Sixteen Founders Selected from a Competitive Applicant Pool Spanning AI, Life Sciences, Climatetech, Advanced Materials, and Defense
BOSTON — Today, the Executive Office of Economic Development and MassVentures announced that 16 fellows will join the Spring 2026 cohort of Founders School, a founder-centered pre-accelerator built for deep tech venture readiness. The cohort reflects the breadth of Massachusetts' innovation economy, with strong representation across life sciences, climatetech, advanced materials, defense, agtech, and AI.
“Massachusetts is home to some of the strongest research and talent in the world, but turning that into a company takes the right support at the right time,” said Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley. “Founders School helps close that gap, giving entrepreneurs the tools and connections they need to build and scale here in Massachusetts.”
Since launching in 2024, Founders School has supported three cohorts totaling 38 founders. Founders School alumni have collectively raised more than $18 million in capital to date and have been accepted into, recognized by, and awarded grants from leading institutions, including Techstars, Antler, MassCEC, NSF I-Corps, Greentown Labs, the Harvard Innovation Labs, Harvard Business School, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, and SBIR/STTR.
"This third cohort marks a meaningful milestone — the emergence of a true Founders School community," said MassVentures President and CEO Charlie Hipwood. "We are committed to equipping these leaders with the mentorship, resources, and networks they need to accelerate their growth and scale their businesses here in the Commonwealth."
Founders School operates as a living curriculum that adapts in real time to the needs, questions, and ambitions of each cohort. The program combines structured workshops, expert sessions, and milestone checkpoints. Founders engage in weekly and biweekly touchpoints during the core content phase, followed by nine months of ongoing coaching and advisory support.
A key partner since inception has been ven^x, Massachusetts' first deep tech collaborative, whose network of operators, investors, and domain experts has been instrumental in shaping the curriculum, sourcing mentors, and connecting founders with the broader venture ecosystem.
"We have a responsibility to make sure the founders building disruptive technologies have a real pathway forward,” said ven^x Managing Director John Ho. “Founders School is exactly that kind of force multiplier. The diversity of businesses in this cohort, from climatetech to AI to life sciences and beyond, reflects what's possible when you open the door wider across the entire ecosystem."
The Spring 2026 cohort comprises 16 founders, with 63 percent identifying as women. Founders School extends beyond the traditional Boston and Cambridge innovation corridor, reaching founders in communities like Pittsfield, Stoughton, Hudson, and Wakefield and ensuring high-potential entrepreneurs are identified and supported regardless of geography.
Fellows include:
Aishwarya Kothari, Prithvion — Somerville
Predicts crop diseases through hyperlocal forecasts and agronomic insights.
Carolina Aguila, NanoInGreen — Tulsa, Oklahoma
Transforms natural ingredients into high-absorption nanoparticles. Exploring a Massachusetts presence.
Carolyn Lee Parsons, Periwinkle Pharm — Boston
Developing plant systems to produce key chemotherapeutic drugs.
Catherine Katambo, VocaSafe Watch — Somerville
Wearable AAC smartwatch supporting communication and safety.
Dawn Thompson, Auracee — Pittsfield
Advancing women’s health solutions for hysterectomy recovery.
Emily Wan, Aruspex — Chestnut Hill
Provides zero-knowledge AI verification for defense and aerospace.
Farag Ammed, ParaGlow AI — Boston
Reducing surgical complications through AI-driven identification.
JC Arce, Tidefield — Stoughton
Reduces cattle methane emissions using algae.
Jocelyn Foulke, LiPhera — Dorchester
Scaling lithium extraction technologies.
Kimberly Panik, Amphyra Technologies — Boston
Real-time physiological monitoring in aquatic environments.
Lesley-Ann Giddings, Symbiota — Northampton
Symbiota mines extremophile symbioses in order to transform standard dairy and plant-based products into functionally vitamin-fortified foods.
Patrick Thayer, Aster Biofabrication — Hudson
Infrastructure for biofabrication of animal model alternatives.
Pavana Rotti, Nervoid — Cambridge
AI vision platform for detecting cell signaling changes.
Pranay Srivastava, Neurapsyc — Wakefield
Home-based neurorehabilitation wearable.
Tosin Joel, Toluai — Cambridge
Toluai is an AI-native decision intelligence platform focused on energy load forecasting and climate risk modeling.
William Cronin, North Shore Therapeutics — Dallas, TX
North Shore Therapeutics develops immersive, AR-based digital therapeutics for individuals with serious mental illness. The company is exploring relocation to Massachusetts to access the Commonwealth's world-class life sciences ecosystem.
About MassVentures
MassVentures, the state’s quasi-public venture capital agency, finds, funds, and fosters early-stage deep tech startups and academic spinouts that fuel economic growth across the Commonwealth. Since its founding in 1978, MassVentures’ venture fund has invested over $115 million in more than 185 companies, supporting an average of 4,300 jobs annually and attracting over $4.6 billion in private capital. A recent economic impact report shows that these investments generated $157.6 billion in overall economic output, $89.9 billion in total state GDP, and $5.6 billion in state and local tax revenues. In addition to its venture fund, MassVentures also manages several grant programs and provides business guidance, strategic direction, and operational support. For more information visit http://www.mass-ventures.com/.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Meggie Quackenbush, margaret.m.quackenbush@mass.gov