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AI Life Sciences Challenge

$35,000 prize for the top AI Life Sciences startup 

Produced by the Massachusetts Founders Network in collaboration with the Massachusetts Business Roundtable and funded by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center

MFN’s Life Sciences AI Challenge is an acceleration program that will award a $35,000 innovation grant to the Massachusetts-based startup that presents the most scalable business model utilizing AI to advance R&D in life sciences.  Participating startups will receive:

  • Access to experts at leading Massachusetts life sciences companies
  • One-on-one coaching from startup and biotech experts
  • Customized workshops to help startups cultivate investment


SELECTION CRITERIA

Companies must:

  • Focus on using AI to solve core operational and scientific problems for life science companies
  • Have high growth potential
  • Operate primarily in Massachusetts


PRIORITIZATION

Based on interviews with leaders across the pharma, biotech, and consulting industries, the life science AI startups best positioned for success will be those that solve core operational and scientific problems rather than simply layering AI onto existing software. Large life science companies are looking for startups that deliver measurable business value through better decisions, improved efficiency, and workforce transformation.

 

A key differentiator is proprietary or uniquely curated data. Companies that can generate new scientific data, improve the quality of enterprise datasets, or provide transparent “chain of custody” for AI reasoning will stand out. Trust, security, observability, and explainability are critical in regulated environments such as drug development and manufacturing.

 

The strongest opportunities span drug discovery, clinical trial optimization, regulatory affairs, manufacturing scale-up, quality control, and supply chain resilience. Startups that can reduce error rates, automate repetitive knowledge work, optimize patient selection, or improve clinical trial design may materially improve the industry’s low drug approval success rates and high development costs.

 

Winning companies will reshape workflows and labor models, not just automate isolated tasks. AI-native platforms that integrate into the “interaction layer” of enterprise work, including agentic systems and digital workers, are viewed as more compelling than incremental SaaS enhancements. Finally, startups must demonstrate deep domain expertise and the ability to integrate securely within complex enterprise ecosystems.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Name *
E-mail *
Company name *

Problem/Solution Statement:

1. Briefly describe the challenge or opportunity your company will address *

PRODUCT: 

1. Describe your product. *
2. Explain the benefits of your product and how it is differentiated from alternatives. *
3. Do you have a prototype or an MVP? *
4. What is your revenue model? (e.g. product sales, software licensing, subscription, etc.) *

AI COMPONENT:

1. Describe how AI is integrated into your company’s product. You are encouraged to review the “prioritization” statement above before responding." *

ELIGIBILITY:

1. Is your company based in Massachusetts? If so, which city or town? *
2. Challenge participants are required to propose business models that grow quickly, attract investment capital, and create jobs. Explain how your company will do this. *
3. Beyond winning the innovation grant, what are your goals for participating in the Challenge? *

4. Within the past year has your company earned more than $500,000 in annual sales? *
4. Can your CEO attend all six required workshops? (CEO attendance at all workshops is mandatory; additional team members are welcome). Workshops will take place via Zoom from 1-3p June 11th, June 25th, July 9th, July 23rd, August 6th, and Sept. 10th. *
5. How did you hear about the MFN Applied AI Life Sciences Challenge? *

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MFN Deal Rooms are stored on MFN/Lever Google Workspace. Only the following people will have access to your Deal Room:

 

  1. You and any members of your team that you designate. You will have editing privileges, and can add others with editing privileges at your discretion.
  2. MFN/ Lever staff will have administrative access, but we will not give access to any third parties without your consent.
  3. Investors that you select.

 

Your Deal Room will have all of the security protections provided by Google.

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The Massachusetts Founders Network is a central hub for all things startups, fostering innovation and collaboration across the state. MFN offers valuable networking, resources, mentorship, and community for startup founders in Massachusetts. 

 

MFN is produced by Lever, a startup accelerator based in North Adams. Our work is supported by funding from and collaboration with the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, based in Westborough.

 

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