MassChallenge

SAFE4BOTH is a care strategy that supports moms with OUD and their substance-exposed child by promoting optimal prenatal and postpartum care and support. The platform supports moms in their recovery process by utilizing evidence-based treatment plans, case management, and behavioral health approaches.

Dream Team Baby is a leading infant and toddler sleep consulting business, operating for over a decade. Backed by a board of medical advisors, the company offers holistic sleep solutions, believing every child can learn to love sleep. Services include comprehensive sleep assessments, custom sleep plans, and intensive coaching, along with parent support and child behavior advice. Dream Team Baby works with families nationwide and has been featured on national media outlets like the Today Show.

SafetyKay is an education company specializing in safety awareness programs for kindergarten students. It provides tailored courses and resources to teach children essential security behaviors, fostering confidence and promoting a culture of safety from an early age.

Idori is a company that specializes in creating educational resources for children aged 3 to 8. Their products, which include imaginative picture books, eco-friendly stuffed toys, and hands-on learning activities, are designed to instill environmental awareness and sustainable behaviors in young children. By offering engaging and age-appropriate learning tools, Idori aims to empower the next generation to care for the environment.

EyeKnow specializes in an AI-driven monitoring system that enhances safety for children and seniors in home and care facility environments. Utilizing advanced computer vision technology, EyeKnow's solution provides continuous surveillance, detecting incidents such as falls or irregular activities, as well as monitoring interactions between caregivers and vulnerable individuals to identify potential abuse or negligence. The system integrates easily with existing security cameras and delivers real-time insights and alerts to stakeholders through a user-friendly mobile app and live dashboard. By combining AI with security camera footage, EyeKnow aims to protect vulnerable populations from violence and ensure peace of mind for families and caregivers.

Delfina is a data-driven prenatal care platform that personalizes pregnancy care to improve safety for mothers and babies. It uses a data-powered approach to uncover insights in prenatal care and to optimize interventional workflows through machine learning models. The platform creates individualized pregnancy care plans based on patient risk assessed from multiple metrics and supports early intervention, helping providers deliver equitable, cost-effective care. By integrating data across clinical, demographic, and monitoring inputs, Delfina aims to enhance decision-making, streamline workflows, and improve outcomes throughout pregnancy.

Delfina is a data-driven prenatal care platform that personalizes pregnancy care to improve safety for mothers and babies. It uses a data-powered approach to uncover insights in prenatal care and to optimize interventional workflows through machine learning models. The platform creates individualized pregnancy care plans based on patient risk assessed from multiple metrics and supports early intervention, helping providers deliver equitable, cost-effective care. By integrating data across clinical, demographic, and monitoring inputs, Delfina aims to enhance decision-making, streamline workflows, and improve outcomes throughout pregnancy.

Soshe Inc. is a Boston-based company that develops a mobile application focused on women's health, specifically targeting pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. The application is designed to assist women in preparing for childbirth by facilitating the creation of personalized birth plans. It also serves as a resource for doulas, midwives, and childbirth educators, enabling them to guide their clients in articulating their birth preferences. The platform includes features for real-time labor support and fosters an online community where users can interact with instructors and ask questions throughout their course and beyond. Soshe aims to enhance childbirth experiences by reducing the likelihood of unplanned cesarean sections and promoting overall satisfaction during the birthing process. The company was incorporated in 2018 and was previously known as STRAMA Inc.

Nurture Pods features its platform that enables families and filters based on location, kids’ ages, and social distancing practices. Matching families into pods to continue providing education and socialization for children through homeschooling and microschools.

OpenStaff is a temporary employment network focused on Early Childhood Education, offering a straightforward and cost-effective solution for connecting educational centers with qualified teachers. The company has developed an on-demand hiring platform that addresses both temporary and permanent employment needs by efficiently linking businesses with suitable candidates. This platform facilitates the filling of low to middle-skilled job openings, ensuring that clients can quickly and effectively meet their staffing requirements. Through its services, OpenStaff aims to streamline the hiring process while making quality educational staffing accessible.

Cariina is an operations enablement platform designed for schools. It helps administrators manage transportation, attendance, extracurricular activities, and events efficiently through a mobile application that promotes safety and transparency.

Nurture Pods features its platform that enables families and filters based on location, kids’ ages, and social distancing practices. Matching families into pods to continue providing education and socialization for children through homeschooling and microschools.

Awayte offers pet owners a preplanned platform or services to keep their pets safe, cared for and loved after they are gone.

Camppedia operates an online marketplace that facilitates book camps for children. Its platform enables parents to search for suitable camps based on specific criteria, connects them with camp providers, and streamlines the process of planning school breaks. This service offers parents convenience and transparency while providing camp operators with efficient marketing and back-office support.

Hera Project is an online Health App that improves the health of Syrian refugee women and children.

Audiolex is a company focused on enhancing speech and language development in children. Recognizing that many children lack access to necessary support, Audiolex has developed the Lexicon platform. This platform equips parents, teachers, and speech-language pathologists with essential tools for identifying and addressing speech and language issues. By generating tailored resources for each child, Audiolex aims to facilitate effective intervention strategies, ultimately promoting better communication skills and overall development for children in need.

JuiceBox Hero is an online platform designed to assist parents in finding suitable childcare options, including daycare and preschool matches. The platform combines statistical data and intelligence to streamline the search process, allowing users to filter results based on various criteria such as location, child's age, activities, and religious affiliation. By simplifying the search for childcare providers, JuiceBox Hero aims to reduce the time and stress associated with this important decision. Additionally, the company seeks to develop further solutions tailored for mothers, enhancing their experience in accessing childcare resources.

SiLAS specializes in social, emotional, and behavioral learning solutions for educators and students. Their comprehensive program includes screenings, curricula for various ages, ABA therapy, executive functioning skills, and transitional/vocational training.

CozyKin, Inc. is a childcare service provider founded in 2016 and headquartered in Allston, Massachusetts, with an additional office in New York, New York. The company specializes in matching new or expecting parents with Montessori-trained nannies, leveraging modern technology to facilitate this connection. CozyKin addresses the challenges faced by millennial families in finding suitable childcare, particularly in areas with a shortage of options. By grouping families based on location, schedule, and preferences, CozyKin employs nannies who care for multiple infants simultaneously in the families' homes. This approach offers parents enhanced quality, convenience, socialization, and value compared to traditional daycares or individual nannies. CozyKin's services are supported by user-friendly technology, round-the-clock customer support, and a commitment to customer satisfaction. In 2020, CozyKin was acquired by Higher Ground Education, further solidifying its position in the childcare market.

Latch Mobile offers a subscription service designed to safeguard children while using smartphones. Their patent-pending technology analyzes online activities, alerting parents when harmful content, risky behaviors, or inappropriate conversations occur. Unlike traditional monitoring methods focusing solely on screen time or app usage, Latch Mobile's machine intelligence provides actionable insights, enabling parents to intervene promptly and effectively.

Lanugo Media is a children's entertainment company that aims to connect children with their Hispanic cultural heritage. It produces original animated videos, an educational app, and live shows, all designed to instill a strong sense of identity and self-worth in children while teaching them essential skills and Spanish language. The company's content is rich in Latin culture, featuring authentic adventures, music, art, games, and Latino values. Additionally, Lanugo Media operates an online retail store selling children's apparel and accessories, further promoting Hispanic culture and language learning.

GooseWay is a confidential platform designed to enhance communication and streamline administrative tasks for kindergarten teachers, thereby improving connections among parents, children, and educators. Focused on the MENA region, which boasts significant population growth and a substantial market for pre-school education, GooseWay aims to penetrate this $14 billion sector using a freemium model. The company is driven by a passionate and experienced team dedicated to simplifying the management of educational activities, ensuring that teachers can effectively communicate with parents and foster a more connected educational environment.

MyKidzDay is a mobile app that enhances communication between daycare providers and parents. It serves over 30,000 active users across 160 paying daycares in 35 states. The platform enables secure real-time updates, including photos, reminders, and attendance tracking, helping to meet state regulations for record-keeping while attracting millennial parents.

Casa Maestra is an operator of an online education and workshop platform aimed at helping parents enhance their parenting skills. The company offers a range of services, including face-to-face workshops and online conferences designed for pregnant women, babies, children, and adults. Its platform is accessible anytime and anywhere, providing practical and reliable tools for users. Casa Maestra fosters a cultural and entertainment space suitable for the entire family, supporting their development and well-being through engaging educational experiences.

CozyKin, Inc. is a childcare service provider founded in 2016 and headquartered in Allston, Massachusetts, with an additional office in New York, New York. The company specializes in matching new or expecting parents with Montessori-trained nannies, leveraging modern technology to facilitate this connection. CozyKin addresses the challenges faced by millennial families in finding suitable childcare, particularly in areas with a shortage of options. By grouping families based on location, schedule, and preferences, CozyKin employs nannies who care for multiple infants simultaneously in the families' homes. This approach offers parents enhanced quality, convenience, socialization, and value compared to traditional daycares or individual nannies. CozyKin's services are supported by user-friendly technology, round-the-clock customer support, and a commitment to customer satisfaction. In 2020, CozyKin was acquired by Higher Ground Education, further solidifying its position in the childcare market.

Treasure Socks provides allergy medication and safety measurements to kids with treasures.

Tembo is an educational institution focused on enhancing early childhood education to ensure that every child has access to quality learning opportunities. The company leverages an evidence-based curriculum that addresses cognitive, motor, language, and social-emotional development. Tembo trains and certifies home educators who, in turn, provide guidance to parents through SMS, allowing them to effectively educate their children at home. This approach not only empowers parents but also offers a cost-effective solution for early childhood education, ultimately aiming to foster better futures for children.

MAMA.codes is an educational technology company that aims to start young children on their coding journey and build confidence to code. The platform delivers a structured curriculum for early learners through interactive storytelling, songs, and physical activities, complemented by a semi-independent learn-to-code app for ages 3–6 called Looparoo. It enables families and schools to introduce coding concepts with age-appropriate tools while providing adults with accessible guidance to support learning. The program emphasizes digital safety and screen-time wellness through talks, webinars, and parent-focused resources, helping adults who supervise children's learning feel confident coding themselves. MAMA.codes focuses on fostering curiosity and digital literacy before biases can take root, making coding approachable for a diverse audience.

Poppins is a mobile application that assists parents in finding and booking local babysitters quickly and efficiently. The platform allows users to search for fully vetted and police-checked childcarers in their area, ideal for last-minute needs or planned events. Parents can save their favorite sitters for easy rebooking, creating a trusted network of caregivers. The app supports various booking options, whether for a few hours, days, or on an ad-hoc basis, and simplifies payment processes by allowing parents to pay babysitters directly through the app, eliminating the need for cash transactions. Through its user-friendly interface, Poppins aims to make childcare more accessible and convenient for busy families.

Founded in 2014, Nimble Babies is a UK-based company specializing in plant-based cleaning products designed specifically for babies. Their product range includes solutions for cleaning baby bottles and breast pumps, toys and surfaces, and clothes, all formulated to be safe and effective.

JustMilk is developing a novel medical device designed for safely delivering medications and nutrients directly to breastfeeding infants. The thin, disposable silicone device holds a dispersible therapeutic tablet, which releases medication into the breast milk as it flows to the infant, enabling mothers worldwide to accurately administer life-saving medicines through breastfeeding.

Message of Hope Fndt they provides service for hospitalized and homeless children in communities.

Keepers is an AI-driven application that monitors and reports abusive content from social media platforms on children's devices to parents' devices in real-time. It aims to protect children from cyberbullying, pedophilia, and other online threats.

Koru Kids is a London-based childcare company that operates a platform to connect families with nannies, starting with nanny sharing in Greater London. The company matches households with full-time nannies to families seeking part-time care, enabling flexible, affordable childcare while promoting children's well-being. The platform supports the employment process from candidate search and messaging to interviews and onboarding, including alerts for new nanny profiles and tools to manage payroll, contracts, and tax registration, helping families legally employ a nanny. By focusing on nanny sharing and scalable care solutions, Koru Kids aims to build reliable, quality childcare that fits parents' schedules.

Barakat Bundle is a non-profit organization focused on reducing preventable infant and maternal mortality in South Asia. The organization provides a curated bundle of life-saving solutions and health education specifically designed to support mothers and their newborns. This bundle includes essential maternal and baby care items and serves a dual purpose as a portable crib for the newborn. To receive the bundle, mothers must deliver at a healthcare center, ensuring they have access to necessary medical support during childbirth. By offering these resources, Barakat Bundle aims to empower rural women, enabling them to give birth to healthy babies and care for themselves effectively.

PopUp Childcare provides professional drop-in child care onsite at movie theaters, restaurants, sporting events and more. They are changing child care. They leverage unused space like function rooms at movie theaters, restaurants, hotels, sporting events, convention centers, and vacant retail real estate, to create PopUp Childcare locations staffed by their team of trained professionals. Parents search, or receive notifications, for locations with PopUp Childcare. Then book a slot, drop the kids off and enjoy a movie, meal or sporting event knowing their kids are close by, safe and having fun in their care.

Camp Casco is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that gives childhood cancer patients and survivors a week of fun. They create an encouraging and supportive environment to facilitate friendships between patients and survivors, and nourish emotional support networks that thrive well beyond the week of camp. Additionally, parents can rest easy knowing that their children are in the capable hands of a round-the-clock medical staff and camp counselors trained to work with children who have special needs.

Increment is a Rhode Island-based company that designs and manufactures inclusive play equipment and toys aimed at developing children's sensory, developmental, and motor skills. The company creates modular rings with varied textures, weights, fillings, and colors for fidgeting, sensory integration, and therapy, suitable for use in educational and therapeutic settings. Its O-Rings product line features four rings designed for different textures and weights. Founded in 2013 by Cynthia Poon and Maeve Jopson, Increment focuses on durable, locally sourced materials to support learning and growth through hands-on play.

SuperHealos is a start-up company dedicated to reducing children's stress and anxiety when facing challenges like medical treatment. SuperHealos, a company dedicated to making children facing medical treatment feel like superheroes. Their medical adventure story books take place in medical settings and gently expose children to what they may see on their own medical journey. Their storybooks, superhero capes and digital games come together in Medical Adventure Kits creating the perfect get well gift for children facing medical treatment.

ChopChopKids is an innovative non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire and teach children and families to cook real food together. We believe that cooking and eating together as a family is a vital step in resolving the obesity and hunger epidemics.

Found in Translation carries out its mission though a 12-week Medical Interpreter Certificate program. The course is offered at no charge to eligible women and includes common-sense supports such as on-site childcare, transportation assistance, and mentoring. Hands-on Job Skills and Financial Literacy education is integrated into the program to help women to achieve new professional and economic heights. Medical Interpreters have a median annual wage of $43,380 and can expect 42.2% job opportunity growth by 2020 (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Catie’s Closet provides essential clothing and basic necessities to homeless students and those living below the poverty line. It is based in Dracut, Massachusetts.

Native Brain develops research-inspired, impact-accountable, 21st century iPad apps that help all kids learn, love, and master math, reading, and other fundamental skills.

SAFEBOARD is a foldable, lightweight child seat. The patent ensures a competent protective structure which optimizes safety. With a depth of 4”, SAFEBOARD can fold to only 25% of a conventional seat's volume, offering unmatched convenience. SAFEBOARD weighs 12 lbs (30-50% less than conventional seats). SAFEBOARD has a fun, fresh design that appeals to high-end parents. 10M seats are sold in the US every year, and SAFEBOARD's safe and easy-to-install solution is perfect for people on the move.

Go GaGa creates ergonomically safe and stylish diaper bags featuring their patent pending strap.

SittingAround is an online platform that facilitates the creation and management of babysitting cooperatives, where families can trade free babysitting services among themselves. By promoting this cooperative model, SittingAround helps families save money, with the average household saving over $500 annually, while ensuring that a sitter is always available when needed. The platform addresses common barriers to the adoption of babysitting cooperatives, such as lack of awareness and the administrative burden involved in managing them. Through its coop management site, SittingAround automates administrative tasks, making it easier for families to connect and collaborate. In addition to streamlining operations, the company actively promotes the benefits of the cooperative model to foster community among parents and children alike.