WESTBOROUGH, MASS. — Eight companies from across Massachusetts have been selected as finalists for the COVID-19 Health & Safety Challenge, the third in a series of innovation pitch competitions organized by the Innovation Institute at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech) and Lever, Inc. to identify and grow innovations to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Finalists in the COVID-19 Health & Safety Challenge will participate in a five-week accelerator that will help them grow next-level innovations that support the health and safety of businesses, communities, and people across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Challenge programs are managed by Lever, a North Adams-based startup accelerator and innovation network, and are funded through a $250,000 grant from MassTech, the state agency that manages the Massachusetts Manufacturing Emergency Response Team (MERT).
The Challenge will conclude with a virtual pitch event on October 30th, where one grand prize winner will receive $25,000 to advance the development of their product. The eight companies selected as Finalists include:
- Endoism, Bolton, Mass.;
- FLEXcon, Spencer, Mass.;
- Industrial Polymers, Shrewsbury, Mass.;
- Northeast Biomedical, Tyngsboro, Mass.;
- Orchard Valley Heating and Cooling, Southampton, Mass.;
- Phillips Enterprises, Inc., Northampton, Mass.;
- Radio Robots, Sudbury, Mass.; and
- Zeptive, Inc., Burlington, Mass.
Speakeasy Travel Supply of Barnstable and CareAline Products of Danvers won the first and second Challenges, which were completed earlier this summer. Including this third Challenge, thirty Massachusetts manufacturers have participated in the series, advancing the production of ‘Made in Massachusetts’ products.
Learn more about the Challenge series at https://innovation.masstech.org/intrapreneur.
###
About the Innovation Institute at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
The MassTech Collaborative is a quasi-public economic development agency that strengthens the competitiveness of the tech and innovation economy by driving strategic investments, partnerships, and insights that harness the talent of Massachusetts. The Innovation Institute is the division of MassTech that advances its core mission of innovation and cluster growth across the Commonwealth. Created in 2003, the Innovation Institute intervenes in the economy in the following four ways:
- Conducts research and analysis that improves the state’s understandings of unmet needs and opportunities in the innovation economy;
- Serves as convener and key strategic broker on the landscape;
- Manages high-value projects on behalf of the Commonwealth; and
- Makes strategic investments in support of innovation-based economic development.
For more information, visit https://innovation.masstech.org/.
About Lever
Founded in 2014, Lever is an economic development non-profit focused on innovation-driven job creation. Lever supports entrepreneurs with startup expertise, an investment fund, research, mentors, and access to talent. Lever has helped launch dozens of companies that have attracted more than $10M in equity investment and have created more than 200 jobs. Lever supports existing companies by helping their intrapreneurs “innovate from within” using proven entrepreneurial methods for top-line revenue growth and job creation. Since 2018, Lever has produced 11 Challenges in health technology and COVID response, awarding more than $400,000 in grants to Challenge winners. Lever's 2020-2021 COVID Challenge series, developed in partnership with MassTech, helped dozens of mature Massachusetts companies pivot to PPE production and helped six startups develop innovations to support COVID recovery. Learn more at www.leverinc.org.