MassChallenge
 | |
| Formation | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Founders | John Harthorne Akhil Nigam |
| Type | 501(c)(3) |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Location | |
Key people | Cait Brumme (CEO) |
| Website | masschallenge |
MassChallenge is a global, zero-equity startup accelerator, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2009.[1]
MassChallenge is headquartered in Boston's Seaport District in the MassMutual Building, and has additional U.S. locations in Texas, as well international locations in Israel and Switzerland.[2]
History
[edit]MassChallenge co-founders John Harthorne and Akhil Nigam were working as strategy consultants at Bain & Company during the 2008 financial crisis when they developed MassChallenge.[3] MassChallenge secured early support from successful entrepreneurs like Desh Deshpande and Joe Fallon, the public sector including Thomas Menino the then-Mayor of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and large organizations like The Blackstone Charitable Foundation and Microsoft.
During its first Boston-based cohort in 2010, MassChallenge accelerated 111 startups.[4]
During the mid-2010s, MassChallenge expanded internationally with accelerator programs in the United Kingdom, Israel, and Switzerland.[5][6][7]
In 2018, co-founder John Harthorne announced he would step down as chief executive officer of MassChallenge.[8]
In 2019, Siobhan Dullea succeeded co-founder John Harthorne as chief executive officer of MassChallenge.[9]
In 2022, following Dullea's departure to address a family health situation, Cait Brumme became acting chief executive officer.[10] She was officially named chief executive officer in June after serving in the acting role for about six months.[11]
In 2022, MassChallenge established a presence at Pegasus Park in Dallas, expanding its operations in North Texas.[12]
In 2023, MassChallenge became one of five accelerator sites for the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), NATO's startup accelerator for dual-use technologies. MassChallenge collaborated with MIT and Starburst, an aerospace-focused accelerator program, to develop a curriculum for the startups used at all five of the sites.[13]
In 2026, MassChallenge was ranked No. 2 in the United States in TIME and Statista's inaugural ranking of America's Best Incubators and Accelerators.[14]
Notable alumni
[edit]- Alkeus Pharmaceuticals, developer of gildeuretinol, an investigational treatment for Stargardt disease.[15][16]
- Trust & Will, an online estate planning company.[17]
- Spring Health (formerly Spring Care), a mental healthcare company.[18]
- Tomorrow.io (formerly ClimaCell), a weather technology company.[19]
- Oklo, a nuclear technology company.[20]
- JoyTunes, a music app producer[21]
- Drync, a wine mobile app for iOS platforms[22]
- Ginkgo_Bioworks, biotech company[23]
- Her Campus, an online newsmagazine for college women[24]
- Global Research Innovation & Technology, manufacturer of the Leveraged Freedom Chair[25]
- LiquiGlide, a plant-based liquid-impregnated surface coating
- RallyPoint, a professional network for US military members[26]
- Ministry of Supply, a business wear men's fashion brand[27]
- Moneythink, a non-profit organization that places college volunteers in high school classrooms to teach courses in financial literacy and entrepreneurship[28]
References
[edit]- ↑ "About Us". MassChallenge. August 4, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
- ↑ Delaney, Erin. "MassChallenge Opens New Home for Innovation". MassChallenge.org. MassChallenge. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ↑ "MassChallenge's John Harthorne Explains How Startups Can Fix The World". TechCrunch. January 21, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ↑ Kirsner, Scott (May 24, 2011). "MassChallenge start-up competition picks 125 finalists for 2011". Boston.com. Archived from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
- ↑ Keohane, Dennis (February 13, 2014). "MassChallenge launches for 2014, officially announces MassChallenge UK". Boston.com. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
- ↑ Bartlett, Jessica (October 28, 2015). "MassChallenge launches full accelerator program in Israel". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
- ↑ Castellanos, Sara (December 13, 2015). "The details about MassChallenge's newest European location". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
- ↑ Rosen, Andy (November 15, 2018). "MassChallenge is looking for a new CEO". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
- ↑ Rosen, Andy (February 20, 2019). "MassChallenge gets first new CEO in its 9-year history". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
- ↑ Pressman, Aaron (January 4, 2022). "Startup accelerator MassChallenge gets new boss". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
- ↑ Maffei, Lucia (June 10, 2022). "5 Minutes With ... Cait Brumme, CEO of MassChallenge". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
- ↑ O'Donnell, Paul (January 28, 2022). "Pegasus Park's newest arrival: Boston-founded accelerator MassChallenge sets up shop". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
- ↑ Kirsner, Scott (December 8, 2023). "How three Boston women are helping NATO scout for defense startups". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- ↑ Hu, Charlotte (August 18, 2026). "America's Best Incubators and Accelerators of 2026". TIME. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Tarsus to expand eye disease pipeline with up to $800 million Alkeus acquisition". Reuters. August 6, 2026. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ "MassChallenge announces startup contest winners". Boston Herald. October 24, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ Walrath, Rowan (December 18, 2019). "Meet MassChallenge's 2020 startups in healthtech and fintech". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- ↑ "PULSE@MassChallenge Unveils First-Ever Digital Health Cohort". Healthcare NOW Radio. December 29, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- ↑ "MassChallenge Boston Announces 2016 Cohort". MassChallenge. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- ↑ Winn, Zach (November 13, 2020). "Commercializing next-generation nuclear energy technology". MIT News. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- ↑ Empson, Rip (June 13, 2012). "JoyTunes Wants To Teach You To Play Real Instruments With Interactive Video Games". TechCrunch. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
- ↑ "Drync". MassChallenge.org. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
- ↑ "There's a Unicorn in Our Midst". December 14, 2017.
- ↑ Alspach, Kyle. "Her Campus Media gets trademark for term 'collegiette'". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
- ↑ "GRIT". MassChallenge.org. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
- ↑ "Rallypoint". MassChallenge.org. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
- ↑ Alspach, Kyle. "Ministry of Supply breaks Kickstarter fashion record with $300K+ raised". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
- ↑ "Moneythink". MassChallenge.org. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
External links
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