Accepting Applications
The Impact Catalyst program is a seed-stage, non-dilutive funding program designed for early-stage life science startups. It addresses funding gaps in underinvested areas aligned with disease burden and accelerates innovation in hard-to-commercialize areas across Massachusetts. Through a milestone-based investment model, the program is designed to reduce risk around innovation and drive long-term impact in areas of significant unmet need and public health impact.
The application period for Cycle 1 will run from March 16 – June 12, 2026 at 1 p.m. EST.
Program Goals
The Impact Catalyst program aims to accelerate early-stage, high-risk translational research in underinvested life sciences areas, driving innovation and patient impact. Key goals include:
- Advance promising startups in underinvested sectors proportional to disease burden, focusing on projects with extraordinary potential for patients.
- Catalyze the seed funding round by bringing together syndicate investors, ensuring startups have committed partners to accelerate growth.
- De-risk innovation in high-risk translational research through milestone-based, non-dilutive funding.
- Build a pipeline of growth for early-stage life science startups across Massachusetts.
- Support health equity, scientific inclusivity, and public-private partnerships by directing resources to historically overlooked research domains.
- Accelerate long-term impact in areas of high unmet need and social burden, ensuring transformative solutions reach underserved patient populations.
Focus Areas
This program prioritizes high-risk translational research in areas historically lacking investment proportional to disease burden, where innovation has the potential to transform patient outcomes. Focus areas include, but are not limited to:
- Medical Devices & Diagnostics: Tools and technologies improving detection, monitoring, and treatment of disease.
- Health Equity: Solutions addressing disparities in access, treatment, and outcomes for underserved populations.
- Women’s Health: Novel therapeutics, diagnostics, and interventions for conditions disproportionately affecting women.
- Psychiatric Diseases & Pain Management: Therapies for mental health, neurological disorders, and pain.
- Microbiome & Antibiotics: Innovations in microbiome science, antimicrobial resistance, and infectious disease therapeutics.
Funding Structure
- Milestone-based grants of up to $250,000 for seed-stage startups.
- Non-dilutive funding is delivered as part of a syndicate in a seed round.
Program Advantages:
- Flexible, milestone-based funding that minimizes operational burden on startups
- The MLSC co-invests with other funders, spreading risk while increasing impact.
- Catalyzes long-term impact investments in areas of high unmet need.
Milestone-Based Grant Allocation:
- 25% – Seed round initiation: Paid after securing seed funding from syndicate partners.
- 25% – Interim report, board meetings, and metrics review: Paid after submission and acceptance of first milestone report. Includes participation in board meetings and review of project metrics.
- 50% – Milestone progression: Paid after submission and acceptance of second milestone report, including evaluation of overall project outcomes.
Application Process
Two application cycles per year, providing multiple opportunities for startups to submit applications and access funding.
Impact Catalyst Cycle 1
Application
Launch
Application
Close
Review
Phase
Board
Approval
Eligibility and Evaluation
Applicants must:
- Massachusetts-based life science startup in one or more of the Focus Areas listed above
- Have more than 50% of the employees are based in Massachusetts
- Be at the seed round stage with committed investors for that round
Required Documents:
- Certificate of Good Standing from the Massachusetts Secretary of State
- Certificate of Good Standing from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue
- Letters of Intent from investors, confirming the investor is actively considering participation in the first institutional financing round (seed round) and has conducted appropriate due diligence on the company
Program Resources
How to Apply:
Applicants must first create an account in our application portal and submit an application.
Upcoming Info Sessions
Impact on the Ecosystem
Historically, MLSC-supported startups have gone on to raise more than $1.3 billion, contributing to Massachusetts’ public health outcomes and economic growth. Most of these investments have focused on fields with significant unmet need and important public health impact, many of which faced persistent funding gaps and are often hard to commercialize. The Impact Catalyst program is critical to sustaining this momentum by supporting early, high-risk innovations that face challenges in attracting private investment, while positioning them for future commercialization. In doing so, the program strengthens the Commonwealth’s life sciences ecosystem, attracts investor interest to critical areas, and catalyzes long-term impact in fields with substantial unmet need and societal impact.
Total funding raised by MLSC-supported startups
Connect with us to learn more
If you have any questions regarding the application process, email: impactcatalyst@masslifesciences.com.
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