MM Catalyst Fund

The MM Catalyst Fund is a venture capital initiative launched by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) to invest in diverse-led and overlooked companies, primarily focusing on Black-led startups and businesses in rural areas of Massachusetts. The fund aims to address funding disparities and promote economic development by providing capital to entrepreneurs who have historically faced challenges in accessing investment.

In April 2023, MassMutual announced the launch of a second MM Catalyst Fund with an additional $100 million commitment, building upon the success of the first $50 million fund launched in 2021. This expansion allows the fund to selectively invest alongside fund managers within MassMutual’s First Fund Initiative, targeting Black, Latino, and Indigenous-led businesses across the United States and Canada. The fund's strategy includes investments in seed through Series B stages, with a focus on sectors such as technology, healthcare, agriculture, consumer goods, and financial services.

Since its inception, the MM Catalyst Fund has invested in 16 businesses across Massachusetts, driving growth in Black-led companies and startups in rural areas. Notable investments include HourWork, a recruitment and retention platform for hourly workers in the quick-service restaurant industry, and Clean Crop Technologies, an agriculture technology startup redefining food and agriculture performance with its fully electric innovations. Through both the MM Catalyst Fund and the First Fund Initiative, MassMutual’s total impact investment commitment has more than doubled to $300 million in just over two years, demonstrating a strong commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.