News from the life sciences and technology sectors north of Boston |
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Bedford-based iRobot, the maker of the Roomba vacuum cleaner, has filed for bankruptcy. The company has agreed to be taken private through a restructuring deal with its primary manufacturer, China-based Picea Robotics. CEO Gary Cohen told The Boston Globe the deal will preserve the iRobot business and its Bedford headquarters. Read more in The Boston Globe (subscription required). |
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Cellixen has relocated from Cambridge to 300 West Cummings Park in Woburn. Cellixen is a specialized cell engineering company that partners with researchers to design and deliver customized genetic modifications in a wide range of cell types using advanced gene-editing technologies like CRISPR, with rigorous quality control to ensure accurate results. Keqiang Xie, Ph.D. is the company's founder. |
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Pet-focused biotechnology company Akston Biosciences (100 Cummings Center, Beverly) has filed to begin the initial public offering process, seeking $20 million.
Akston develops novel protein-based therapies for pets, designed to support veterinary care and improve treatment accessibility for pets and their families. Boston Business Journal reports that its pipeline includes different products in development to treat cancer and obesity in both dogs and cats, as well as chronic pain and atopic dermatitis in dogs.
Todd Zion, Ph.D. is co-founder, president, and CEO of Akston, and serves as chairman of the board. |
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Nanoramic (10 Commerce Way, Woburn), a pioneer in advanced batteries, recently announced it has secured a total of $54 million for its Series 1 equity financing. Working with key strategic partners, Nanoramic is working to accelerate the global deployment of its innovative battery technology, Neocarbonix®. The company is commercializing Neocarbonix to transform energy storage for all battery applications: increasing energy density and longevity while reducing costs and improving sustainability. Read more in Citybiz. |
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Kerry Love, Ph.D., founder, CEO, and president of Sunflower Therapeutics (200 Boston Avenue, Medford), is featured in a recent European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer article, "Inside the medicine bottleneck: Why shortages keep happening."
She discusses how continuous manufacturing and distributed, modular facilities can help manufacturers scale production efficiently, maintain quality, and respond to real-time demand. These approaches reduce reliance on fragile supply chains, lower capital requirements, and expand access to essential medicines, enabling smaller players to participate in biologics production. |
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Bedford Woods: The Next Frontier |
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The new year brings new beginnings -- and a new business campus for Cummings.
Last week, Cummings submitted the top bid for Bedford Woods, an expansive, modern campus housing 330,000 square feet of Class-A office and R&D space on Middlesex Turnpike in Bedford. The sale is expected to close in early January. Get the details on Cummings' expansion to its 12th suburban community via Boston Business Journal (subscription required).
Contact John Halsey, vice president of leasing, for more information and leasing opportunities. Call or text: 781-983-2214. |
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Last week, Massachusetts Secretary of Economic Development Eric Paley visited Lithios (196 Boston Avenue, Medford) to see the company's 10,000-square-foot pilot manufacturing facility. Lithios is developing a faster, more affordable, and more sustainable way to extract lithium, which is a critical material for EVs, batteries, and the clean energy transition. The Lithios team also met with Daniel Recht, managing director of the Activate Boston Community, to discuss how Massachusetts can continue supporting climate technology companies. Lithios co-founder and CEO Mo Alkhadra, Ph.D. was a 2022 Activate Fellow.
Lithios recently announced a $12 million fundraise led by Clean Energy Ventures with support from Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, as well as a $249,660 AmplifyMass grant to help scale its innovation. |
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Left to right in photo: Daniel Recht, managing director of the Activate Boston Community at Activate;
Eric Paley, Massachusetts Secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development; and Mo Alkhadra, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Lithios. |
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Boston Metal (6 Gill Street, Woburn) has announced the appointment of Roy Harvey, former CEO of Alcoa Corporation, to its board of directors. Harvey is a globally recognized leader in industrial decarbonization and corporate transformation. His appointment underscores Boston Metal’s recent momentum as it prepares for the commercial deployment of its Molten Oxide Electrolysis (MOE) technology.
In a press release, Boston Metal CEO Tadeu Carneiro said, “Roy’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Boston Metal as we build this new generation of clean, efficient and profitable metallurgy. He is a proven leader in transforming global metals operations with a focus on sustainability and profitability -- exactly the kind of perspective that will guide us as we expand our critical metals business and position ourselves as a global leader in sustainable metals production and circular manufacturing.” |
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Vertero Therapeutics (400 TradeCenter 128, Woburn), a clinical-stage biotechnology company breaking barriers in neurodegenerative disease treatment, recently announced the appointment of Jeffrey S. Kasten as chief business officer. In this role, Mr. Kasten is responsible for driving business development, strategic partnerships, corporate and portfolio strategy, and commercialization planning. His leadership will support the advancement of the Company’s pipeline focused on neurodegenerative diseases, with its lead program for Parkinson’s disease, VT-5006, now in a Phase 1 clinical study. |
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Applications are now open for the Physical AI Fellowship, powered by AWS, NVIDIA, and MassRobotics, an eight-week virtual program designed to accelerate high-potential startups at the intersection of robotics and Physical AI. Fellows gain access to experts from the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center (GenAIIC), AWS compute and cloud credits, NVIDIA hardware and software support, and connections across MassRobotics’ global robotics network.
The second cohort will launch in Spring 2026, bringing together another group of innovative startups and concluding with a high-visibility showcase aligned with major industry events in Boston during Tech Week for expanded visibility and partnership opportunities. Apply. |
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Last week, Hawa Fall, manager of business development at Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), and Maria Nigro Di Stefano, northeast region director for the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD) met with members at InnoVenture Labs (100 Cummings Center, Beverly). The economic development leaders shared information about initiatives and grant programs that support the innovation ecosystem in Massachusetts and gathered input on the opportunities and challenges facing businesses in the region.
Fall (l) and Di Stefano (r) are seen here with IVL chief operating officer Stacy Ames. |
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Join Middlesex 3 Coalition and Beth Israel Lahey Health for a powerful discussion on how artificial intelligence is reshaping healthcare — from advancing patient care and operational efficiency to driving regional innovation and workforce development. This session will bring together leading voices in healthcare, research, and technology to explore how data-driven insights are being transformed into real-world impact. Friday, December 19, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM, 41 Burlington Mall Road, Burlington. Register. |
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Join North Shore Technology Council for its first lunch-and-learn webinar of 2026. In this free event, dive into En-ROADS, a fascinating climate change policy simulation led by Rebecca LeBlanc on behalf of Climate Interactive. Tuesday, January 13. Register. |
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New Year Opportunity to Reflect and Adapt
By Tiana Veldwisch, organizational consultant and leadership coach at Tiana V Consulting
“If only I had time to pause and reflect,” responded a collaborator to the idea of a reflection and goal-setting activity around the upcoming new year. What happens when we don’t take the time to reflect on what’s working and what isn’t? Unhelpful habits persist, interpersonal friction builds, and opportunities are missed.
Consider one or more of these simple reflection activities this season:
Team Retrospective
A team look-back can help identify areas for adapting approaches. Focus on the most recent quarter, and identify what worked well, as well as what was missing or where you learned from your experiences. Wrap up by articulating action items - with owners - for changes to try in the coming quarter.
Systems Review
Tools and systems accumulate, each brought in to solve a problem, but overlapping in capabilities. Review your team’s tools to identify what is contributing value. What new challenges in 2026 will require new or different systems?
Individual Reflection
Self-reflection is important, and not just to populate an end-of-year performance review. Identify what areas of work brought you satisfaction, and what areas sapped your energy. How can you shift more of your work toward leveraging your strengths? How can you invite opportunities to learn and grow?
Reflection and adaptation can be a good return on time invested any time of year. The new year season is a good reminder for those of us who have “forgotten” to make time for it. |
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We welcome your feedback on this newsletter and invite readers to share company news, personnel changes, product launches, funding updates, events, and more. Contact Sue Howland, client engagement manager, at svh@cummings.com to offer your news for upcoming newsletters. We look forward to hearing from you. |
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