Columbus
Boston Business Journal
How John Hancock plans 'to make Boston the longevity hub'
After announcing a three-year partnership in January, the World Economic Forum and the parent company of John Hancock, Manulife Financial Corp., have launched a new initiative focused on longevity innovation. <\p> Through the World Economic Forum’s UpLink platform, the Canadian company and the non-governmental organization based in Switzerland will invite startups with healthcare and financial well-being solutions to participate in the challenge. <\p>
Five things you need to know, and extending that business trip
Good morning, Boston. Welcome to July! Here are the five things you need to know in Boston business news to start your Monday.<\p> More job cuts are coming at Takeda Pharmaceuticals Inc. just a few weeks after the pharmaceutical giant announced it planned to lay off 641 Massachusetts employees, Hannah Green reports. Meanwhile, EMD Serono Inc., Merck KGaA’s North American drug development business, also notified the state this week that layoffs could be coming, as part of its headquarters move to Boston’s Seaport District.<\p>
Cambridge inventory management software firm acquired
A warehouse management system maker has acquired Herlitz, an inventory management software company based in Cambridge.<\p> The acquisition, finalized in mid-May but just announced Monday, is BFC Software’s first. It coincides with a partnership between Illinois-based BFC and M33 Growth, a growth equity firm based in Boston that works with small software companies and helps them scale their businesses through acquisitions. Both BFC and M33 declined to share the details of the deal.<\p>
Dutch VC firm to open first U.S. office in Boston
The former CEO of Dyne Therapeutics Inc. has joined Forbion as the life sciences venture capital firm announced plans to expand its U.S. presence by opening a Boston office.<\p> Josh Brumm, formerly of Dyne and a newly named general partner at Forbion, said the Boston office “really does have a chance to impact the Boston community.” This is Forbion’s first U.S. office.<\p>
Will Uber, Lyft fight Mass. unionization ballot question?
After last week’s settlement of the state’s lawsuit against Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. over the classification of drivers, the companies said they would no longer seek to put a question on the ballot this November.<\p> But voters will still be asked to weigh in on another ballot question this year that could change how rideshare companies do business here: Whether drivers can form a union and engage in collective bargaining.<\p>
Commentary: Farmworker fairness bill needs action on Beacon Hill
This article is available in Spanish in partnership with El Planeta Media. Este informe está disponible en español, traducido por El Planeta Media.<\p> Massachusetts is running its agricultural economy on the backs of seasonal and migrant farmworkers, depriving most of them of a fair minimum wage, overtime and rest breaks. We are keeping the people whose backbreaking labor brings us our famed asparagus, apples, cranberries, corn, milk, yogurt and cheese in severe poverty.<\p>
Takeda to cut more jobs; another local biotech readies layoffs
More job cuts are coming at Takeda Pharmaceuticals Inc. just a few weeks after the pharmaceutical giant announced it planned to lay off 641 Massachusetts employees.<\p> The state's largest biotech employer, Takeda (NYSE: TAK) wrote in a state filing shared with the Business Journal on Friday that it expects to cut 189 more positions in Cambridge, as well as 31 positions in Lexington.<\p>
Fort Point offices with iconic sign to be converted to apartments
The building that hosts Fort Point’s iconic "Boston Wharf Co. Industrial Real Estate" sign might soon be converted into apartments. No word yet on whether that “industrial” modifier on the rooftop signage might be converted to “residential” as well.<\p> The Boston developer Adam Burns has plans to switch over the eight-story office building at 263 Summer St. into a mixed-use property with 77 housing units, according to an application with the city for a tax break under Mayor Michelle Wu’s conversion program.<\p>
Supreme Court decision marks 'seismic shift' on federal rules
Federal agency rules that target businesses and the workplace have been dealt a blow by the latest Supreme Court decision.<\p> The case, Loper Bright Enterprises v. Secretary of Commerce, was specifically focused on fees in a rule by the National Marine Fisheries Service, but ultimately targeted the four-decade framework for federal agency rulemaking known as Chevron — named after a previous Supreme Court case. <\p>
Doctor says, visit a museum: A push for 'social prescribing' in Mass.
Bay Staters can now get prescriptions from doctors for a new type of health-improving solution: arts and culture. <\p> Mass Cultural Council is collaborating with Art Pharmacy, a Georgia-based healthtech company that works with managed care plans and health systems to address the mental health crisis through social prescribing. <\p>
'Grande Dame' of historic homes in Sudbury on the market
If you believe a historic home must be cramped, dated and dark, a look at a bright, vibrant, welcoming house at 427 Concord Road in Sudbury will change your mind.<\p> Known as Whitehall, this place is the Grande Dame of historic homes in Sudbury. Built in 1810, the house was purchased in 1910 by renowned Gothic Revival architect Ralph Adams Cram as a retreat for his family from their abode on Beacon Hill.<\p>
Major R&D organization names a new CEO after 7 years
MITRE Corp., a nonprofit that operates federally funded research and development centers, is set to change its leadership after seven years. <\p> The R&D organization, which has dual headquarters in Bedford, Mass. and McLean, Va., said Thursday it has named Mark Peters its 10th president and CEO. His start date is scheduled to be Sept. 3. <\p>
Steward’s physician-group sale to Optum is off, says state official
UnitedHealth subsidiary OptumCare is no longer planning to buy Steward Health Care’s physicians group, according to the state's Health Policy Commission, a significant blow to Steward’s efforts to right its financial footing amid Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. <\p> The proposed deal with Optum has been on the table since late March, though the parties failed to deliver key documents for the sale to state regulatory bodies. <\p>
New Philharmonia director wants to change lives with music
Every career move that Jorge Soto makes is based on his belief that music saved him back in Venezuela.<\p> The newly appointed music director of the New Philharmonia was raised amid difficult circumstances, he said.<\p>
MIT researchers eye new ways to use less concrete, reduce emissions
MIT researcher Jackson Jewett is researching ways to reduce carbon emissions by reducing the amount of concrete used in construction. <\p> Concrete is currently responsible for 8% of the world's carbon emissions. It is also the second-most-consumed resource after water. Jewett, an MIT student in the final year of his Ph.D. program, is trying to reduce the emissions created by concrete production by figuring out how to use less of it. <\p>
Startup reengineering seeds, plant cells closes $3M, well, seed round
An early-stage startup that is reengineering the way plants and seeds are cultivated has added $3 million in venture funds — and yes, it was a seed round. <\p> The Boston-based company had previously raised a pre-seed round of $875,000, it said. Investors include The Engine Ventures, Susquehanna Sustainable Investments, Understorey Ventures, and Superorganism.<\p>
Five things you need to know, and a meme stock mystery
Good morning, Boston. Here are the five things you need to know in Boston business news to start your Friday.<\p> There’s a new fight in Massachusetts real estate development, and it's taking place at the water’s edge. Greg Ryan, in the cover story of the latest Weekly Edition, reports that the state Department of Environmental Protection is proposing to ban the construction of new buildings in the slice of the Massachusetts coast most susceptible to high-speed waves during storms — known as the “V-Zone.” Business and property owners contend the proposal will hurt coastal economies and deter much-needed housing production.<\p>
Settlement dictates wages, benefits for app-based drivers
Uber and Lyft will pay Massachusetts drivers some of the highest guaranteed wages in the country under a landmark deal with state prosecutors that also brought a halt to a years-long campaign seeking to rewrite how state law defines those workers.<\p> Attorney General Andrea Campbell and the companies agreed on a $175 million settlement Thursday evening that ends the nearly four-year-old lawsuit against Uber and Lyft, lays out a slew of new wage, benefit and job protection requirements, and sidesteps the legal question at the heart of the case.<\p>
BU buys Allston site approved for 17-story residential tower
Boston University has agreed to pay $19.8 million to purchase a site on the edge of its campus that has city approval for a 17-story tower with more than 250 residences.<\p> The property is next to the planned future home of West Station, a new transit hub featuring commuter-rail service. The transaction means that what had been set to become a large, transit-oriented apartment building could instead become student dormitories.<\p>
Boston Business Journal
7K+
Posts
933K+
Views
The Boston region's source for local business news, breaking news alerts, newsletters, business intelligence and local business networking. An American City Business Journals publication.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.