Five equity-focused health care startups each receive $50,000 grant through tailored program
BOSTON, Feb. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of our commitment to addressing health inequities, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts ("Blue Cross") and MassChallenge today announced the five participants of the 2026 Health Equity Business Accelerator ("Accelerator") program.
How it works: The Accelerator provides financial, strategic, and mentorship support to equity-focused health care startups. Each of the five members of this cohort will receive a one-time grant of $50,000 and participate in three months of tailored programming with relevant Blue Cross leaders and experts in conjunction with MassChallenge.
The 2026 Accelerator participants are:
- Endometrics: Advancing women's health through an at-home menstrual-blood test for endometriosis.
- InovCares: Eliminates health care barriers for underserved women by integrating clinical care with social determinants of health solutions.
- Lexi: An AI-powered, HIPAA-compliant language access platform that integrates into clinical workflows to eliminate delays, cut costs, and expand access for patients with limited English proficiency.
- myBiometry: Prioritizes early detection of asthma/COPD attacks up to 20 days in advance using intelligent diagnostics and connected monitoring.
- PEMPal: A suite of in-person and digital solutions designed to elevate pediatric readiness across care settings.
What they're saying:
- "The startups in the 2026 Accelerator are deeply committed to enhancing health care delivery for consumers," said Sophie Clarke, Blue Cross' chief strategy officer. "We're proud to partner with these innovators and help support their solutions, furthering our shared mission to improve health equity for all."
- "Founders working on health equity are tackling some of health care's most complex and urgent challenges," said Cait Brumme, MassChallenge CEO. "To succeed, they need to connect cause to customer, which requires a deep understanding of how the system actually works. Blue Cross brings exceptional mission alignment alongside a depth of knowledge, expertise, and real-world insight. This program gives founders mission-critical access to the context, partners, and decision-makers needed to inform a path to impact at scale."
What's next: Upon completing the program in June, startups will have the option to join the MassChallenge alumni network. This lifelong membership provides opportunities to connect and collaborate, access to exclusive partner discounts, connections to the MassChallenge Investor Network, and the option to use the MassChallenge Boston office.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (bluecrossma.org) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are committed to showing up for everyone like they're the only one and guiding our members to the exceptional health care they deserve – affordably, equitably and seamlessly. In keeping with our commitment, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
About MassChallenge
MassChallenge is the global network for innovators. Headquartered in the United States with eight locations worldwide, it is the non-profit's mission to help bold entrepreneurs disrupt the status quo and create sustainable change. Since launching in 2009, MassChallenge has run programs in 24 countries, supported more than 4,400 startups from around the world, and awarded over $19M in equity-free cash and prizes. Learn more about MassChallenge at masschallenge.org.
SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts