Arizona Tribune - MassRobotics Opens Applications for Healthcare Robotics Catalyst Program Cohort 6, Presented by Festo, Mitsubishi Electric US, Novanta and Intel

BOSTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2026 / MassRobotics announces the call for applicants for Cohort 6 of its Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program, a four-month, non-equity initiative that helps robotics and automation teams accelerate clinical readiness, technical validation, and go-to-market in healthcare and life sciences. Applications open today and close on December 31, 2026. The cohort will run February through June 2027, concluding with company showcases at the Robotics Summit and Expo in Boston.

This year, MassRobotics welcomes Intel to the Catalyst Program's steering committee, joining founding partners Festo, Novanta, and Mitsubishi Electric US. Intel's Health and Life Sciences team brings mentorship and technical depth in edge AI and on-device compute for surgical and procedure-enabling robotics and OR automation, an area of growing interest across the cohort.

The Catalyst Program connects selected startups with senior mentors from Festo, Novanta, Mitsubishi Electric US, Intel, and yaxxoo, along with practicing clinicians and leading organizations in the medical field. Companies work toward practical milestones such as proof-of-concept builds, pilot design, regulatory planning, or systems integration, supported by organizational/technical support and biweekly mentor cadence.

Since 2021, the Catalyst Program has mentored 35 startups spanning pre-seed through Series A, with teams headquartered from Boston, Toronto, and Paris to Barcelona, Sydney, and beyond. Alumni have gone on to complete a public listing, advance multiple proof-of-concept deployments, and collectively disclose more than $180 million in funding raised, a reflection of the program's track record guiding healthcare robotics ventures from early prototypes to market-ready platforms.

"Having supported the MassRobotics Healthcare Catalyst Program for three years, I'm proud of the journey we at Festo have taken - from founding member to seeing standout startups like Tenomix thrive. What I love most is discovering the people behind the technology: their ambition, their ideas, and what drives them. At Festo, we're excited to support Cohort 6 with our experience and connections across the ecosystem as they turn those ideas into solutions that can scale." Johannes Linzbach, Head of Research Hub Boston, Festo

"The MassRobotics Healthcare Catalyst Program gave us exactly what a deep-tech startup needs: direct access to people who have experienced similar problems before. The technical support from Festo and Mitsubishi Electric US, combined with mentorship across technical development, business strategy, go-to-market, and product feedback, helped us make sharper decisions faster. We are grateful to the MassRobotics team and the mentors who invested their time in Whelix, and we encourage other robotics startups in healthcare and life science to apply." Bingda Li, CEO of Whelix.

Who Should Apply

Startups building robotics or automation for healthcare and biotech, including but not limited to: lab and pharma automation, diagnostics and imaging workflows, hospital logistics and OR automation, rehabilitation and assistive devices, surgical and interventional robotics, and enabling technologies such as sensing, precision motion, edge AI/on-device compute, and cybersecurity for medical devices are eligible. The program is open to robotics startups from around the world, and both early-stage and more mature companies, including those at Seed through Series C, are encouraged to apply.

What Participants Receive

• Tailored mentorship with senior experts from Festo, Mitsubishi Electric US, Novanta, Intel, and yaxxoo
• Clinical perspective through the Medical Advisory Board
• Structured onboarding, goal setting, and biweekly mentor working sessions
• Custom workshops based on cohort needs on regulatory strategy, cybersecurity and SBOMs, clinical workflow, pilot design and more
• Visibility through MassRobotics channels and the Robotics Summit showcase in June

Selection Criteria

Applicants are evaluated on technical maturity, clinical relevance, feasibility of near-term milestones, program fit, and mentor alignment. Teams able to pursue a proof-of-concept during the four-month program are especially encouraged to apply.

Key Dates

• Applications open October 15, 2026 and close December 31, 2026
• Evaluation and interviews: January 1 to January 20, 2027
• Cohort announcement: January 29, 2027
• Program period: February to June 2027

How to Apply

Complete the application here. Questions can be directed to [email protected].

About MassRobotics

MassRobotics is an independent nonprofit and the world's largest independent robotics hub, headquartered in Boston. Its mission is to help create and scale the next generation of successful robotics and physical AI companies by providing entrepreneurs with the workspace, technical equipment, resources, programming, and connections needed to develop, test, and commercialize their technologies. MassRobotics is currently home to 100+ resident startups representing 35 industries, and the 250 startups it has worked with to date have raised nearly $3 billion in venture funding. See massrobotics.org for details.

Media Contact:

MassRobotics
[email protected]

SOURCE: MassRobotics

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W.Stewart--AT