MassRobotics Declares fifth Cohort of Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program

MassRobotics, in collaboration with Festo, Novanta and Mitsubishi Electrical Automation, publicizes the choice of 11 startups for the 2026 Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst. Now in its fifth cohort, this system empowers world startups to speed up the event and commercialization of robotic applied sciences that enhance medical care, hospital operations, and laboratory automation.

The 2026 Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Cohort:

Cohort 5- 2026

Concerto Biosciences (Cambridge, MA)

Pioneers of “kChip,” a laboratory automation platform that constructs and measures tens of millions of microbial combos to map the microbial world and develop science-first human well being merchandise.

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Enchanted Instruments (Paris, France)

Creators of The Mirokaï, character-based robots designed to ship on a regular basis on-site help in care settings, guiding and reassuring sufferers and residents whereas autonomously dealing with easy logistics to assist care groups.

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Hesy Tech (Reston, VA)

 Builders of an AI-guided robotic platform for preventive dentistry that automates routine hygiene duties, permitting clinics to extend capability and consistency beneath human oversight.

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Humotech (Pittsburgh, PA)

Humotech powers data-driven, precision care by serving to clinicians quickly examine prosthetic foot choices for individuals with decrease limb amputation.

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HyperSpectral Corp (Alexandria, VA)

Merges hyperspectral imaging and Raman spectroscopy with an autonomous AI scientist to allow fast, automated pathogen detection and experimentation for healthcare and bioprocessing.

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Inception Robotics (Faculty Park, MD)

Builders of robots for mundane pharmacy duties. Inception Robotics’ MedSort™ autonomously types returned medicines to avoid wasting pharmacy technician time, cut back burnout and medicine waste.

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Lupa Robotics (San Francisco, CA)

Lupa is constructing the primary mass-scale, transferable human dexterity dataset with glove-captured imaginative and prescient, contact, and movement, to pioneer a robot-hand basis mannequin that delivers succesful palms to the true world.

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Ras Labs (Boston, MA)

 Innovators with Tactile Fingertip™ and Artificial Muscle™ applied sciences that present robots with a humanlike sense of contact, enhancing dexterity for grippers, humanoids, and prosthetics.

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Revolve Surgical (Toronto, Canada)

Builders of a zero-footprint surgical robotics and AI platform designed to deliver accessible, scalable robotic surgical procedure to each working room, from educational hospitals to rural outpatient facilities

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Whelix (Boston, MA)

Builders of clever, modular robotic techniques for wet-lab automation, particularly concentrating on the handbook bottlenecks of cell tradition to speed up life science analysis.

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Zeus Robotics (Chattanooga, TN)

Zeus Robotics affords ZERA, a physical-AI autonomous robotic that automates in-hospital logistics with out mounted infrastructure, enabling hospitals to scale back prices and function effectively amid labor shortages.

The chosen firms will take part in a five-month mentorship program operating from January to Could 2026. The curriculum connects founders with senior-level consultants from the organizing company companions, this system’s Medical Advisory Board, and the broader Boston robotics and medical ecosystem.

“The Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst was created to bridge the hole between technological chance and medical actuality,” mentioned Juan Necochea, Strategic Partnerships Director at MassRobotics. “This yr’s cohort represents a various vary of options, from AI-guided dentistry and pharmacy automation. By connecting these founders with our company collaborators and medical consultants, we goal to shorten their path to market and finally enhance affected person outcomes.”

“The power of this program lies in its variety of concepts. From hyperspectral imaging to modular lab automation, these founders are pushing boundaries. We’re excited to assist them as they remodel innovation into options that matter.” added Johannes Linzbach, Head of Festo Analysis Hub Boston

Medical and Business Assist Construction

A distinguishing characteristic of the 2026 program is the great ecosystem of assist offered by an expanded Medical Advisory Board and a specialised community of business consultants. The Medical Advisory Board, composed of training clinicians and healthcare executives, gives essential validation on medical relevance, making certain that robotic options combine seamlessly into present hospital workflows whereas adhering to rigorous affected person security and moral requirements. Complementing this medical perspective, this system’s business skilled community delivers specialised mentorship in operational scaling, manufacturing, and regulatory compliance. By classes and focused workshops, the cohort will achieve direct entry to steerage on fundraising, FDA approval processes, cybersecurity necessities, and mental property technique, successfully bridging the hole between engineering prototypes and commercially viable medical merchandise.

Program Highlights and Key Dates

The 2026 program encompasses a hybrid construction designed to assist startups no matter their world location. Key milestones embrace:

• Healthcare in Robotics Week (March 16–20, 2026): Every week of in-person occasions at MassRobotics HQ in Boston, together with MassRobotics signature sequence occasions, connecting business challenges and startup options, mentoring classes, and an Investor Open Home. 

Robotics Summit & Expo (Could 27-28, 2026): This system culminates with a showcase on the Robotics Summit in Boston, the place the cohort will exhibit their options on the commerce present flooring and lead a session on robotics innovation in healthcare.