MassRobotics, in collaboration with Festo, Novanta and Mitsubishi Electric Automation, announces the selection of 11 startups for the 2026 Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst.
Now in its fifth cohort, the program empowers global startups to accelerate the development and commercialization of robotic technologies that improve clinical 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 millions of microbial combinations to map the microbial world and develop science-first human health products.
Enchanted Tools (Paris, France)
Creators of The Mirokaï, character-based robots designed to deliver everyday on-site assistance in care settings, guiding and reassuring patients and residents while autonomously handling simple logistics to support care teams.
Hesy Tech (Reston, VA)
Developers of an AI-guided robotic platform for preventive dentistry that automates routine hygiene tasks, allowing clinics to increase capacity and consistency under human oversight.
Humotech (Pittsburgh, PA)
Humotech powers data-driven, precision care by helping clinicians rapidly compare prosthetic foot options for people with lower limb amputation.
HyperSpectral Corp (Alexandria, VA)
Merges hyperspectral imaging and Raman spectroscopy with an autonomous AI scientist to enable rapid, automated pathogen detection and experimentation for healthcare and bioprocessing.
Inception Robotics (College Park, MD)
Developers of robots for mundane pharmacy tasks. Inception Robotics’ MedSort™ autonomously sorts returned medicines to save pharmacy technician time, reduce burnout and medication waste.
Lupa Robotics (San Francisco, CA)
Lupa is building the first mass-scale, transferable human dexterity dataset with glove-captured vision, touch, and motion, to pioneer a robot-hand foundation model that delivers capable hands to the real world.
Ras Labs (Boston, MA)
Innovators with Tactile Fingertip and Synthetic Muscle technologies that provide robots with a humanlike sense of touch, enhancing dexterity for grippers, humanoids, and prosthetics.
Revolve Surgical (Toronto, Canada)
Developers of a zero-footprint surgical robotics and AI platform designed to bring accessible, scalable robotic surgery to every operating room, from academic hospitals to rural outpatient centers.
Whelix (Boston, MA)
Builders of intelligent, modular robotic systems for wet-lab automation, specifically targeting the manual bottlenecks of cell culture to accelerate life science research.
Zeus Robotics (Chattanooga, TN)
Zeus Robotics offers ZERA, a physical-AI autonomous robot that automates in-hospital logistics without fixed infrastructure, enabling hospitals to reduce costs and operate efficiently amid labor shortages.
Corporate partners
The selected companies will participate in a five-month mentorship program running from January to May 2026. The curriculum connects founders with senior-level experts from the organizing corporate partners, the program’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 gap between technological possibility and clinical reality.
“This year’s cohort represents a diverse range of solutions, from AI-guided dentistry and pharmacy automation. By connecting these founders with our corporate collaborators and medical experts, we aim to shorten their path to market and ultimately improve patient outcomes.”
Johannes Linzbach, head of Festo Research Hub Boston, says: “The strength of this program lies in its diversity of ideas. From hyperspectral imaging to modular lab automation, these founders are pushing boundaries. We’re excited to support them as they transform innovation into solutions that matter.”
Clinical and industry support structure
A distinguishing feature of the 2026 program is the comprehensive ecosystem of support provided by an expanded Medical Advisory Board and a specialized network of industry experts.
The Medical Advisory Board, composed of practicing clinicians and healthcare executives, provides critical validation on clinical relevance, ensuring that robotic solutions integrate seamlessly into existing hospital workflows while adhering to rigorous patient safety and ethical standards.
Complementing this clinical perspective, the program’s industry expert network delivers specialized mentorship in operational scaling, manufacturing, and regulatory compliance.
Through sessions and targeted workshops, the cohort will gain direct access to guidance on fundraising, FDA approval processes, cybersecurity requirements, and intellectual property strategy, effectively bridging the gap between engineering prototypes and commercially viable medical products.
Program highlights and key dates
The 2026 program features a hybrid structure designed to support startups regardless of their global location. Key milestones include:
- Healthcare in Robotics Week (March 16-20, 2026): A week of in-person events at MassRobotics HQ in Boston, including MassRobotics signature series events, connecting industry challenges and startup solutions, mentoring sessions, and an Investor Open House.
- Robotics Summit & Expo (May 27-28, 2026): The program culminates with a showcase at the Robotics Summit in Boston, where the cohort will exhibit their solutions on the trade show floor and lead a session on robotics innovation in healthcare.
