MassChallenge

MassChallenge is a global nonprofit startup accelerator headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 2009. It supports early-stage entrepreneurs from various industries, including technology, healthcare, and finance, by providing mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities. With locations in countries such as Israel, Mexico, Switzerland, and Texas, MassChallenge operates a non-equity model, allowing startups to retain full ownership while benefiting from expert guidance and connections. The accelerator conducts various programs tailored to specific sectors, such as MassChallenge HealthTech and MassChallenge FinTech, which facilitate partnerships between startups and established enterprises to drive innovation and market growth. Through its extensive global network, MassChallenge aims to strengthen the innovation ecosystem and empower high-potential startups to create meaningful impact.

Cait Brumme

Acting CEO

Siobhan Dullea

CEO

Kiki Mills Johnston

Managing Director, Boston

Matt Lashmar

Managing Director

Camila Lecaros

Managing Director

Yonit Serkin

Managing Director

Devon Sherman

Founding Director, Head of MassChallenge FinTech

Michelle Williams

Vice President and Head of Texas Strategy

Past deals in Self-improvement

Innsightful

Non Equity Assistance in 2023
Innsightful offers a comprehensive digital health solution aimed at managing and alleviating mental health challenges, particularly for students. The company develops wearable devices that monitor and detect symptoms of anxiety and stress, utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide automated, early detection of heightened stress levels. These devices integrate biometrics to give users personalized insights, fostering a deeper understanding of their mental health. Additionally, Innsightful facilitates access to therapists for tailored recommendations and progress assessments, transforming how individuals approach their mental well-being.

QuitSure

Non Equity Assistance in 2023
QuitSure is an app-based 6-day quit-smoking program. It uses cutting-edge behavioural science and psychological tools to help smokers remove their desire to smoke. A combination of reading material, videos, and simple exercises allow its clients to quit smoking easily, quickly, and permanently, and most importantly, without cravings.

Activate Health

Non Equity Assistance in 2023
Activate Health is a health management platform designed to enhance health tracking and management services. The platform offers a variety of features, including health audits, health sprints, coaching, and progress tracking. By leveraging these tools, Activate Health aims to help clients discover the untapped potential for improved health and well-being, ultimately promoting a better lifestyle.

Flourish Science

Non Equity Assistance in 2023
Flourish Science is a digital mental health organization that was founded in order to deliver personalized and community-oriented well-being knowledge and practices based on social psychology, positive psychology, and behavioral science.

Life Lessons

Non Equity Assistance in 2023
Life Lessons teaches social and emotional skills.It develops self-awareness, self-control, and other soft skills that are vital for life success.

Enrich.ly

Non Equity Assistance in 2022
Enrich.ly offers an engaging and educational experience that aims to establish success sequencing steps for young people in order to prevent teen pregnancy violent behavior poverty self-neglect, and suicide.

SwitchedOn Training

Non Equity Assistance in 2021
SwitchedOn Training is a provider of a training application used to optimize physical and cognitive performance. Its application helps users to strengthen the mind-body connection, enhance reaction and response time, and improve information processing that enables users to track progress through measures such as response time, accuracy, and effort to stay focused and motivated.

BrightUp

Non Equity Assistance in 2021
BrightUp is a financial wellness platform that democratizes financial wealth building and personal well-being. It partners with employers to deliver a comprehensive financial wellness benefit to their employees to grow their net worth and improve their self-worth as well as offer low-cost emergency loan that is repaid through paycheck deductions, enabling employees to be financially healthy and holistically wealthy. The company was founded in 2020 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Virtual Sapiens

Non Equity Assistance in 2021
Virtual Sapiens is a machine learning platform focused on enhancing human communication through advanced technology. It offers a virtual communication platform that utilizes artificial intelligence and science-based algorithms to help individuals improve their communication skills, particularly in video interactions. By providing personalized feedback on nonverbal, vocal, and verbal communication, Virtual Sapiens acts like a communication coach, turning awareness of body language blind spots into a stronger presence during interactions. The platform delivers tailored curricula and content through video-based events, as well as asynchronous feedback, enabling users to develop their skills over time. This approach aims to foster deeper relationships, close more deals, and enhance overall influence in various communication settings.

Goaceit

Non Equity Assistance in 2021
Goaceit is a web application that focuses on enhancing the mental aspects of performance for users, particularly students aged 15 to 25 who face significant stress during critical testing moments. The platform offers personalized and interactive training aimed at improving essential soft skills such as self-awareness, self-confidence, and stress management. By leveraging psychology tools and machine learning, Goaceit provides a comprehensive online program that helps users develop mental toughness and maintain control under pressure, ultimately contributing to their success and well-being.

Butterflly Health

Seed Round in 2021
Sanitas Health is dedicated to enhancing mental health services by focusing on accessibility and inclusivity for historically marginalized communities and Medicaid populations. The company has developed an AI-driven platform that provides culturally and gender-sensitive coaching and counseling, aiming to improve mental health outcomes. In addition, it connects individuals with therapists and experts in behavioral health and autism, facilitating direct access to care. This cloud-based telehealth platform also offers personalized self-help resources and educational content, along with a social network that links users with shared experiences, fostering a supportive community. Through its innovative approach, Sanitas Health addresses the multifaceted aspects of mental and physical well-being, ultimately aiming to empower individuals to enhance their overall health.

UpLift Health

Non Equity Assistance in 2021
UpLift Health Inc., based in Atlanta, Georgia, specializes in developing a digital application aimed at treating depression through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Founded in 2018, the company offers a structured program that consists of twelve weekly sessions, each lasting approximately 40 minutes, designed to teach users effective coping skills. The application incorporates chatbot-guided interactions, allowing users to engage with mental exercises and receive feedback. Additionally, it provides daily tools for users to apply learned skills in their everyday lives. Preliminary research indicates that UpLift's program can significantly reduce symptoms of depression, with a reported reduction of 52% in pilot studies. The company is focused on its mission to assist one million individuals in overcoming depression.

Butterflly Health

Non Equity Assistance in 2020
Sanitas Health is dedicated to enhancing mental health services by focusing on accessibility and inclusivity for historically marginalized communities and Medicaid populations. The company has developed an AI-driven platform that provides culturally and gender-sensitive coaching and counseling, aiming to improve mental health outcomes. In addition, it connects individuals with therapists and experts in behavioral health and autism, facilitating direct access to care. This cloud-based telehealth platform also offers personalized self-help resources and educational content, along with a social network that links users with shared experiences, fostering a supportive community. Through its innovative approach, Sanitas Health addresses the multifaceted aspects of mental and physical well-being, ultimately aiming to empower individuals to enhance their overall health.

BetterYou

Non Equity Assistance in 2020
BetterYou is a digital wellness platform that empowers individuals and organizations to make informed health and wellness decisions. By analyzing daily data from users' devices, the platform offers insights into how individuals allocate their time versus what they value most. BetterYou helps users define their personal goals for “time better spent” and supports them in achieving those objectives. Additionally, the platform provides organizations with population-level insights that can lead to improved employee wellness and potential health care savings. By focusing on the interconnected aspects of physical, mental, social, and educational wellness, BetterYou facilitates healthier habits and enhances overall well-being for both individuals and businesses.

See Yourself Health

Non Equity Assistance in 2020
See Yourself Health specializes in chronic care management by leveraging immersive technology, data science, and social learning to enhance health and wellness. The company offers a platform focused on diabetes treatment within a virtual environment, utilizing a peer network and a constructivist curriculum to foster engagement. By emphasizing peer support, online learning, and measurement-based care coaching, See Yourself Health aims to improve outcomes for individuals managing chronic diseases. Their approach is designed to help both healthcare professionals and patients navigate high-intensity, high-stress situations, thereby accelerating behavior change and optimizing health results.

checkme AI

Non Equity Assistance in 2020
checkme AI provides companies with the HR development tools to improve performance, increasing profitability, and equality in organizations. Rather than focus mostly on measuring skills, they measure motivation and job mastery (passion/perception/proficiency). By measuring passion and job mastery Checkme AI is able to tell not only whether a person can do the job, but also if they are able to do it well.

HIGH5 Test

Non Equity Assistance in 2019
HIGH5 Test is a free strengths test helping people to discover their unique talents and to live a life full of happiness and fulfillment.

HIGH5 Test

Non Equity Assistance in 2018
HIGH5 Test is a free strengths test helping people to discover their unique talents and to live a life full of happiness and fulfillment.

Novotalk

Grant in 2017
Novotalk offers an innovative online platform for individuals with speech impediments, specifically targeting stutterers. Its self-directed tele-therapy solution provides users with access to asynchronous, on-demand training programs that facilitate the learning and practice of fluent speech. By enabling individuals to engage with these resources remotely and independently, Novotalk supports users in developing and maintaining comprehensible speech in a discreet manner. This approach allows for a flexible and personalized experience, catering to the unique needs of each user throughout their lives.

Spriteli

Grant in 2016
Spriteli is a digital health company which aims to reduce anxiety and elevate mood levels of our users through daily, 2 minute, video consultations. The video consultations are performed by a network of trained coaches. The calls consist of proprietary activities based on Mindfulness, Affirmation and CBT techniques. Initial beta results indicate we can improve outcomes and lower costs of traditional mental health delivery options. Currently collaborating with a major Boston Hospital.

Couplewise

Grant in 2016
CoupleWise is a relationship guidance platform designed to enhance and repair adult relationships through technology-based tools rooted in established therapeutic practices. The platform begins by assessing user satisfaction across 24 critical “relationship needs” identified by researchers as key indicators of enduring partnerships. This evaluation creates a personalized "relationship map" that guides couples on their unique journey. By integrating cognitive behavioral therapy, quality research, and modern technological practices, CoupleWise offers a suite of diagnostics and actionable therapeutic tools that are user-friendly and adaptable to various personal and professional relationship scenarios. The aim is to foster positive behavioral changes and provide real-time guidance for couples seeking to improve their connections.

AutismSees

Seed Round in 2015
AutismSees was founded to bring a tech solution for young adults who fear eye contact while speaking or fear making presentations. They have learned that people do better in job interviews when they understand how they appear in front of others. You know what they say, “58% of communication is body language. 38% is tone of voice.” Kinesics is the immediate connection between strangers and theirselves during first encounters. They help young adults create positive first impressions by showing them how they look in real time during prep for a job or college interview.

Increment

Grant in 2015
Increment is a company that specializes in developing toys aimed at enhancing children's skills in orientation and mobility. Founded in June 2013 by Cynthia Poon and Maeve Jopson, the company is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. Increment offers a range of sensory learning playthings, including O-Rings, which are designed in various colors, sizes, textures, weights, and fillings. These toys promote fidgeting, sensory integration, and therapy, encouraging independence and exploration among children of all abilities, including those with special needs. Through its innovative products, Increment aims to foster learning and growth in children, making playtime an inclusive experience.
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