CriticalMass, MassCEC’s latest growth-stage Tech-to-Market program provides up to $1,000,000 in grant funding, specialized services, and partner matchmaking to startup applicants with strong track records of early-stage commercialization and successful demonstration projects. Successful applicants will propose commercial deployment projects that address important decarbonization challenges within MassCEC’s four focus areas, help to grow the state’s clean energy economy, and contribute to Massachusetts’ continued clean energy leadership. Applications are due TODAY, September 22. More information here.
Boston AI Week: Join Boston’s vibrant AI community from September 26 to October 3, 2025, for Boston AI Week—a dynamic series of events exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and society. This week-long festival offers a platform to engage with cutting-edge technologies, innovative startups, strategic investments, and transformative businesses across Boston and Massachusetts. More information here.
The E-Team Program, part of the VentureWell Accelerator, supports student ventures as you embark down the path you’re likely to take as an innovator and entrepreneur. They help you advance your invention through a powerful mix of up to $25,000 in grant funding, entrepreneurship training, mentorship by dedicated staff, national recognition, and networking with peers and industry experts. Do you have an idea that can change the world? Every year, they award over $800,000 in non-dilutive E-Team Program grants to early-stage innovator teams that develop scalable innovations which aim to solve a large social, health, or environmental challenge. Application deadline is September 30. More information here.
Ready for the boardroom? The Board-Ready Bootcamp is a high-impact program designed to equip tech leaders with the skills, insights, and network needed to launch or advance a board career. Learn from seasoned board members and CEOs, and build lasting connections with peers and mentors. Apply by October 1. More information here.
Venture Lane Studio Pitch Night: This is your chance to pitch your early-stage B2B startup to a room of 50+ top Boston investors, ready to fund the next wave of innovation. Designed for startups with early traction and product-market fit, this event provides a focused opportunity to secure funding, build valuable connections, and receive feedback from Boston’s leading venture community. Applications are due October 3. More information here.
Cape Cod Fall 2025 Blue Economy Pitch Contest: EforAll Pitch Contests are lively two-hour events that offer entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business idea to a friendly audience and receive valuable feedback from experienced judges. Business ideas across a wide range of industries are encouraged! A total of four cash prizes will be given out (1st place @ $1000, 2nd @ $750, 3rd place @ $500 as well as a $500 Fan Favorite prize). Deadline to apply: October 6. More information here.
Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2) Grants – Administered by MassTech Collaborative, M2I2 provides state grant funding to help Massachusetts innovators who are ready to begin manufacturing their hardtech technologies. Submit Concept Papers by October 6th. More information here.
Small Business Summit 2025: Join Rockland Trust and MassDevelopment on October 10-11 for a 2-day networking conference designed to spark connections, share insights and deliver unmatched value for your professional growth. What’s in store? Speaker panels, networking sessions, and a pitch competition! More information here.
The InnovateMass program provides up to $350,000 in grant funding and technical support to applicant teams deploying new clean energy technologies or innovative combinations of existing technologies with a strong potential for commercialization. Successful applicants will propose projects that address important energy challenges within our four focus areas, help to grow the state’s clean energy economy, and contribute to Massachusetts’ continued clean energy leadership. Application deadline is October 20. More information here.
Tough Tech Week (October 27–31) is a celebration of transformational science and engineering—and the people bringing it to the world. Hosted by The Engine in collaboration with ecosystem partners across Massachusetts and beyond, the week features panels, pitches, workshops, expos, and founder-focused events that spotlight breakthroughs in climate, health, advanced systems, and more. It’s a time for the ecosystem to connect, share progress, and shape the future of Tough Tech. More information here.
The Activate Fellowships for Entrepreneurial Scientists and Engineers: Activate is the premier program for scientists on a mission. The two-year fellowship provides early-stage hard tech science entrepreneurs $100K in research funding, yearly living stipends of $100K, intensive entrepreneurial training, mentorship, networking, and other benefits. Sign up to be the first to know about upcoming recruitment events and deadlines. Applications are due October 28. More information here.
The Ignition Pass from The Engine is a new Residency Grant providing early-stage Tough Tech startups with sponsored access to The Engine’s state-of-the-art facilities, educational programs, mentorship, and business support designed to accelerate breakthrough technologies. Backed by Shell as the inaugural partner, the first Ignition Pass offers one year of Residency at The Engine, along with tailored industry connections designed to bridge the challenging pre-funding gap for Tough Tech teams with climate and energy solutions. Applications are due October 31. More information here.
EforAll’s Business Accelerator Program gives aspiring entrepreneurs the tools, training, and support they need to succeed. Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) is a national nonprofit organization with a proven record of supporting small businesses. Join the 2,180+ entrepreneurs who have already benefited from our program! Applications are due November 6. More information here.
2035 Fund – Recently launched by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), the 2035 Fund includes several programmatic initiatives: Accelerating Research through Collaboration (ARC) Awards, Research Infrastructure and Equipment, Biobank, Frontiers Fund and Women’s Health Initiative. Applications due by November 21st. More information here.
EmPower Massachusetts offers multiple stages of investment in communities and community-based organizations so that they can explore, develop, and implement program models or projects that provide access to the benefits of clean energy for previously underserved populations. Applications are due March 26. More information here.
ARPA-E SCALEUP Ready Program: The SCALEUP Program is ARPA-E’s early commercialization program designed to help teams turn their groundbreaking ideas into reality. During the SCALEUP Ready program, ARPA-E experts will provide guidance to awardees as they establish their business model, supply chain, and sales channels. Applications are now accepted on a rolling basis. More information here.
Accelerate Your Impact: Massachusetts Small Business Coaching Program: Boston Impact Initiative (BII) and Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) have partnered to offer entrepreneurs and small business owners coaching and resources to build sustainable and socially impactful businesses. More information here.
FinTech Sandbox is a nonprofit which enables financial technology entrepreneurs to build robust products by providing access to critical data, development tools and a curated network of customers, entirely for free. FinTech Sandbox is open to all startups innovating in financial services that can use financial data products we offer for product development and testing. The spirit of the program is to offer data to start-ups that could not otherwise afford it. More information here.
Techstars is the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed. As one of the largest pre-seed investors in the world, they funded over 3,200 companies that have gone on to have a market cap of $79B+. Each company receives up to $120,000 in funding, and access to the worldwide network of investors, hands-on mentorship, and over $4M of perks. Applications are open year-round and will be considered on a rolling basis. Your application will be valid for 12 months from the date of application. More information here.
Through its 2030 Fund, MassCEC invests at the earliest stages of company development across the climatetech landscape. With a focus on tough tech and underserved sectors, MassCEC investments aim to advance clean technology, fill funding gaps, create green jobs, and leverage private capital throughout the Commonwealth. More information here.
P&G Ventures is an early stage startup studio within Procter & Gamble that partners with entrepreneurs to accelerate billion dollar ideas that improve consumers’ lives. Focus areas include nontoxic home and garden, women’s health, anti-aging, daily wellness, and cleaning/sanitizing. More information here.
IFundWomen Boston is a crowdfunding ecosystem designed to help the women-led startups, small businesses, nonprofits, side hustles, and passion projects of Boston raise funds to launch and grow. Join iFundWomen if you are a Boston-area women-led startup to fundraise for your business and get your ideas launched. More information here.
AmplifyMass supports academic researchers and companies who need cost-share or adders for federal/non federal prime awards. AmplifyMass provides up to $300,000 for academic or company projects pursuing cost-share or adders for federal or non-federal prime awards (such as awards from ARPA-E, NSF, DOE, and USABC), or up to $100,000 for academic projects that are not tied directly to a prime grant. The program supports projects that aim to commercialize or substantially de-risk an innovation that falls within MassCEC’s mission. More information here.
SoGal Foundation has teamed up with Winky Lux, bluemercury, twelveNYC, Twilio, and other sponsors to make a small step towards progress by providing several $10K and $5K cash grants to Black women or nonbinary entrepreneurs. Awardees will also receive tactical help navigating the fundraising environment at large so that they will have a more equitable opportunity at scaling the next billion dollar idea. They will also receive lifetime “ask-me-anything” access to the SoGal Foundation and SoGal Ventures teams. More information here.