Sheba Medical Center to open ARC "soft-landing" accelerator in Massachusetts, aims for January 2026 start

Governor Maura Healey announced at the State House that Sheba Medical Center’s ARC innovation platform will open a U.S. "soft‑landing" accelerator in Massachusetts, with organizers targeting a January 2026 launch and an initial cohort of six to eight companies expected to grow in subsequent years.

The announcement brings Sheba, Israel’s largest hospital system and its ARC Center for Digital Innovation, together with state economic development partners and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to create a pathway for clinician‑led health startups to enter the U.S. market through the Commonwealth. "We are thrilled that Sheba Arc has decided to launch their very first US healthcare partnership in Massachusetts," Governor Maura Healey said at the event.

The partnership is positioned as a combination of clinical problem‑solving and economic development. Sheba Director General Itzhak (Yitzhak) Kreiss described the need to transform health care and to make innovation economically sustainable. "We have to change the way we provide health care," Kreiss said, and he added that the ARC model was designed so "innovation from within health institutions can drive also economic growth."

Kirk Taylor, chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, framed the announcement as part of a long‑standing state effort to keep Massachusetts competitive in life sciences. He said the state’s advantage rests on a collaborative ecosystem of academia, industry and government and called the new ARC partnership "a proof" of that strategy.

Consul General Benny Sharoni described the venture as an extension of shared values between Israel and Massachusetts, saying, "Not just the DNA within our cell, but the cultural DNA ... connects Israel and Boston." ARC representatives said the program will draw on clinician‑identified problems and provide a facilitated process for startups to scale into the U.S. market via Massachusetts.

Program leaders and state officials provided several implementation details at the event: Sheba said the hospital network has about 11,000 employees, including roughly 3,000 physicians, and that the ARC ecosystem has produced more than 100 startups and has partnerships spanning multiple countries and health systems. ARC staff said the Boston program expects to begin in 2026 with six to eight companies and to scale to 10–12 companies in the following years; organizers said they would spend the next six months securing a physical location and finalizing partnerships with hospitals, community health centers, investment funds and state programs.

Speakers emphasized that the initiative is intended to serve the broader Commonwealth, not just Boston’s major medical centers. ARC leaders said they have already worked with Mass General Brigham and named other U.S. health systems that have engaged with ARC startups. Sheba leaders also noted humanitarian work and described Sheba as "a hospital of peace," saying the hospital treats patients of different faiths and nationalities.

No formal vote or local government action was taken at the event. Officials described the announcement as a partnership and implementation plan rather than a legally binding agreement; organizers said work will continue over the next six months to finalize facilities, program details and local collaborations.

Organizers and state officials said they will provide further updates as they secure space, partners and program funding. The first cohort and an expected program launch were described as the next major milestones.