MassEcon to recognize companies establishing their first Massachusetts locations in Boston, Cambridge, Natick, Westborough and North Andover, representing life sciences, AI, public safety, advanced building materials and other industries.
BOSTON— Eleven companies from five countries and other U.S. states have established their first Massachusetts locations over the past year, bringing new business investment and industry expertise to the Commonwealth. The companies will be recognized at MassEcon’s 17th Annual Corporate Welcome Reception on November 4 at Allston Labworks in Boston.
The honorees have established operations in Boston, Cambridge, Natick, Westborough and North Andover, representing industries including quantum computing, artificial intelligence, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, cancer therapeutics, public safety technology, advanced building materials and business software.
The companies include AdvanCell, which is expanding from Australia to North Andover; Advenion, from Spain to Cambridge; AntBio, from Singapore to Natick; Brooks Running, from Seattle to Boston; Conga, from Houston to Boston; Dana Safety Supply, from North Carolina to Westborough; Orion Pharma, from Finland to Cambridge; and Seoul National University Hospital, from South Korea to Cambridge. Three additional honorees, Durra Panel USA, Improzo and Powertown, have also established or launched operations in Massachusetts.
AdvanCell is an Australian clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company developing targeted cancer therapies using alpha-emitting radionuclides. Its proprietary Lead-212 platform, combined with advanced manufacturing and clinical development capabilities, is designed to deliver new cancer treatments.
Advenion, based in Cambridge, is a life sciences company advancing therapeutic solutions through translational research and proprietary technology. Its integrated development platform connects biomedical discovery, intellectual property, clinical research and manufacturing innovation. The company is expanding its Massachusetts presence through new therapeutic programs and its Proof Factory initiative.
AntBio, which has established operations in Natick, is a Singapore-based supplier of research-grade kits, reagents and consumables for life sciences laboratories worldwide. In partnership with Montreal-based BioAuxilium Research, its offerings include TR-FRET kits, validated antibodies, no-wash ELISA kits, luciferase reporter assays and recombinant proteins.
Brooks Running, headquartered in Seattle and founded in 1914, has opened a Boston presence, citing the city’s strong running culture. The company specializes in running footwear and apparel and views Boston as an important market for its business.
Conga, a Houston-based business software company, has expanded its U.S. presence with a new Boston office. Its platform connects commercial operations, including pricing, quoting, contracting, rebates and communications. The company serves more than 10,000 customers worldwide.
Dana Safety Supply, headquartered in North Carolina, began operations in Westborough in April 2026 and employs eight people at the Massachusetts location. The company supplies law enforcement and public safety equipment and operates 54 locations across 18 states. Across its operations, it builds more than 24,000 public safety vehicles annually.
Durra Panel USA launched in Boston in June 2025 and is headquartered in Belmont. The company plans to open a manufacturing facility in Brockton in the fourth quarter of 2027. Its sustainable interior wall and ceiling system, manufactured in Australia and used in projects worldwide, is made from compressed agricultural straw. The company says its panels offer impact resistance up to ten times that of standard drywall, along with acoustic performance, fire resistance and thermal insulation. The product also uses agricultural byproducts that might otherwise be burned, reducing embodied carbon.
Improzo, based in Cambridge, provides artificial intelligence solutions for life sciences companies. Its iZO platform uses domain-trained AI agents and reusable technology to connect existing business systems and data. Its applications include field engagement, medical intelligence, commercial planning and enterprise operations, with integrations involving platforms such as Snowflake, Veeva, IQVIA and Tableau.
Orion Pharma, a Finnish pharmaceutical company, has established a presence in Cambridge as part of its efforts to build a globally competitive oncology research and development organization. Its research spans cancer genomics, antibody-drug conjugates, immuno-oncology, CAR-T therapies and other treatment approaches, supported by global clinical development capabilities.
Powertown, a Boston-based startup, develops infrastructure solutions designed to help local businesses, schools and municipal buildings reduce electricity costs while keeping savings within their communities. The company is currently focused on Massachusetts, with projects underway in Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford, Lowell, Haverhill and Billerica.
Seoul National University Hospital, one of South Korea’s leading academic medical centers and a National Strategic Technology Research Institute, has established a Cambridge office to support international research collaborations. Its activities include monitoring Boston’s biotechnology sector and connecting Korean startups with local experts and organizations.
The reception will bring together representatives of the new companies, municipal officials and state economic development and industry leaders. Attendees from the City of Boston include Alia Forrest, while Pardis Saffari will represent the City of Cambridge. Other special guests include Massachusetts Assistant Secretary for Business Growth Naomi Berlin, Jeanne LeClair of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and Ben Bradford of MassBio.
Since launching the Corporate Welcome Reception in 2009, MassEcon has recognized 213 companies from 42 countries and 32 states. These companies have collectively added more than 8,000 jobs to the Massachusetts economy.
The November 4 event will be held from 4:30 to 6:45 p.m. at Allston Labworks, 305 Western Avenue, Boston. King Street Properties is the event host sponsor. Champion sponsors include Citizens, Bowditch, CBRE, Eastern Bank, Hunneman, Middlesex Savings Bank, Langan, BioMed Realty and VHB.
