcare by robotics expertise.”
This system helps startups by providing assets to foster development and success. Its focus areas this yr embody scientific care, pharmaceutical and hospital automation, laboratory automation, and precision and regenerative drugs.
The Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program additionally focuses on point-of-care programs, rehabilitation, assistive applied sciences for improved high quality of life and continuity of labor, and coaching and assist for healthcare professionals.
Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst options
MassRobotics and its companions listed the next advantages for taking part startups:
- Mentorship and steerage: Senior professionals at high firms present skilled mentorship and introductions to leaders from the robotics ecosystem, relying on members’ strategic targets.
- Useful resource entry: Startups acquire entry to loaner parts with design and engineering steerage.
- Networking alternatives: Catalyst firms obtain introductions to key gamers within the healthcare robotics area, potential clients, and strategic companions, together with pitching alternatives to MassRobotics’ enterprise capital and investor ecosystem.
- Strategic medical steerage: Every cohort can communicate with skilled medical professionals, making certain that their applied sciences align with real-world healthcare wants, moral requirements, and affected person security concerns.
- Academic workshops: This system offers entry to programs on essential subjects, akin to Meals and Drug Administration approval processes, cybersecurity necessities, and different regulatory mandates, tailor-made to the cohort’s pursuits and objectives.
- Showcase alternatives: Every cohort startup could have a possibility to current its system on the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston, in addition to to the Healthcare Robotics Working Group. These stay occasions present sales space area for product demonstrations and a stage to pitch their options to a stay viewers, providing priceless publicity and networking alternatives.

Cohort member Cobionix confirmed its robotic arm for healthcare makes use of on the Robotics Summit & Expo. Supply: MassRobotics
Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst course of begins
The Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program is open to startups with at the least a working prototype at Know-how Readiness Stage (TRL) 6 or above. Functions might be accepted till Nov. 1, 2024, with this system set to start on the finish of that month.
Chosen startups might be introduced in mid-November 2024. This system invitations startups of all sizes and maturity to use, making certain a broad vary of entrepreneurs can profit from this system.
“I’m extraordinarily delighted to see this program evolve and develop into new areas of healthcare applied sciences,” stated Nuzha Yakoob. She is former head of expertise and innovation at Festo, founding father of yaxxoo Inc., and a founding member of the Healthcare Robotics Catalyst Program.
“Our intent is to allow extra startups to carry their sensible improvements to market, bettering the standard of healthcare for sufferers and augmenting healthcare staff,” Yakoob stated.
Startups worldwide are inspired to use and reap the benefits of this distinctive alternative to speed up their development and affect within the healthcare robotics discipline. For extra particulars and to use, go to MassRobotics Healthcare Robotics Catalyst Program.

Supporters and members of the 2023-2024 Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program. Supply: MassRobotics
Earlier cohorts share success tales
Startups from earlier Healthcare Catalyst cohorts have achieved exceptional milestones, together with penetrating new markets, securing funding, and establishing strategic partnerships.
Kingston, Ontario-based Kinarm affords neuroscientists and clinicians exact and constant insights into neurological assessments.
“The mentorship we acquired from Festo was invaluable,” stated Anne Vivian-Scott, president and CEO of Kinarm. “They helped us deal with real-time technological challenges inside a broader market context, steering us towards mass-market options moderately than a DIY [do-it-yourself] method, and so they demonstrated real look after our private development and enterprise improvement. It’s been a unbelievable return on funding that can yield dividends for years to come back!”
Man Altagar, CEO of Limitless Robotics, shared his enthusiasm for the initiative. His firm, which has workplaces in Boston and Petah Tikva, Israel, affords Gary, a service robotic designed to assist software program builders construct functions for healthcare, retail, nursing properties, and hospitality.
“This system was a game-changer for Limitless Robotics,” he asserted. “Their mentorship, assets, and business connections helped us refine our expertise and navigate the healthcare market like by no means earlier than. We’re extremely grateful for his or her assist and excited to make an actual distinction in the way forward for healthcare.”
Robotic on Rails (RoR) has developed a system to make implementing automation simpler for laboratories. “Taking part within the MassRobotics program was a game-changer for Robotic on Rails,” added Chase Olle, founding father of RoR.
“Their unwavering assist, invaluable steerage, and entry to business consultants propelled us in direction of the profitable deployment of our Section 1 robotic at HelixNano,” he stated. “By means of MassRobotics, we gained essential networking alternatives and mentorship from esteemed consultants at Festo and Mitsubishi Electrical.”
Acumino has been creating capabilities for robots to be taught expertise quicker, cheaper, and in a extra scalable approach. The Renton, Wash.-based firm lately finalized its seed spherical and raised $6.5 million.
“We’re proud members of MassRobotics’ Healthcare Robotics Catalyst program,” stated Tom White, founder and chief working officer at Acumino. “Not solely did we acquire profound insights into our firm’s potential throughout the healthcare panorama, however our mentors have continued to information us, offering invaluable recommendation and assist. We wholeheartedly endorse this program for robotics firms looking for success within the healthcare sector.”
MassRobotics companions present steerage, encouragement
MassRobotics, which helps the Massachusetts robotics ecosystem, has partnered with Festo, Mitsubishi Electrical Automation, Novanta, and MITRE. They expressed their assist of the continuing collaboration.
“It has been a pleasure to work along with the excellent startups of this program,” stated Johannes Linzbach, head of the Festo Analysis Hub Boston. “I’m trying ahead to the following cohort to attach with tech startups in our expanded scope—lab automation and biotech automation!”
William Nguyen, improvement supervisor at Mitsubishi Electrical Automation, added: “We’re trying ahead to collaborating and mentoring potential startup firms for progressive options and cutting-edge automation applied sciences within the healthcare business.”
“We welcome this partnership alternative to all startups which can be participating with necessary healthcare robotics challenges,” stated Elliot Helms, mechatronics analysis and improvement supervisor at Novanta. “In alignment with Novanta’s mission to ship ‘improvements that matter,’ we’re proud to collaborate with and mentor groups which can be advancing the cutting-edge and bettering individuals’s lives.”
Russ Graves, director of bridging innovation at MITRE, said that “as a connector between authorities, business, and academia, we’re proud to affix MassRobotics, Festo, Mitsubishi Electrical, and Novanta to assist startups overcome conventional obstacles to entry and speed up their robotic options for healthcare.”
Editor’s be aware: WTWH Media, which produces The Robotic Report and the Robotics Summit & Expo, can be a companion of MassRobotics.