MassChallenge is on the hunt for startups offering technology that pushes the boundaries of what humans can do, both mentally and physically. Called the Human Potential Sprint, the six-week, high-intensity cohort is designed for strategic industry exposure to give startups “the opportunity to influence innovation roadmaps and the future of the human condition,” MassChallenge said.
The program gives innovators opportunities to discover potential funders and partners, pathways to advance or validate their technology, a support community of experts and entrepreneurs, media exposure, and legal support. Graduating founders will be invited to pitch their solutions to investors, corporate partners, and others in the MassChallenge community at an in-person Demo Day in November in Dallas.
Based in Boston, global startup accelerator MassChallenge recently hosted its first conference, MC|Innovate, at Pegasus Park. The organization tipped plans for the new Dallas-based program back in July.
According to Jon Nordby, MassChallenge’s head of Texas ecosystems, the program will have a dual focus. “In North Texas, there’s certainly a lot of biotech, but we’ve also honed in on sports tech for physical and mental health performance and recovery,” he said.
MassChallenge sees great interest and results in the human performance space, and its hub at Pegasus Park will be home to the new accelerator program.
The tech they seek
The target technologies are applications in biotech, defense, healthcare, space, and sports that measure, push, and exceed previously defined limits of the human body. Technologies sought are:
- Wearable Devices
- Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)
- Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs)
- Genetic Engineering and Gene Therapy
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Biomechanics and Exoskeletons
- Neurofeedback and Cognitive Enhancement
- Composite Materials
- High-Performance Batteries
- Data Monitoring & Gathering
To be eligible, startups must have a well-established product/market in one of the identified areas with obvious customer demand, interest in scaling through both commercial and federal markets, and be able to attend Demo Day in Dallas on Nov. 8.
Applications opened August 14, and the extended deadline to apply is September 14 at 11:59 p.m. The cohort of selected startups will be announced on September 25.
A growing Texas connection
MassChallenge is well known for its U.S. Early Stage Accelerator Cohort, with the 2023 edition launching with 186 startups at the MC|Innovate Conference earlier this month.
The organization is quickly establishing a strong North Texas presence through a partnership with Lyda Hill Philanthropies, which is providing space at Pegasus Park for the U.S. Early Stage Accelerator’s Health Track headquarters.
The accelerator, which also has locations in Rhode Island, Israel, Mexico, and Switzerland, entered the Texas market in 2017 with an office in Austin before expanding to Houston two years later.
Learn more about the Human Potential Sprint here.
The story was updated on September 8, 2023, with the extended deadline date for application.
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