8 Companies in Boston to Watch This Summer

As schoolchildren prepare to swap sand pails for backpacks across Boston, the local tech scene is also getting ready to embrace the excitement of a new season. 

Benchling has its sights set on innovation, having recently launched a new end-to-end platform, Bioprocess, which is designed to accelerate the development of new medicines and treatments. Meanwhile, at Crunchtime, team members are celebrating the success of its partnership with bubble tea company Gong cha, which has redefined the brand’s ability to scale rapidly. 

Besides new products and successful client partnerships, companies across the city are prioritizing their most important asset: their people. As employees at TravelPerk continue to shape the business travel landscape, they find support to stretch their skills along the way, thanks to a culture that prioritizes learning and development. On the other hand, Openly team members are driving the company’s efforts to revolutionize the home insurance process while staying balanced with the help of supportive perks like flexible PTO and mental health benefits. 

So while the summer sun may be waning, the future looks bright for these companies and other local employers. Read on to learn what makes these eight companies in Boston ones to watch this season. 

What Takeda does: Takeda is a pharmaceutical company that develops treatments for various therapeutics areas, including rare diseases, neuroscience and oncology. 

Shared purpose and passion: Takeda Lead Data Scientist Lavanya Wadhwa recently spoke with Built In about why she considers her current role a “dream job,” sharing that the ability to work on high-impact projects is rivalled only by the shared purpose and passion that drives her coworkers. “Everyone is genuinely committed to improving patient life and the donor experience, and making a meaningful difference in the world, which creates a deeply motivating and mission-driven environment,” she said.

 

 

What Benchling does: Benchling is a unified, cloud-based platform built to accelerate how biotech companies discover, develop, and scale life-changing products. 

Working together to drive progress: Two Benchling product designers spoke with Built In earlier last year about the work that went into building the company’s new end-to-end platform, Bioprocess, which is designed to accelerate the development of new medicines and treatments. Product Designer Jennifer Weng, who worked in tandem with the engineering team throughout the product’s creation, recalled how her involvement helped her hone her user research skills, as she communicated regularly and systematically with internal subject matter experts and customers. “From planning research, moderating sessions and synthesizing feedback to integrating the feedback into implementation — I learned how to maximize research value and leverage data to push for better user experience,” she said.

 

 

What Crunchtime does: Crunchtime’s operations software is designed to help multi-unit restaurants manage profitability, drive greater customer experiences and grow with confidence. 

Helping brands thrive: Earlier this year, Crunchtime posted a video on its LinkedIn page illustrating how global bubble tea franchise Gong cha has benefited from its software. “Crunchtime has empowered us to operate smarter, scale faster and deliver high-quality customer services across Gong cha stores,” Gong cha Operations Manager Rebecca Wi shared in the video. Rebecca Kahn, a franchise business leader executive at Gong cha, added that Crunchtime’s Zenput product has helped the organization scale rapidly, as it allows the corporate team to communicate with franchisees directly and in real time. 

 

 

What Hi Marley does: Hi Marley’s platform is designed to help property and casualty insurance companies simplify carrier and policyholder communications.

The keys to customer success: Earlier this year, Dan Ko, director of customer success at Hi Marley, caught up with Built In to describe the key metrics his team tracks to maintain healthy client relationships. These metrics include a product engagement score, which analyzes license utilization, adoption, user growth and usage frequency. “This combination of metrics helps us identify which customers may need a different approach to realize maximum platform value,” Ko said.

 

 

What Vestmark, Inc. does: Vestmark, Inc.’s platform is designed to enable financial institutions and their advisors to efficiently manage and trade customized client portfolios. 

In the news: The company recently announced the launch of a tax-managed unified management account with private assets. According to a press release, the capability was developed in partnership with iCapital, BlackRock and Dynasty Financial Partners and provides advisors with a streamlined, scalable process enabling allocation to alternative investments in a diversified portfolio within a UMA construct. “The wealth management industry has for too long been on the precipice of UMAs fulfilling their promise of simplicity and efficiency,” Vestmark CEO Karl Roessner shared in a statement. “With what we are launching today, Vestmark is fulfilling that promise.” 

 

 

What Openly does: Openly aims to revolutionize the home insurance process with its platform, which is designed to streamline every step of the process for independent agents and their customers. 

Staying balanced: Lindsey Schmidt, director of total rewards and HR operations at Openly, caught up with Built In earlier this year to describe how the remote-first company ensures its employees feel supported. She explained how the company’s various benefits, which includes the ability to reimburse wellness-related expenses through its Be Well program, has helped employees maintain a healthy work-life balance. “Employees have shared how the program has helped them recharge, stay focused and feel genuinely cared for, making Be Well a powerful driver of engagement, retention and overall satisfaction in our remote environment,” Schmidt shared. 

 

 

What SquareWorks Consulting does: SquareWorks Consulting is a NetSuite partner focused on elevating the role of finance, empowering organizations to drive business innovation and growth.

Inspiring others: In honor of International Women’s Day, the SquareWorks Consulting team highlighted Director of Customer Experience Ashley O’Connell in an interview with Built In. O’Connell’s colleagues described her passion for mentoring others and fostering a collaborative culture. “Her ability to inspire and lead teams has enhanced organizational performance and cultivated a culture of continuous learning and development,” the SquareWorks Consulting team said. “Ashley’s contributions have left a lasting impact, reflecting her passion for driving success and her unwavering commitment to her field.”

 

 

What Laudio does: Laudio’s platform is designed to empower healthcare leaders by streamlining their core workflows and providing them with AI-based recommendations, enabling them to drive better employee engagement, patient experiences and business outcomes. 

In the news: The company recently announced that two new health system executives have been added to its Strategic Advisory Council. According to a press release, Brion Lieberman, chief human resources officer at Geisinger, and Lorie Rhine, chief nursing executive at UNC Health, will be joining the council to help shape its evolution as a core system that empowers leaders, drives system-wide change and strengthens the frontline workforce. “The thought leaders joining the Council have spent their careers building teams that succeed in the complex, day-to-day reality of care delivery,” Laudio Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder CJ Floro shared in a statement. “Their perspectives will be essential as we expand our work to bolster leaders system-wide and bridge strategic health system goals with daily frontline actions.”