Three Interesting Things (in the Boston Startup Space)

Author

Nathan Therrien
May 12, 2025

I’m Nathan Therrien, founder of Business Insurance & Benefits Services of MA, the go-to resource for #startups on all things insurance.

I spend a lot of time discussing insurance and employee benefits for startups, but there are other things people would rather hear about. So, I started a newsletter—a quick read covering five things and a few more that are a little more interesting than insurance.

This week, we have some cool startup events, including an AI Woodstock event. We also have some newsworthy articles, including one about MassBioDrives’ new 2025 spring startup cohort, and a podcast wildcard featuring Kathalyst founder Anushka Singh.

Events:

Dive into AI Innovation at the Generative AI X Summit

Tuesday, May 13, 9:00 am-6:00 pm

Boston Convention and Exhibition Center

Connect with top minds in #AI and #datascience at the Generative AI X Summit, co-located with ODSC East. Hear from leaders driving innovation across industries, explore the future of generative AI, and network with executives, scientists, and innovators shaping what’s next. Check out confirmed speakers and details at Open Data Science Conference (ODSC).

Meet GenAI Enthusiasts at AI Woodstock Boston

Tuesday, May 13, 5:30-7:30 pm

Time Out Market Boston

Meet GenAI enthusiasts and #AI professionals at AI Woodstock Boston, a free networking event organized by Paul Baier of GAI Insights and AI Blueprint for MA. Connect with innovators driving the next wave of generative AI and explore the energy shaping the future of tech. Enjoy an evening of conversations and collaboration with the #Boston AI community.

Dive into Graph Tech, AI Agents, and Connected Intelligence

Tuesday, May 13, 6:00-8:00 pm

275 Newbury St, Boston, MA

Explore the future of connected data at this focused #AI mixer hosted by GraphGeeks and Glasswing Ventures. Meet innovators, researchers, developers, and investors working on graph tech, knowledge systems, and agentic workflows. Skip the panels and dive straight into one-on-one conversations that spark new ideas and collaborations.

Step Into the Spotlight and Pitch Your Startup at Venture Café

Thursday, May 15, 6:00-7:00 pm

Venture Café - Cambridge, MA

Have an idea, #startup, or call to action you’re ready to share? This Venture Café Cambridge session gives you five minutes to pitch your vision to a room full of innovators, collaborators, and potential supporters. Get feedback, build momentum, and grow your impact in the heart of the #innovation community.

Build AI Tools That Close the Gender Gap in Healthcare

Saturday, May 17, 9:30 am – 8:00 pm

51 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA

MIT’s inaugural Female Medicine through Machine Learning (FMML) Women's Health AI Hackathon is calling all changemakers to tackle the gender gap in medicine using AI. Spend the day at MIT creating open-source tools that improve care for female bodies with support from Foreground Capital and Perkins Coie. Whether you're a student or a seasoned builder, this is your chance to reimagine #healthcare through data-driven innovation.

Discover How Deep Tech is Powering Climate Innovation

Monday, May 19, 12:00-4:00 pm

Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate - 210 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125

F(v)’s Spring Deep Tech Support Summit highlights public-private efforts backing #climate and deeptech startups. Hear from MassVentures, Greentown Labs, and others who are driving support across Massachusetts. A focused event for founders, investors, and ecosystem builders.

Celebrate Biotech Innovation with Founders and Investors at The Forum

Thursday, May 22, 1:00-8:00 pm

Portal Innovations – Southline Labs, Boston, MA

Nucleate Boston’s Forum spotlights emerging #biotech founders from the Activator program alongside investors, leaders, Portal Innovations, LLC, Pliancy, Genetech, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, and more. Hear from George Church and explore what’s next in life sciences.

Celebrate Innovation and Student Ventures at BUILDFest 2025

Tuesday, May 27, 5:30-8:00 pm

Fenway Park – Dell Tech Capital and Aura Clubs

Support the next generation of #startup leaders as three finalist teams pitch their business ideas at BUILDFest 2025. The event features a Student Business Expo where you can meet student entrepreneurs, explore their products, and learn about their journeys.

Pitch Night with AI Startups and Global Investors

Wednesday, May 28, 5:30-8:30 pm

Microsoft New England Research & Development Center – 1 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA

Watch 10 top AI startups compete at the Datamellon AI Ignite Pitch Battle in #Boston. This event brings together developers, investors, and #founders for fast-paced pitches, live demos, and networking. With a $100k prize on the line and support from AWS, it’s a big night for innovation in the AI space.

Build a Startup in a Weekend with Techstars Boston

Friday, May 30, 5:00 – Sunday, June 1, 8:00 pm

Suffolk University Law School – Boston, MA

StartupWeekend is back in #Boston with three days of rapid ideation, mentorship, and team building. Whether you're a visionary or a builder, collaborate with future founders, work alongside expert mentors, and pitch your startup to judges and peers. Hosted by Techstars Startup Weekend Boston, this high-energy weekend is where ideas come to life.

Articles:

Nanomedicine startup to conduct research and testing in the MBI facility

Eascra Biotech is scaling up with a new 3,500-square-foot lab in Worcester’s expanding biotech corridor. The move supports its growth in nanotherapeutics and regenerative medicine, with plans to double its team by the end of the year. Backed by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and WPI, the company is positioning itself as a biotech contender beyond Boston.

MassBioDrive Names New Spring 2025 Startup Cohort

MassBioDrive just revealed its Spring 2025 cohort, highlighting eight early-stage biotechs selected for their high-impact science and commercial potential. The startups, chosen from across four states, will receive industry mentorship and access to MassBio’s innovation network as they scale new therapies and technologies in #biotech.

Boston Aims to Become a Quantum Computing Hub

Boston is making a major push in quantum computing, with city officials, startups, and academic leaders aligning to secure a national designation as a quantum technology hub. With support from MIT, The Engine, and MassTech, the initiative could drive new funding, talent, and innovation to the region’s growing quantum ecosystem.

Wild Card:

🚨 Founder Spotlight 🚨 Founder Spotlight 🚨

Anushka Singh is the founder of Kathalyst, a #boston based #startup making #software documentation & modernization easier. Kathalyst enables companies to revive legacy applications by helping interpret legacy code, mainframe processes, and COBOL applications. Kathalyst's AI-driven solution automates software documentation by ingesting a codebase and outputting clear and concise documents that explain the code, its functionality, and the relationships between components, along with a visual diagram that displays the interactions. By specifically focusing on COBOL documentation, Kathalyst helps modern developers who are unfamiliar with COBOL gain a deeper understanding of it.

In the most recent episode of my Pop-Up Podcast, Anushka asked me to talk about her startup journey. The first clip features Anushka delivering her two-minute elevator pitch, which includes the problem she aims to solve with Katalyst.

The 2nd clip has the entire interview with Anushka.

Thanks for spending five minutes with me!

If you’d like to spend more time with me, check out Nate’s Pop-Up Podcast, follow my company, Business Insurance & Benefits Services of MA, on LinkedIn, or reach out through my website for help with all things insurance and benefits for startups.