The field of biotech has always been at the forefront of some of the biggest challenges we can face as human beings, constantly constructing solutions for everything from viral epidemics to mental health disorders.
While every city across the country has some stake in the biotech industry, few cities lead the pack the way Boston does. The city’s Kendall Square neighborhood alone hosts countless companies within a mile radius, working on everything from genetic research to synthetic biology. These are some of the top Boston biotech companies to know.
Top Biotech Companies In Boston
- Akili Interactive Labs
- Emulate Biofourmis
- Perceptive
- Ginkgo Bioworks
- Wave Life Sciences
Top Biotech Companies in Boston
Biotech Focus: Imaging Analytics & Biomarker Discovery
What they do: Perceptive provides quantitative imaging biomarkers, core lab services and software solutions to accelerate drug discovery and development for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. The company’s analytical capabilities support clinical and preclinical research across therapeutic areas including oncology, central nervous system disorders and radiopharmaceutical therapy, helping researchers identify and validate imaging biomarkers that guide treatment decisions and optimize trial design. Although it is headquartered in London, England, Perceptive has a global laboratory facility and office in Needham.
Biotech Focus: Prescription Digital Therapeutics
What they do: Akili Interactive develops digital therapeutics delivered through video game experiences to treat cognitive impairments. Its EndeavorRx is a prescription video game treatment authorized by the FDA for children with ADHD, and it recently launched EndeavorOTC, a clinically validated game-based treatment for adults with ADHD available over-the-counter. The company combines neuroscience expertise with gaming technology to create interactive treatments for attention disorders and other cognitive conditions.
Biotech Focus: Synthetic Biology & Cell Programming
What they do: Ginkgo Bioworks pioneers autonomous labs that accelerate bioengineering. The synthetic biology company engineers microorganisms and cells to produce pharmaceuticals, food ingredients, cosmetics and agricultural products. Its platform enables customers to program biology like software, automating the design-build-test-learn cycle to reduce development timelines and costs for biotech applications.
Biotech Focus: Cellular Rejuvenation & Longevity
What they do: Life Biosciences develops epigenetic restoration therapies to reverse age-related diseases by rejuvenating aged and damaged cells to a younger, healthier state. It primarily targets the underlying biology of aging rather than individual symptoms. In June 2026, the FDA cleared Life Biosciences’ investigational new drug application for ER-100.
Biotech Focus: Life Sciences R&D Cloud Software
What they do: Benchling is an AI platform for biotech research and development that unifies scientific data, workflows and collaboration tools. It enables scientists to organize lab notes and experiment data, design sequences, track samples and run AI agents directly within their workflows. Organizations — from startups to global enterprises in biopharma, agriculture and materials science — use Benchling to accelerate discovery and development across life sciences research.
Biotech Focus: AI Genomic Data Analytics
What they do: SOPHiA GENETICS analyzes complex genomic and clinical data to support precision medicine. Its SOPHiA DDM platform uses artificial intelligence to process raw DNA sequencing data, automatically detecting and classifying disease-causing genetic variants for cancer and rare disorders. Healthcare institutions and biopharmaceutical companies deploy these automated diagnostic workflows to guide patient treatment plans, optimize clinical trials and accelerate targeted drug development.
Biotech Focus: Serious Genetic Disease Therapies
What they do: Vertex Pharmaceuticals develops medicines targeting serious genetic and infectious diseases, including cystic fibrosis, sickle cell, transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia and acute pain. It also has a robust drug pipeline spanning kidney disease and type 1 diabetes. Based in Boston with research and global development sites, Vertex advances cell and gene therapies alongside small-molecule treatments to address underlying disease causes.
Biotech Focus: Environmental Health & Toxicology
What they do: Gradient is an environmental and risk science consulting firm specializing in toxicology, epidemiology, industrial hygiene and product safety. The company applies scientific expertise to resolve complex environmental and health challenges for clients across pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, medical devices and other sectors. Gradient’s multidisciplinary team addresses issues ranging from PFAS contamination and pesticide exposure to gene and cell therapy safety, helping organizations navigate regulatory requirements and public health concerns.
Biotech Focus: AI Digital Care & Remote Monitoring
What they do: Biofourmis develops both software and wearable technologies that monitor chronic conditions including COPD, heart disease and arthritis. The company uses data science and machine learning to collect physiological indicators and health patterns from patients. Biofourmis’ platform supports clinicians in identifying disease progression and adjusting treatment plans.
Biotech Focus: Otology Gene Therapy
What they do: Akouos develops gene therapies to restore and preserve hearing in individuals with genetic sensorineural hearing loss. The company’s lead program, AK-OTOF, received FDA approval in April 2026 as one of the first gene therapy for OTOF-associated hearing loss, delivering a functional copy of the otoferlin gene to inner ear hair cells. It also advances AK-antiVEGF for vestibular schwannoma and uses a minimally invasive transcanal delivery approach, with proprietary AAV technology to target multiple genetic causes of hearing loss affecting over 200 genes.
Biotech Focus: Anti-Infective Therapeutics
What they do: Paratek Pharmaceuticals develops and commercializes therapies for serious infectious diseases and high-need medical conditions. Its product portfolio includes the antibiotic NUZYRA for bacterial pneumonia and skin infections and XHANCE for chronic rhinosinusitis. Through ongoing clinical development and commercial execution, the company advances these targeted therapies to address critical gaps in patient care across multiple therapeutic areas.
Biotech Focus: Computational Molecular Discovery
What they do: Schrödinger builds computational technology for biotechnology research, applying physics and machine learning to molecular discovery and design. Its platform accelerates drug discovery across antibody design, peptide discovery and enzyme engineering, enabling researchers to predict molecular behavior and optimize therapeutic candidates before laboratory synthesis.
Biotech Focus: RNA Therapeutics & Genetic Medicines
What they do: Wave Life Sciences develops RNA medicines to treat genetic diseases. The company uses a proprietary chemistry platform to design oligonucleotide therapeutics targeting the molecular basis of chronic genetic conditions. Wave Life Sciences’ discoveries have helped treat alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, Huntington’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Biotech Focus: Prescription Digital Therapeutics
What they do: Click Therapeutics develops prescription digital therapeutics that deliver medical treatment through cognitive and neurobehavioral mechanisms. Like traditional drugs and medical devices, these software-based treatments undergo rigorous clinical trials and FDA regulatory approval. In fact, the company secured FDA authorization for CT-132 for episodic migraine prevention and Rejoyn (CT-152) for major depressive disorder, co-developed with Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. Click is currently developing treatments for schizophrenia, opioid use disorders, obesity and other conditions.
Biotech Focus: Organ-on-a-Chip Technology
What they do: Emulate develops organ-on-a-chip technology that recreates human tissue function using living human cells, enabling researchers to predict drug safety and efficacy without animal testing. Its platforms — including the Ava Emulation System and multiple organ models spanning brain, liver, kidney, lung, and intestine — support drug development, toxicology testing and disease research. Plus, its liver-chip was accepted into the FDA’s ISTAND pilot program. Founded at Harvard’s Wyss Institute, Emulate partners with pharmaceutical companies and regulatory agencies to advance human-relevant preclinical testing.
