Program Description

The U.S. healthcare program, BreakthroughBio, will initially focus on the biotechnology (Biotech) and medical technology (MedTech) sectors and will be operated by MassChallenge Boston, one of the world’s largest and most prominent accelerators in healthcare, life sciences, and technological innovation.

MassChallenge, is a global non-profit organization founded in Boston in 2009 and widely recognized as one of the world’s leading organizations for developing and operating startup accelerator programs, particularly in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. Headquartered in Boston, a global hub for healthcare innovation, MassChallenge provides participating companies with access to a world-class ecosystem that includes pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, hospitals, medical centers, universities, investors, and industry experts.

Through its global network of partners, MassChallenge supports participating companies in building strategic partnerships, advancing their business development efforts, and preparing for expansion into international markets.

Additional information is available on the organization’s website.

Breakthrough Bio is a prestigious global accelerator program designed to support ten breakthrough startups in the Pharmaceutical (Biotech) and Medical Device (MedTech) sectors. The Program is intended to help participating companies transition from technology development in Israel to securing an initial pilot with a leading global customer, reduce technological risk, accelerate product development and time-to-market, and strengthen their readiness for international expansion. The Program also supports engagement with healthcare organizations and corporations, investors, and strategic partners, while enhancing companies’ clinical, regulatory, commercialization, and fundraising capabilities.

This Call for Proposals is open to Israeli companies for the purpose of submitting an application to participate in this Program under the Authority’s R&D Fund

The Program will be conducted in a hybrid format over a period of six months combining virtual content with scheduled in-person visits to the US. A tailored work plan will be developed for each company, including milestones, mentor matching, prioritization of strategic partners, and a customized engagement roadmap. Throughout the Program, each company will receive ongoing support aligned with its individualized work plan and defined milestones. This support will include one-on-one mentoring, professional workshops, meetings with industry experts, progress reviews, and exposer to relevant strategic partners.

In-Person Program Visits

The Program includes three mandatory in-person visits to the United States:

1. January 2027 – Boston: Program Kickoff – The Program will begin in Boston with an orientation program that includes: Opening session, mentoring, Enterprise Readiness sessions, workshops, Visits to leading organizations.
2.  March 2027 – California (San Diego Focus) – Participants will meet with key stakeholders, including investors, pharmaceutical companies, biotech companies, medical device companies, hospitals, healthcare providers, and payers. In addition, Medical Device (MedTech) companies will participate in LSI USA 2027.
3. June 2027 – Philadelphia: Program Finale –  The final visit will include meeting opportunities with ecosystem stakeholders, networking opportunities, and a Showcase / Demo Day event. In addition, Pharmaceutical (Biotech) companies will participate in the BIO International Convention 2027 in Philadelphia.

• Participation in the in-person visits described above is mandatory and constitutes a condition for participation in the Program. Participating companies are responsible for covering all travel and related expenses associated with these visits, as detailed below.
• A total of 10 Israeli companies will be selected to participate in the Program.
• A detailed Program agenda is available here.

Finance

• The Israel Innovation Authority will provide participation approval for the Program.
  The Program is free of charge for the participating companies, except for the expenses detailed below (“US location Visits Costs”), which will be paid in full by the companies selected to participate in the Program.
• US location Visits Costs covered by the participating companies will include, but will not be limited to:
  • All travel-related expenses, including: flights, accommodation, food and beverages, entry visas, conference registration fees, booth or exhibition costs,
  • As well as expenses for professional services required by the company (should any be required), including: legal services, regulatory services, reimbursement services, tax services, bookkeeping, consulting, or any other professional services.
• Participation in the Program will include at least one representative from the company, who must be a company founder and/or a senior executive, and the company will bear the above expenses for such representative as a pre-condition for participation in the Program.
• To avoid any doubt, and in according with the provisions of the Program, we hereby clarified that this Call for Proposals will provide an approval for participation in the program, and not R&D expenses funding of the participating companies.

Criteria

Relevant Companies

Pharmaceutical (Biotech) companies operating in fields such as:

• Drug therapeutics, including small molecules
• Biologics
• Cell therapy
• Gene therapy

Medical Device (MedTech) companies operating in fields such as:

• Medical devices
• Diagnostics
• Medical imaging
• Surgical tools
• Wearables
• Implantables
• Connected devices

General Criteria

• The potential contribution of the applicant’s participation in the Program to the applicant’s research and development activities.
• The number of times the applicant has received benefits for delegation and event activities under the Incentive Program during the preceding five years. It is hereby clarified that preference will be given to an applicant that has received a lower number of such benefits.

Eligibility Criteria – Medical Device (MedTech) Companies

• Companies operating in the medical device sector, including: medical devices, diagnostics, imaging, surgical devices, wearable devices, implantable devices, and connected/software-enabled devices.
• Company stage: A company shall be eligible if it is at post Series A stage )and has not yet completed a Series B funding round( and has raised at least USD 14 million in cumulative equity capital since its incorporation (including through SAFE instruments and/or convertible notes). Eligibility is based on the company’s total equity financing raised and not solely on its most recent financing round.

Eligibility Criteria – Pharmaceutical (Biotech) Companies

• Companies operating in the pharmaceutical (Biotech) sector, including: therapeutic development (small molecules, biologics, cell therapy, or gene therapy).
• Company stage: A company shall be eligible if it is post-Seed and up to post Series A and has raised at least USD 5 million in cumulative equity capital since its incorporation (including through SAFE instruments and/or convertible notes). Eligibility is based on the company’s total equity financing raised and not solely on its most recent financing round.

Requirements Applicable to Companies of Both Technology Verticals:

• The company’s most recent equity financing (including through SAFE instruments and/or convertible notes) was completed after August 2021 (“last round”):
  • For Pharmaceutical (Biotech) Companies – last round seed or A
  • For Medical Device (MedTech) Companies – last round A
• The applicant is a corporation duly incorporated and registered in Israel, operating in accordance with the laws of the State of Israel, and conducting research and development for commercial purposes.
• At least one founder or senior executive of the participating company shall commit to participating in the Program, including attendance at all three in-person visits in the United States during 2027: Boston (January), San Diego (March), and Philadelphia (June).
• The participating company shall commit to covering the Visit Costs, as detailed above.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted online through the Israel Innovation Authority’s Hebrew website no later than August 18, 2026, at 12:00 PM (ILT).

1. .Register for or log in to the Personal Area.
2. Select R&D Funding Application and choose: International Technological Pilot Accelerator Program
3. Complete the online application form and attach the application document.
4. Attach your company’s PitchDeck as requested in the Application Form

• Please note: After completing the online form in the Personal Area, you must download, complete, and upload the application document before submitting your application.
  The application form must be completed in accordance with the instructions, and applicants must ensure that all sections are accurately completed and marked as required.
  Applications submitted without a complete application form, including a Pitch Deck as required by the application form, will not meet the eligibility criteria and will not proceed to the full review stage conducted by MassChallenge.
• Please monitor this Call for Applications page, where any updates regarding the application process will be published.
• Nothing in this notice shall be construed as a commitment to approve any application submitted under this Call for Applications.
  Applicants must comply with the instructions set forth by the Authority, and this via this notice.
  The Israel Innovation Authority accepts only complete and properly submitted applications, including all required forms in accordance with the requirements of this Program. Applications with material omissions will not be accepted and will not be brought for the consideration, before the Research Committee.
• Companies wishing to receive confirmation that their application has been successfully received are encouraged to submit their application as early as possible.
• The evaluation process will include:
  1. An initial eligibility review conducted by the Israel Innovation Authority.
  2. A comprehensive evaluation of the application by MassChallenge, including interviews.
  3. Review and decision by the Authority’s Research Committee.
• Applications may be submitted to the Israel Innovation Authority until August 18, 2026, at 12:00 PM (ILT). Applications submitted after this deadline will not be accepted.
• Final decisions will be communicated following the decision of the Israel Innovation Authority’s Research Committee.

• For general inquiries and questions regarding the application submission process through the Hebrew website’s personal area, please contact the Israel Innovation Authority Customer Service Center by email at [email protected] or by telephone at +972-3-715-7900, Sunday through Thursday, between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM (ILT).
• For questions regarding the application forms and the application processing procedure, please contact the Application Intake Department by email at [email protected].

Israeli Companies

Israeli companies looking to submit to this Call for Proposals are urged to access the Israel Innovation Authority’s Heberw website where all relevant submission protocols and procedures are accessible.