MLSC Impact Catalyst Program

The MLSC Impact Catalyst Program sits under the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and backs early-stage Massachusetts life science startups in underinvested research areas with significant disease burden. It is a seed-stage, non-dilutive grant program for companies in five named focus areas. Awards go up to $250,000 and are paid in milestone tranches: 25% after seed funding is secured, 25% after the first milestone report, and 50% after the second milestone and project outcome review. The 2026 application window ran from March 16 to June 12, and applicants needed to be Massachusetts-based, have more than half of employees in Massachusetts, be at seed stage with committed investors, and submit the required good-standing documents and investor letters of intent. The program fits teams that can point to a credible development plan and enough outside support to justify milestone-based funding. The five focus areas are medical devices and diagnostics, health equity, women's health, psychiatric diseases and pain management, and microbiome and antibiotics.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.