From: http://www.bizjournals.com/boston

Boston startup accelerator MassChallenge on Thursday announced the top 26 startups from its 2016 cohort of 128 startups total.

According to MassChallenge Boston, 26 startups — 35 percent of which are female-founded — were selected by a panel of expert judges who evaluated each startup based on their potential for impact.

The top 26 will now move onto the final judging round, where they’ll have the opportunity to win shares of more than $1 million in zero-equity grants. CASIS — the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space — and Boeing will also award $500,000 to fund research projects on the International Space Station. Winners will be announced at the MassChallenge Awards on Nov. 2 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

“It’s been incredible to watch all of our 2016 startups grow into stronger, smarter, and more sustainable businesses throughout the program,” said Scott Bailey, managing director of MassChallenge Boston, in a statement.