MLSC Impact Catalyst Program

MLSC Impact Catalyst

Connects non-dilutive milestone grant for seed-stage MA life science startups for research through the MLSC Impact Catalyst.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The MLSC Impact Catalyst is a non-dilutive seed grant program run by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), a quasi-public state agency that has deployed more than $2 billion into the Massachusetts life sciences ecosystem since 2008. Impact Catalyst specifically targets early-stage Massachusetts life science startups working in five designated focus areas — Medical Devices and Diagnostics, Health Equity, Women's Health, Psychiatric Diseases and Pain Management, and Microbiome and Antibiotics — which MLSC characterizes as underinvested disease areas. Awards reach up to $250,000 per company and are disbursed across three milestone-based tranches rather than as a lump sum.

Eligible applicants must be for-profit Massachusetts-based life science startups with more than 50% of employees based in the state and must already be at the seed-round stage with committed investors. Universities, nonprofits, and research institutions are not eligible. Award disbursement is tied to investor syndicate formation and project milestones: 25% is released upon securing seed funding from syndicate partners, 25% after the first milestone report is accepted, and the remaining 50% following the second milestone report and project outcome evaluation. For the 2026 cycle, the application window ran March 16 through June 12, 2026 at 1 p.m. EST. Applications are submitted via the masslifesciences.submittable.com portal and require Certificates of Good Standing from both the Massachusetts Secretary of State and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, as well as investor Letters of Intent.

Competitive applicants should demonstrate an active investor syndicate, a clear disease-area fit within one of the five focus themes, and a concrete milestone plan that aligns with the three-tranche payment structure. MLSC held virtual information sessions in March, April, and May 2026. Organizations that miss the 2026 deadline should monitor MLSC's program page for the 2027 cycle opening.