Requirements to apply for Equalize are women who:
1. Hold a position at an academic institution (faculty, post-docs, graduate students, staff scientists, etc.);
2. Have raised less than $1M in dilutive funding;
3. Have your product concept no more than 5 years from IND, product launch, or major corporate partnership; and
4. Are willing to commit to the time requirements needed to fulfill the program. This includes:
– At least six one-hour sessions with your mentor (typically one session per month of the program)
– Attendance at the in-person day planned for March 30, 2026, in Cambridge, MA
– Attend and present at the virtual culmination pitch event on June 17, 2026; and
– Attend the virtual training and networking sessions which are typically held every Friday from noon-1pm ET/11-noon CT/10-11am MT/9-10am PT from January through May 2026.
We plan to accept 40 Equalizers into our 2026 cohorts, spread across our domains of Therapeutics, MedTech (Devices and Diagnostics), Tools (Digital Health and Research), and Physical Sciences.
Equalize Startups is a pitch competition and symposium to empower academic women entrepreneurs.
Complete this form to apply for Equalize Startups. In case it is useful, here are some best practices for your application:
✅ Do:
– Clearly explain your innovation and its real-world impact
– Describe the stage of research (in vitro, in vivo, prototype testing, etc.)
– Write like you’re pitching to someone outside your field
🚫 Don’t:
– Simply upload research papers or publications without context
– Focus only on the science—this is about the potential commercialization of the innovation.
Tips for a Strong Application:
1) Lead with your big idea: summarize your innovation in 1–3 clear sentences. It’s a bonus if you can start with a hook!
2) Tell a larger story:
– What does your innovation do and what problem does it address?
– What proof or traction do you have?
– Who is the potential customer and/or who is the end user?
– What are your next steps (e.g., planned experiments/development, potential connections needed, desired grants/funding)?
– How are you hoping Equalize can be useful?
3) Keep it short & simple: aim for one to two pages.
