MassChallenge unveiled its newest batch of 128 startups on Wednesday. The 2014 class will be the first to move into the Seaport accelerator’s new digs at the Boston Innovation and Design Building.
This year, the selection process was tougher than ever, as the accepted companies hail from 11 countries and 17 states, and were picked from more than 1,600 applicants. In June, teams will begin their four-month program, during which they will put in countless hours to expand and alter their businesses under the valuable vise of MassChallenge mentors.
Of this year’s class of companies, 32 percent are in high tech, 29 percent are healthcare and life sciences, 17 percent are social impact, 14 percent are general, retail and consumer goods and eight percent are cleantech and energy, according to the accelerator’s calculations.
Some local startups accepted into the program include matchmaking site Jess, Meet Ken and crowdsourced building management solution CrowdComfort.
“We’re excited to be part of something bigger than ourselves as we take [the company] to the next level,” Ken Deckinger, founder and CEO of Jess, Meet Ken told BostInno via email. “We look forward to benefitting from, and contributing to, the collective brainpower and energy of such a dynamic, smart, motivated group of entrepreneurs and mentors. We’re really, really excited and grateful for the opportunity."
Based out of Intelligent.ly’s space in the South End, Jess, Meet Ken launched in February to help women crowdsource worthy bachelors in the Boston area.
CrowdComfort, which already has Boston University, General Electric and the MBTA using its easy-to-use comfort level and business maintenance reporting app, hopes the accelerator will help focus its strategy.
“Making it into the next round of MassChallenge is really a testament to the hard work that the CrowdComfort team has put into bringing to market an innovative product,” Kevin Loos, co-founder and COO of CrowdComfort, shared. “We are really looking forward to further honing our strategy and product and learning from fellow participants as we participate in program. We can’t wait to get started.”
When the summer comes to a close, CrowdComfort, Jess, Meet Ken and 126 other companies will join MassChallenge’s pool of alumni. In the past five years, the accelerator has spun out 489 startups that have gone on to raise a collective $554.2 million in funding, create 4,051 jobs and generate $358.5 million in revenue.
The accelerator made the official announcement of the 2014 companies at WGBH, in honor of its newest advisor, WGBH President John Abbott. MassChallenge partners also include The Boston Foundation, Jamestown, Henkel, Altus Dental, First Republic Bank, Sanofi and Robert Bosch Venture Capital.
Best of luck to this year’s class!
Cleantech & Energy
Agira –Agira develops optics technology to help solar panel manufacturers increase production capacity and profitability.
AutoAgronom – AutoAgronom increases agriculture yields while providing savings of up to 50% water and 70% fertilizers by "listening" to growth roots.
CrowdComfort – CrowdComfort is crowd sourcing building management. Report,manage and respond, all in one simple, easy to use smartphone application.
Dropwise – N/A
Faze1, Inc. – Faze1 is the leading source of consumer data and market intelligence for the distributed generation solar PV industry.
H2OnlyBattery – H2Only Battery is the only rechargeable battery in the world activated with water; or any liquid. Produce Electricity Anywhere, Anytime!
Hexfuel – Hexfuel converts water into hydrogen and oxygen to increase your diesel mileage and reduce your emissions.
Novarials Corporation – Next-gen nanowire battery separator with superior thermal and long-term performance for electric vehicles.
PolyDrop – PolyDrop's revolutionary additive transforms standard coatings into highly-efficient dissipaters of electrostatic discharge.
Unified Solar – N/A
General
Anfiro – Clean and affordable water for a better tomorrow.
Asulia Foods – Asulia makes delicious fusion veggie foods. Our dumplings have 2-3 servings of veggies in every box. A percent of proceeds support girls' ed.
Bubbl – Bubbl lets you capture the best parts of online videos to share what matters most with who matters most.
Catchbox – Catchbox is the world's first throwable microphone. Make events fun and more productive by getting audiences to engage and ask questions.
D-ORBIT – D-Orbit sell smart propulsive end-of-life devices for satellites: more revenues for operators, no more debris.
Grove Labs – MIT Grads Create A Personal Farm For Your Kitchen. That's the most local and organic food gets, from Grove Labs.
KnipBio – N/A
Latitude six-six – Latitude six-six is an adventure travel company based in Northeast Alaska that creates positive econ. opportunities for the Native community.
Litter One – Litter One is the 100% biodegradable, all inclusive, odorless, disposable litter maintenance system for cats that lasts 4-6 weeks.
MADBio – N/A
Oto Beverages – Water is boring and so are reusable bottles. Oto makes drinking water fun with a beverage-making bottle and convenient natural flavor pods.
Recardo – N/A
Rescue Collar – Rescue Collar, a wearable device that reunites lost pets with their owners through community and technology at the push of a button.
Rosie – Rosie lets you shop online from local grocers for delivery or in-store pickup.
SproutsIO Inc. – N/A
Worksafe Technology Inc. – Worksafe Technology creates products which reduce common occupational injuries. We make high exertion and repetitive tasks easier and safer.
ZOOS LLC – ZOOS is a first-to-market, all natural, real brewed, caffeine free, ready-to-drink Greek Iced Tea that is Yia-Yia approved!
Zootility Tools – Zootility Tools are American made multi-tools that fit in your wallet.
Healthcare & Lifesciences
1Drop Diagnostics – 1DropDx mobile medical diagnostics could revolutionise medicine by allowing anyone to perform laboratory quality blood tests anywhere
3Derm – N/A
Accel Diagnostics – N/A
Admetsys (Advanced Metabolic Systems) – N/A
Advanced Continuing Education Association (ACEA) – N/A
Aldatu Biosciences – Aldatu Biosciences is improving access to effective HIV patient care worldwide with better, faster, and cheaper diagnostic tools.
Atlas 5D – Atlas5D is an activity and fall detector for older adults that runs on Android - simple, private, affordable, nothing to wear or carry
Biomille Technologies – N/A
Cam Med LLC’s Evopump – Evopump - the first soft, flexible, bandage-like patch pump for active and simultaneous subcutaneous delivery of one or more medications.
Cell.in-sight – N/A
Cocoon Biotech – N/A
ConsortiEX, Inc. – N/A
DCDI – N/A
Disease Diagnostic Group – What if we told you we could save one million lives every year with refrigerator magnets and a laser pointer. We are DDG.
DREAMLAND MEDIAS – DreamLand Medias is a production company launching a collection of therapeutic & interactive films for dementia patients and caregivers.
Dropiette – N/A
Eulysis UK Limited – Developing the next generation technology for optimized, simplified and affordable pharmaceutical production, storage and delivery globally.
Fluid-Screen – A lab at your finger tips - Fluid-Screen is a small device for FAST bacteria detection in water, blood and other liquids.
G-Therapeutics – N/A
Gecko Health Innovations – N/A
Ketogen Pharma Inc. – To treat refractory epilepsy and improve patient therapy, Ketogen is putting the anti-epileptic activity of the ketogenic diet in a pill.
Medlio – Secure virtual health insurance card.
Newton Phototonics – Newton Photonics is developing a truly non-invasive blood glucose monitor for diabetes patients.
noonee – noonee brings you the Chairolution! be able to sit anywhere with a chair that walks with you.
Oncolinx Inc. – Oncolinx, Inc chases the diseases that no one wants to catch by safely and effectively treating the most aggressive forms of cancer.
OralSave Ltd. – N/A
PegaSense – PegaSense is a real-time equine leg injury prevention, and rehabilitation system integrated into splint boots worn by competition horses.
Platelet BioGenesis – Platelet BioGenesis has developed technology to produce the world's first donor-independent human platelets.
Remotaid – Remotaid fights prenatal death through a home use fetal heart rate monitor.
Sano LLC. – Sano offers a disposable, low cost, Point-of-Care (POC) diagnostic platform with first focus on chronic wounds.
SQZ Biotech – SQZ Biotech's CellSqueeze (invented at MIT) enables delivery of molecules into cells by a gentle squeezing. That's right, we squeeze cells.
TFC Biosciences – TFC Biosciences develops smart research tools that deliver performance, ease of use and speed for efficient drug discovery.
Twiage – Twiage connects ambulances to ERs w/ realtime data, EKGs, GPS, to save precious time, cut waste from $350K/yr, and improve patient outcomes.
Unima – Today diagnostic of diseases is a long and expensive process. Unima developed a low cost and 25 minute process usable by anyone, anywhere.
Varada Innovations Inc. – Varada Innovations is developing a line of diagnostic surgical tools to consistently optimize laryngoplasty (tie-back) surgeries in equines.
Vigor Medical Technologies – Vigor Medical Technologies develops life saving medical devices to treat chest trauma.
High Tech
AirPooler – AirPooler, a new way to take off, makes flying private irresistibly affordable and easy-- think Boston to Vineyard in less 30 mins for $45.
Ashton Instruments – Ashton Instruments: We're making the first affordable cycling power meter. Think of it as a super Fitbit for cyclists.
Asta IDentity Inc. – Phishing and SPAM are different! Phishing attacks through email cause devastating losses. Get protected with AstraID's PhishingGuardian!
AWR Ideas – AWR Ideas is taking contextual advertising outside the internet to the physical world.
Beat Farm – Unleash the rare and incredible moments when music connects perfectly to your life. BE THE BEAT.
BridgeU – Our software renders the university preparation & application experience for global students easier to understand, navigate & leverage
CarKnow LLC – CarKnow LLC liberates information hidden in vehicle networks, enabling a cross-manufacturer API and smart apps for analytics & visualization.
Crypteia Networks – One dashboard to rule them all, detecting the undetected threat that pass your traditional defense!
DCB – N/A
Dimples LLC – With Dimples, it's like printing money.
Fairwaves – Mobile networks for a billion of <$2 ARPU subscribers. Profitable. VAS supported.
gameblyr – gameblyr is an indie game publishing platform committed to helping developers bring high quality mobile and cross-platform games to market.
GoodLux Technology – SunSprite is a wearable device invented by MDs that tracks your light & UV exposure to improve energy, mood & sleep.
Grapevine Logic – N/A
HigherMe – The HigherMe video recruiting platform helps retail employers find, screen, and interview better employees.
Jess, Meet Ken – On Jess, Meet Ken women can connect with guys another woman has recommended. He may not be right for her but he could be GREAT for you!
Jisto, Inc. – Transforming idle computation cycles in organizations into a powerful cloud computing platform capable of taking on massive computations.
Jolt – N/A
Kuona – Kuona app helps users find the best products & prices across retail stores & inside them. We sort their list by aisle & give'em great deals.
Lengio – N/A
Liberty Teller – Liberty Teller - 1st bitcoin kiosk in USA. easiest way to purchase bitcoin. cash to bitcoin < 30 secs. buy as little as $1 libertyteller.com
Lig – Making legal simple.
mebotics – Mebotics has developed the Microfactory: a clean, safe & affordable hybrid 3D printer + CNC mill that makes finished and functional parts
ModelRisk Analytics – Quantitative Analytics for Model Risk Assessment for financial institutions.
Myndlift – Myndlift is a mobile app serving as an alternative drug-less ADHD treatment in the most affordable and easily-accessible way.
NEON Mobile – NEON provides a turnkey publishing and analytics based platform for customer facing tasks including an integrated user mobile experience.
Network Now – N/A
Nodespan – N/A
NVBOTS – NVBOTS leases easy to use and easy to share cloud connected automated 3D printers.
OpportunitySpace – An online information platform and marketplace needed to create vibrant, livable places.
PikMoments – PikMoments is a smart camera that creates memories for you, automatically capturing candid moments as photos and short videos.
ProtonMail – ProtonMail, Swiss based secure email with no compromises, brought to you by CERN and MIT scientists.
RaceHQ – RaceHQ is a first-of-its-kind cloud based project management, collaboration, task management and market hub tool for participatory events.
Real Life Analytics – The Google Adwords for billboard advertising.
RetailSights – We generate actionable insights to brands thru computer vision to help them understand shoppers behavior at POS.
Sonation – Sonation makes it easier and more fun to make music through apps powered by intelligent accompaniment technology.
Splashscore – The Splashscore influencer activation engine makes powerful digital friendships more rewarding for everyone.
Trill – With anything that happens on a stage - from Beyonce to ballet to bluegrass at your local bar - Trill finds you local shows you'll love.
Ustraap – Ustraap improves the spatial perception of visually impaired people by detecting proximity, hardness and size on any object.
VocaliD – N/A
Voxel8 – N/A
Social Impact
Amplyus – Amplyus democratizes DNA experimentation.
Artisan’s Asylum – At Artisan's Asylum we get your hands on tools for making, for work or play. Discover, design, create, make your passion your business!
ArtLifting L3C – Rise above the status quo! Uplift yourself and marginalized artists by purchasing their beautiful work through ArtLifting today.
BrightLoop – BrightLoop is Evernote for teachers. We enable teacher to use qualitative student insight to personalize learning and communicate progress.
CampusTap – CampusTap is a private social platform designed exclusively for colleges. Discover events connect with peers and land your dream job.
CareerVillage – CareerVillage crowd-sources career advice for students in low-income communities. Now *every* student can get the personal advice they need.
Catie’s Closet – Catie's Closet provides clothing & basic necessities to students who are homeless or living in poverty. Helping kids fit in and feel valued.
ChopChop Kids – ChopChopKids inspires and teaches kids to cook and eat real food with their families through its award-winning ChopChop Magazine.
Drinkwell – Drinkwell transforms the global arsenic and fluoride water crisis into economic opportunity.
Ecotonix – Imagine a product that can turn your trash to the healthiest garden food in just days. Ecotonix makes that.
EdTrips – EdTrips helps field trip venues manage their visitors and reach more teachers.
Evaptainers – EVAPATAINER is manufacturer and distributor of low-cost cold chain solutions for the developing world.
Found in Translation – We help bilingual women to achieve economic security by capitalizing on their language skills & unleash bilingual talent into the workforce.
Gradberry – N/A
Hablando con Julis – Hablando con Julis is the solution for people with special needs: allows communication and enhances learning skills.
Kinems Learning Games – Kinems offers engaging & effective learning experiences for children with learning disabilities like autism via personalised Kinect games.
LOOLY’S – LOOLY'S is an impact-driven food start-up reinventing ancestral food to turn it into a trendy, zero-compromise & beyond fair-trade choice.
MorningaConnect – MoringaConnect eradicates rural poverty and hunger by enabling small farmers to participate in the global market for high value crops.
ReFleece – ReFleece is a scalable model for upcycling: we make beautiful, modern accessories from patagtonia, woolrich, ibex and polartec scraps.
Saathi – Saathi developed a small scale mfg process to produce affordable sanitary pads from waste banana tree fiber for girls in rural India.
ScriptEd – N/A
VoiceItt – N/A
Images via MassChallenge, CrowdComfort, Grove Labs, noonee and City of Somerville
