Prime Highlights-
- Dottir Labs and RevivBio take second and third place, with Aegis and Sensible rounding out the Top Five.
- Microvitality develops a swallowable capsule to collect uncontaminated samples from the small intestine for gut microbiome research.
Key Facts-
- Microvitality wins the 2026 TiE Boston Women Finals, leading a competitive field of women-led startups.
- TiE Women continues building an ecosystem connecting founders with mentorship, networks, visibility and capital.
Background-
Zoe Watson founded Microvitality, the biotechnology startup that won top honors at the 2026 TiE Boston Women Finals, finishing ahead of a competitive field of women-led startups.
The company is developing a swallowable capsule designed to collect uncontaminated samples from the small intestine, giving researchers better access to a difficult-to-study part of the gut microbiome.
Dottir Labs, led by Nili Persits, placed second, while RevivBio, led by Fatemeh Aileen Mastouri, PhD, took third. RevivBio combines protein engineering, microfluidics and artificial intelligence to develop biologics and high-performance enzymes for healthcare, agriculture, animal health and environmental applications.
Aegis and Sensible rounded out the Top Five. Aegis, led by Tamika Vantifflin, is developing a personal safety app letting users discreetly request emergency help while sharing their location and medical details.
Sensible, led by Nandini Kanthi, is developing a smart patch for menstrual pads that analyzes biomarkers to support earlier detection of conditions such as endometriosis and cervical disease.
A panel of judges evaluated the five finalists, including Emily Weiner of The Connectors, Dr. Shubhro Sen of UMass Boston’s Venture Development Center, Dr. Tiffany Walther of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, Sanjay Aggarwal of EXL and Dr. Partha Ghosh, a former McKinsey partner.
Program chairs Sumeit Aggarwal and Preeti Tandon led the competition, supported by UMass Boston’s Venture Development Center and the Subu Kota Foundation.
Organizers described TiE Women as an ecosystem connecting founders with mentorship, networks, visibility and capital, extending that commitment to every participating founder.
