MassRobotics, in collaboration with Festo, Novanta and Mitsubishi Electrical Automation, pronounces the collection 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:
Concerto Biosciences (Cambridge, MA)
Pioneers of “kChip,” a laboratory automation platform that constructs and measures thousands and thousands of microbial combos to map the microbial world and develop science-first human well being merchandise.
Enchanted Instruments (Paris, France)
Creators of The MirokaĂŻ, 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.
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 underneath human oversight.
Humotech (Pittsburgh, PA)
Humotech powers data-driven, precision care by serving to clinicians quickly examine prosthetic foot choices for folks with decrease limb amputation.
HyperSpectral Corp (Alexandria, VA)
Merges hyperspectral imaging and Raman spectroscopy with an autonomous AI scientist to allow speedy, automated pathogen detection and experimentation for healthcare and bioprocessing.
Inception Robotics (School Park, MD)
Builders of robots for mundane pharmacy duties. Inception Robotics’ MedSort™ autonomously types returned medicines to save lots of pharmacy technician time, cut back burnout and drugs waste.
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.
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.
Revolve Surgical (Toronto, Canada)
Builders of a zero-footprint surgical robotics and AI platform designed to carry accessible, scalable robotic surgical procedure to each working room, from educational hospitals to rural outpatient facilities.
Whelix (Boston, MA)
Builders of clever, modular robotic techniques for wet-lab automation, particularly focusing on the guide bottlenecks of cell tradition to speed up life science analysis.
Zeus Robotics (Chattanooga, TN)
Zeus Robotics gives ZERA, a physical-AI autonomous robotic that automates in-hospital logistics with out mounted infrastructure, enabling hospitals to cut back prices and function effectively amid labor shortages.
Company companions
The chosen firms will take part in a five-month mentorship program operating from January to Might 2026. The curriculum connects founders with senior-level specialists from the organizing company companions, this system’s medical advisory board, and the broader Boston robotics and medical ecosystem.
Juan Necochea, strategic partnerships director at MassRobotics, says: “The Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst was created to bridge the hole between technological risk and medical actuality.
“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 specialists, we purpose to shorten their path to market and in the end enhance affected person outcomes.”
Johannes Linzbach, head of Festo Analysis Hub Boston, says: “The power of this program lies in its range of concepts. From hyperspectral imaging to modular lab automation, these founders are pushing boundaries. We’re excited to assist them as they rework innovation into options that matter.”
Medical and business assist construction
A distinguishing characteristic of the 2026 program is the excellent ecosystem of assist offered by an expanded Medical Advisory Board and a specialised community of business specialists.
The Medical Advisory Board, composed of working towards clinicians and healthcare executives, supplies vital validation on medical relevance, guaranteeing 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 means of periods 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 embody:
- Healthcare in Robotics Week (March 16-20, 2026): Every week of in-person occasions at MassRobotics HQ in Boston, together with MassRobotics signature collection occasions, connecting business challenges and startup options, mentoring periods, and an Investor Open Home.
- Robotics Summit & Expo (Might 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 ground and lead a session on robotics innovation in healthcare.
