Sheba Medical Center’s ARC to open U.S. accelerator in Massachusetts, aims to begin Jan. 2026

Gov. Maura Healey announced that Sheba Medical Center’s ARC innovation platform will open its first U.S. health-care "soft-landing" accelerator in Massachusetts, with organizers targeting a January 2026 start and an initial cohort of six to eight companies.

The launch, unveiled at an event at the State House, seeks to use Massachusetts’ clinical research, health-care institutions and life-science ecosystem to help clinician-led startups from Israel and other ARC centers enter the U.S. market. "This is a big deal," said Governor Maura Healey, calling the partnership "an international investment that advances Massachusetts leadership in medical innovation."

The announcement brings together state officials and international partners. Kirk Taylor, chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, framed the effort as part of the state’s strategy to maintain its position as a leader in life sciences, saying the state"collaborate[s] across the state, academically, industry partnerships everywhere." ARC and Sheba leaders emphasized clinician-led innovation as the program’s core.

Director General Yitshak Kreiss of Sheba Medical Center described the ARC concept as a tool for transforming health care from within clinical systems and making innovations economically sustainable. "We created an innovation platform that will drive, will be a generator for transformation," Kreiss said, noting Shebahas about 11,000 employees and roughly 3,000 physicians and researchers across its system.

An ARC representative said the program already counts more than 100 companies in its global network and that the Massachusetts site expects to begin in January 2026 with six to eight startups, expanding to 10to12 and more over time. "We have our target to start in 2026 with 6 to 8 initial companies," the ARC speaker said, adding the next six months would be spent working with local partners and securing physical space.

Massachusetts partners cited existing local collaborations. The ARC team said it has worked with Mass General Brigham and other major U.S. health systems; leaders said the accelerator will also pursue partnerships with community hospitals and health centers across the Commonwealth. Kirk Taylor said the initiative fits the Life Sciences Centermission to strengthen state research and industry ties.

Event participants included Treasurer Deborah Goldberg; Ashley Stolba, interim secretary of economic development; Jeevan Ramapriya from the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment; Sarah Sabshon, deputy chief of policy in the governor's office; and Consul General of Israel Benny Sharoni. Sheba leaders present included Yitshak Kreiss and Chief Transformation Officer Yael Zimlichman.

Speakers did not specify a funding package or a jobs estimate tied to the Massachusetts accelerator at the event. Organizers said they would engage local investors, government programs and health systems during the development phase. The ARC representative said specific site and program details would be worked out over the coming months and reaffirmed the January 2026 target.

Organizers portrayed the effort as a long-term economic and clinical partnership rather than a single transactional investment. "Innovation from within health institutions can drive also economic growth," Kreiss said. The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and ARC leaders said they expect the partnership to bring additional international companies to Massachusetts and to support commercialization of clinician-driven solutions.

Questions from reporters included how the program might affect public attitudes. Kreiss and ARC spokespeople said that international humanitarian and clinical collaboration was part of the partnership's rationale but did not provide data linking the accelerator to specific social outcomes.

The announcement concluded with organizers committing to a development period through the end of 2025 and to further public updates as site and participant details are finalized.