The MassRobotics Accelerator program kicked off with an action-packed first month on February 4th, 2025 filled with workshops, mentor sessions, and opportunities for founders to connect with industry leaders.

Accelerator cohort companies include:

Here’s a breakdown of the exciting first month and what participants experienced.

Week 1: Setting the Foundation

The program started strong with a move-in and orientation on February 4, where participants were welcomed into the MassRobotics community. The day included key introductions to MassRobotics and Mass Tech Collaborative, setting the stage for the program. Founders also got a comprehensive program overview, ensuring they understood the journey ahead.

Midweek, participants dove into essential business strategies with a workshop on KPIs & company goals, led by Heather Carey. This session helped companies align their objectives and measure success effectively. Babak Kia followed with an insightful workshop on how to work with mentors, preparing participants to maximize the value from their mentor relationships.

This week also started our weekly CEO roundtable, where founders have a candid discussion on leadership topics like fundraising, hiring and teambuilding. The week wrapped up with a founder panel on how to leverage accelerator programs featuring past accelerator participants (Apparel Robotics, Gopher Motion, Hominindx, rStream) and a storytelling pitch workshop with Greg Raiz and Jess Lynch, guiding participants on crafting compelling pitches.

Week 2: Building Relationships

Mentor engagement took center stage during the second week. Participants had mentor office hours sessions all week, allowing them to receive personalized guidance on technical and business challenges. The companies met with 30 mentors who all bring unique perspectives to the table.

These one-on-one interactions with experienced mentors gave participants actionable insights and the chance to refine their strategies. Since these office hours, each company has been paired with lead mentors who meet with the companies on a regular basis.

Week 3: Discovering Value & Customers

The third week honed in on customer discovery and value propositions. Lisa Dennis led a powerful workshop on value proposition discovery, helping startups clearly articulate the unique value they deliver. Lisa provides a deep dive into value propositions for each company, meeting with founders on a weekly basis for four weeks.

John Hill shared strategies on utilizing linkedIn to find leads, a crucial skill for early-stage companies seeking to grow their customer base. Warren Katz delivered an awesome workshop into customer discovery for technical founders, reinforcing the importance of understanding customer needs and feedback.

The startups additionally had a founder fireside chat Max Makeev and Mark Schnittman with Owl Labs, where participants heard firsthand about their journey as a robotics startup.

Week 4: Tactical Execution & Community

The final week of February focused on tactical execution and community building. This week started our monthly CTO Forum, offering technical leaders a collaborative space to share ideas over lunch. Our CTO Forum is led by seasoned technical leader, Tim Saeger.

Mandy Dwight hosted a hands-on workshop on prospecting, lead generation & booking meetings, equipping participants with actionable sales techniques.

The week closed with a resident happy hour for all MassRobotics resident founders, giving accelerator participants a chance to unwind and foster deeper connections with their peers and MassRobotics Residents.

Week 5: Product Development, Manufacturing and Prototyping

The first week of March started with a product workshop led by Ilya Sinelnikov. He shared his perspective on the FIRE framework: four vital components of product success.

The week then went into two full days of manufacturing workshops with Peter Russo.

On Wednesday night the accelerator participants took part in a founder fireside chat with Carl Vause.

Week 6: Scaling & Operations for Robotics

Companies participated in another product workshop, this time about how to launch products under resource constraints with Ilya Sinelnikov. Brian Denenberg came to visit the class and shared his tactics around revenue operations and sales.

Looking Ahead

The first half of the MassRobotics Accelerator has already provided participants with invaluable insights, strategic tools, and meaningful relationships. As the program progresses, we look forward to seeing how these emerging companies leverage the accelerator’s resources to bring their technologies to market.Stay tuned for more blog posts join us for their showcase at the Robotics Summit & Expo, April 30-May 1st.