The MIT Healthcare Innovation Research Group investigates how healthcare startups are conceived, built, and scaled to deliver meaningful impact. We study the factors that influence startup success—including team composition, innovation environments, public health needs, and funding ecosystems—through rigorous, data-driven research and systems-level analysis.

Our interdisciplinary work spans innovation strategy, public health, policy, and venture science. We aim to provide actionable insights to improve how health innovation is supported, translated, and adopted across diverse settings.

1. Health Innovation Needs & Solution Pathways

Exploring how unmet clinical and public health challenges give rise to startups, and how those startups develop effective, scalable solutions.

Cancer Innovation (Current)
This project investigates the development pathways of oncology-focused startups, with an emphasis on ventures that emerge from grassroots efforts or unconventional translational models. We examine how these startups interact with regulatory systems, research institutions, and commercialization pipelines. By analyzing the success trajectories and bottlenecks in cancer innovation, we aim to inform more agile, inclusive models for advancing oncology solutions.

Opioid Innovation (Paused)
We assess how startups are responding to the opioid crisis by developing interventions across treatment, harm reduction, diagnostics, and prevention. Our research analyzes funding mechanisms—such as opioid settlement allocations, state-level grant programs, and federal subsidies—and how they affect startup viability and growth. The project also identifies geographic and systemic gaps in innovation activity and explores policy levers to better align public resources with emerging solutions.

Rare Disease Innovation (Paused)
Focusing on startups developing treatments for rare diseases, this project examines how companies leverage regulatory tools such as orphan drug, fast track, and breakthrough therapy designations. We analyze patterns in designation use, approval timelines, and market access outcomes, particularly in relation to company size and resources. Our aim is to evaluate how well current regulatory frameworks support equitable innovation in low-prevalence, high-need conditions.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Innovation (Paused)
This project explores the disconnect between the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries and the limited innovation activity dedicated to them. We study funding trends, startup formation rates, and clinical trial data to assess alignment with public health need. Special attention is given to disparities in public and private investment, as well as how media attention and sports-related injuries have influenced TBI awareness and innovation priorities.

Social Impact Innovation (Past)
We study startups with explicitly mission-driven models—particularly those aiming to address health equity, underserved populations, or global health needs. This project evaluates the funding environments and success metrics of social ventures, including nonprofits, public-private hybrids, and impact-investment-backed firms. We examine how these startups define and deliver value beyond financial returns, and what structural supports are needed to help them achieve scale and sustainability.

Elderly & Aging Innovations (Past)
With aging populations growing globally, this project analyzes startups that are developing innovations for elder care, age-related disease management, and aging-in-place solutions. We investigate investment trends, care delivery models, and technological adoption barriers. Our research highlights opportunities for innovation at the intersection of gerontology, digital health, and population health, and identifies where market dynamics and public policy are not keeping pace with demographic change.

2. Team Composition & Capabilities

Examining how the composition, identity, and experience of startup teams influence innovation outcomes, leadership, and funding trajectories.

Team Diversity (Paused)
This project analyzes how demographic, educational, and experiential diversity within healthcare startup teams relates to performance outcomes. Using indices such as Blau’s, Shannon’s, and customized composite measures, we assess diversity across race, gender, geography, industry background, and skill set. We evaluate the relationship between team composition and key metrics such as fundraising success, growth velocity, and exit probability. Findings from this work support the development of evidence-based frameworks for inclusive team building in high-growth ventures.

Gender Diversity (Past)
We explore how gender representation within leadership teams—among founders, executives, and board members—affects healthcare startup performance. Our analysis shows that gender-diverse teams tend to have higher ROI and operational efficiency, despite facing persistent funding gaps. We also examine how investor gender influences funding decisions, including whether female investors are more likely to back female-led ventures. This work contributes to a growing evidence base on gender equity in innovation ecosystems and provides insight into levers for reducing structural bias in early-stage funding.

3. Team Dynamics & Communication

Studying how startup teams function—how they communicate, collaborate, and adapt—especially in high-pressure or distributed environments.

Team Dynamics (Past)
This project investigates the internal dynamics of startup teams by analyzing digital communication patterns, such as sentiment, responsiveness, and engagement over time. Using natural language processing tools applied to Slack data and other team communication platforms, we identify early indicators of cohesion, conflict, and performance risk. Our research focuses on how team behavior evolves during high-stakes decision-making and how virtual collaboration affects innovation outcomes. The findings inform best practices for team management in fast-paced and remote-first environments.

4. Innovation Ecosystems & External Contexts

Understanding how institutional, geographic, financial, and policy environments shape startup formation, investment, and long-term success.

Innovation Ecosystem Mapping (Current)
We develop detailed maps of healthcare innovation ecosystems, identifying how resources such as accelerators, incubators, venture funds, academic institutions, and mentorship networks support startup formation and growth. Using network analysis and journey tracking methods, we assess where ecosystem support is concentrated and where critical gaps remain. This work provides a systems-level view of healthcare entrepreneurship infrastructure, informing ecosystem strategy, policy design, and stakeholder collaboration.

COVID-19 and Biotech Ecosystem Dynamics (Paused)
We study how the COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed systemic shifts in the biotechnology startup ecosystem. This includes accelerated regulatory timelines, increased investor appetite for pandemic-related technologies, and the formation of new biotech ventures at unprecedented speeds. We evaluate whether these shifts were sustained or temporary, and how they have affected sector resilience, innovation cycles, and infrastructure readiness. The project offers a case study in how innovation ecosystems adapt under extreme external pressure and rapid regulatory change.

Venture Capital & Macroeconomic Trends (Past)
This project examines how venture capital behavior in healthcare responds to macroeconomic conditions, such as financial crises, interest rate changes, and public health emergencies. We analyze trends in deal flow, investment stage distribution, and exit timing among healthcare-focused and generalist VC firms. Our research identifies patterns in capital deployment, sector resilience, and risk strategy. The insights inform how investors and startups can better navigate economic volatility in the health innovation space.