Keva Health of Lexington has been named the winner of the Massachusetts COVID-19 Connect Tech Innovation Challenge, a competition focused on entrepreneurs and startups working on innovative solutions to enhance resiliency and guard against potential future disruptions in industries like eCommerce, manufacturing, digital health, FinTech and EdTech.
Keva Health, developers of a remote monitoring platform to help physicians treating asthma patients and an app for patients to better manage their condition, was awarded $40,000 to continue developing their business. Thrive Community of Boston, developers of software to help family caregivers stay better connected with their loved ones, was selected as the runner-up and will receive the $10,000 second place prize.
“We learned a lot from the organizers and our fellow participants in the COVID-19 Connect Tech Challenge, so to come out of this competition as the winner is a great honor to us and our company,” said Jyotsna Mehta of Keva Health. “This award sets us up to better help those managing respiratory conditions, not just in Massachusetts, but across the country and world.”
The winning companies were announced by Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, highlighting the importance of innovation as Massachusetts recovers from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 public health crisis.
Launched in June 2020, the Challenge series builds on the successes of the Massachusetts Manufacturing Emergency Response Team, which was tasked with supporting the Commonwealth’s manufacturers as they pivoted their operations to produce PPE and other critical items in response to the COVID-19 public health crisis. The Challenge series competitions are managed by Lever, a North Adams-based startup accelerator and innovation network, and are funded through a $250,000 grant from the Innovation Institute at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, the state agency that also manages the MERT.
In total, 36 Massachusetts manufacturers participated in the Challenge series since its launch in June 2020, advancing the production of “Made in Massachusetts” products to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Winners of the first three Challenges included:
- Speakeasy Travel Supply of Barnstable, which won the first Challenge with their innovative face mask design.
- CareAline Products of Danvers won the second Challenge with their reusable hospital gown design; and
- Industrial Polymers and Chemicals of Shrewsbury won the third Challenge with their drop-in HVAC filter system.
Details on all the Challenges can be found on the Innovation Institute program page.
