--- title: Supporting Startups date: 2026-03-23T12:35:00-04:00 author: Samantha Palazzo canonical_url: "https://www.labcentral.org/2025-impact-report/supporting-startups" section: Impact Reports --- [ ](/) Click to Open - [ ![](/images/impact-report-2025/orange-nav.svg) 2025 Overview ](/2025-impact-report/) - [ ![](/images/impact-report-2025/lagoon-nav.svg) Accelerating Science ](/2025-impact-report/accelerating-science) - [ ![](/images/impact-report-2025/flame-nav.svg) Supporting Startups ](/2025-impact-report/supporting-startups) - [ ![](/images/impact-report-2025/green-nav.svg) Building Community ](/2025-impact-report/building-community) - [ ![](/images/impact-report-2025/red-nav.svg) Celebrating Collaboration ](/2025-impact-report/celebrating-collaboration) ![](/images/impact-report-2025/image-text-flame-deco.svg) # Supporting Startups ### Sparking Connections for More Durable Companies  In 2025, LabCentral supported founders in building breakthrough science, as well as honing the skills, confidence, and connections required to turn that science into durable companies. Through curated introductions, hands-on gatherings, and deep partnership engagement, startups gained access to industry perspective and relationships at critical inflection points—while partners and sponsors engaged with the emerging science and entrepreneurial talent, shaping what comes next. ![Damon Wang of NuCyRNA stands in front of a digital poster with a colleague at BIO 2025.](https://labcentral-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/labcentralorg/images/impact-report-2025/LabCentral_IR25__NuCyRNA_Damon_Wang_BIO25.jpg?w=500&q=100&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1774283745&s=8af35a6d546e19f3ff8bb28038065d34) Startup & Partner Engagement Highlights  163 Targeted introductions between founders, investors, and partners  100+ Curated introductions to venture capital firms  ## Golden Tickets [Golden Tickets](https://www.labcentral.org/startup-support/golden-tickets) empower sponsors to directly support early-stage biotech startups by underwriting the cost of residency at LabCentral’s 700 Main Street facility. Each Golden Ticket provides **$50,000 in lab space**, along with access to shared equipment, infrastructure, and community. For startups, Golden Tickets reduce early financial friction and enable teams to move faster. For sponsors, the program creates early, meaningful engagement with founders—grounded in shared progress rather than transactional access. [**LEARN ABOUT OUR GOLDEN TICKETS**](https://www.labcentral.org/startup-support/golden-tickets) ![Two groups of people from Transit and Nora Therapeutics stand in front of LabCentral holding giant Golden Tickets.](https://labcentral-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/labcentralorg/images/impact-report-2025/LabCentral_IR25_25_Transit_Nora_TX_Golden_Ticket.jpg?w=500&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1774314618&s=2e76ec23e7603eb21e19eeed73be3294) ## 2025 Golden Ticket Highlights  25 Golden Tickets awarded in 2025 $1.3M In LabCentral lab space value Ignite Golden Ticket [LabCentral Ignite Golden Tickets](https://www.labcentral.org/startup-support/ignite-golden-tickets) provide founders with an immersive experience that combines lab access with mentorship and network support. Selected through a holistic review process, Ignite Golden Tickets support entrepreneurs who may otherwise face barriers in launching and scaling a biotech company. 5 Ignite Golden Tickets awarded in 2025 $19.73M Raised by Ignite Fellows since 2021 ## Founder Momentum Beyond the Program Ignite Golden Ticket alumni continued to build meaningful traction in 2025, raising a combined **$19.73 million** across financing rounds and non-dilutive funding. Together, these outcomes reflect LabCentral’s long-term impact: equipping founders with the confidence, credibility, and connections to sustain progress well beyond a single program year. ![Three people from Laurel Therapeutics stand in front of a LabCentral sign holding a giant Golden Ticket.](https://labcentral-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/labcentralorg/images/impact-report-2025/LabCentral_IR25_Ignite_Golden_Ticket_Laurel_Biotherapeutics.jpg?w=500&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1774314925&s=7b1b1fc6b49e68371676c90e91685129) Ignite Golden Ticket Alumni Highlights  - [**Cellens**](https://cellensinc.com/) — [$6.5M Seed](https://cellensinc.com/cellens-raises-6-5m-to-advance-its-ai-driven-mechanobiology-platform-for-non-invasive-bladder-cancer-diagnostics/) to advance its AI- and mechanobiology-driven bladder cancer diagnostic platform - [**NeuroBionics**](https://neurobionics.io/) — [$10M oversubscribed Seed](https://neurobionics.io/press/news/neurobionics-announces-oversubscribed-10m-seed-round-with-second-close-led-by-future-ventures/) to accelerate first-in-human studies for its endovascular neuromodulation platform - [**Venova Technologies**](https://www.venovatechnologies.com/) — [$2.23M NIH SBIR Phase II award](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250725878408/en/Venova-Technologies-Awarded-%242.23M-SBIR-Phase-II-Grant-From-NIH-For-Novel-Contraceptive-Device) to advance a novel, hormone-free contraceptive device - [**Violet Therapeutics**](https://www.violettx.com/) — [$1M Part the Cloud grant](https://www.alz.org/news/2026/part-the-cloud-grants-11-million-to-develop-innovative-treatments) supporting development of novel Alzheimer’s disease therapeutics ### Investor & Partner Gatherings Across Boston Biotech Investor Day, MALSI Day, and Luminescence, LabCentral hosted founders, investors, and partners in forums designed for candid exchange, expanded visibility, and relationship-building—creating environments where insight flowed in both directions and readiness accelerated. version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"? ![Gallery image 1](https://labcentral-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/labcentralorg/images/impact-report-2025/gallery/LabCentral_IR25_Boston_Biotech_Investor_Day_01.jpg?w=1119&h=552&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1774315334&s=7cb1a9cac6a1864177125788aa99a915) version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"? ![Gallery image 2](https://labcentral-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/labcentralorg/images/impact-report-2025/gallery/LabCentral_IR25_Johanna_Kaufman_Deck_Bio.jpg?w=1119&h=552&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1774315356&s=aa43e9913f3ee5333bf51132ed8586ac) version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"? ![Gallery image 3](https://labcentral-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/labcentralorg/images/impact-report-2025/gallery/LabCentral_IR25_Boston_Biotech_Investor_Day_Poster.jpg?w=1119&h=552&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.6563&fp-y=0.5&dm=1774315515&s=892721ef49dfcd748c55b24b4de6c474) ## Boston Biotech Investor Day (BBID) ### The second annual BBID brought together **100+ investors and pharma partners** alongside **48 early-stage companies** developing transformative human health technologies. The invitation-only event was hosted with [BioLabs](https://www.biolabs.io/), [The Engine](https://engine.xyz/), and the [Termeer Institute](https://termeerinstitute.org/). The program featured a keynote from [Paula Soteropoulos](https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulasoteropoulos/), Chairman of the Board at [Ensoma](https://ensoma.com/), on unlocking value through purposeful partnership, alongside a [Silicon Valley Bank](https://www.svb.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=us-2023-04-lg-br-na-na-na-na&utm_content=core-terms-silicon-valley-bank&utm_term=silicon%20valley%20bank&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=6526500417&gbraid=0AAAAADGihGEcS1HrWv_7SP2whUG7_NoxL&gclid=Cj0KCQjw37nNBhDkARIsAEBGI8PKipTkkHUk8XUZrOl74bx-Vx2boVLE8OD82OuuCPjHQaHR1fRU0WMaAsPiEALw_wcB) State of the Market and Investor Outlook led by Senior Vice President [Mike Ritter](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mritter1919/). A candid panel discussion on negotiating from both sides of the table further explored how founders and investors assess risk, prioritize terms, and build alignment in today’s financing environment. 24 Founder pitches 24 Scientific poster presentations  100+ Investors and pharma partners in attendance ## Massachusetts Life Sciences Innovation Day The 18th annual Massachusetts Life Sciences Innovation (MALSI) Day brought together founders, scientists, investors, and industry leaders for the Commonwealth’s largest life sciences innovation showcase. Co-hosted with [BioLabs](https://www.biolabs.io/), [The Engine](https://engine.xyz/), and [MassVentures](https://www.mass-ventures.com/), the event created a hands-on environment for discovery, dialogue, and early conviction. The event included 24 university spinouts pitching to investors. Panel discussions focused on early-stage funding dynamics and navigating uncertainty in today’s capital environment, offering founders timely insight from leaders across science and business. ![Three people look at brochure together at a biotech conference.](https://labcentral-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/labcentralorg/images/impact-report-2025/LabCentral_IR25_MALSI_Biotech_Startup_Support.jpg?w=500&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1774315713&s=e2425a47297ae2af6971dea56d730dc9) version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"? ![Gallery image 1](https://labcentral-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/labcentralorg/images/impact-report-2025/gallery/LabCentral_IR25_BrilliantStrings_TX_Lightning_Pass.jpg?w=1119&h=552&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1774315951&s=b176090502fe1527061f8de2b15f943d) version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"? ![Gallery image 2](https://labcentral-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/labcentralorg/images/impact-report-2025/gallery/LabCentral_IR25_BIO25_Luminescence_Fund.jpg?w=1119&h=552&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5037&fp-y=0.4273&dm=1774316057&s=09f5b4ae53517ba4c97c20648da3d651) version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"? ![Gallery image 3](https://labcentral-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/labcentralorg/images/impact-report-2025/gallery/LabCentral_IR25_Hunter_Biotech_Founder_Pitch.jpg?w=1119&h=552&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.2091&fp-y=0.5746&dm=1774316120&s=95b135ca99c2c9deffabd38c8328fb3e) ## Luminescence: Rise & Fund ### Held alongside BIO 2025, Luminescence: Rise & Fund kicked off the conference with a caffeine-charged morning showcase featuring a digital poster platform, strong coffee, and bold science. Resident companies shared their research and business strategies while investors and partners engaged in real-time conversations, just steps from the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. [BrilliantStrings Therapeutics](https://brilliantstrings.com/) earned the $200K Lightning Pass, a larger-scale version of the Golden Ticket designed to accelerate early progress with greater non-dilutive support. [InnDura Therapeutics](https://www.inndura.com/) received a [CKD](https://ckdpharma.com/) Golden Ticket, and [VISKA.Bio](https://viska.bio/) won an audience-driven award through an interactive voting process, creating tangible momentum at a pivotal fundraising moment. 400+ Attendees 37 LabCentral startups showcased $255k In funding awarded  Never Miss a Community Win Follow LabCentral on LinkedIn to stay up to date on company milestones, partnerships, press releases, and community news. [**FOLLOW US ON LINKEDIN**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/labcentral/posts/?feedView=all) ×