Press releases. New LabCentral program "The Loop" Offers international biotech start-ups and partner organizations curated learnings directly from U.S. Market. September 8, 2026 | By. Global biotech start-ups and affiliated partner organizations will have access to the Boston and Cambridge ecosystem in Kendall Square to forge cross-border collaboration through networking, education, and programming BOSTON, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - LabCentral recently announced the launch of The Loop, a new soft-landing program that provides high-potential global biotech companies developing therapies to address unmet medical needs with accelerated access to the U.S. ecosystem. Global start-ups will sharpen their value propositions and accelerate their U.S. market-entry through intentional networking and focused cross-border collaboration without the commitment to a full relocation. The program is designed for participants to bring their learnings from Kendall Square back home. This first-of-its-kind offering at LabCentral allows international founders to join the resident community without the obligation of renting lab space. "Breakthroughs happen when people and ideas come together and build those meaningful connections, and in an ever-expanding global biotech ecosystem it's critical to link and build internationally. Our goal with The Loop is to create more than an introduction - we want to create a pathway into the local biotech community, giving international founders the opportunity to build lasting relationships with investors, partners, advisors, and fellow entrepreneurs," said Maggie O'Toole, CEO of LabCentral. A cornerstone of the programming is The Loop Week Summit, happening from September 14 - September 18, 2026. Participants from around the world will spend the week immersed in LabCentral's ecosystem with concentrated exposure to the Boston life sciences industry. In attendance will be representatives from over 20 companies across 10 countries, including Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Taiwan, Czech Republic, Canada, India, Greece, Ireland, and Hong Kong. Additional programming components available to participants of The Loop include: * Executive Residency for up to 90-days in-person office residency at LabCentral * Executive Education with exclusive courses led by seasoned entrepreneurs who also serve as faculty at Harvard * Mentorship & Pitch Coaching with targeted guidance on strengthening U.S. value proposition * Dedicated Programming Day spotlighting partnering opportunities between delegations and the LabCentral network A Seoul Biohub official said the program "gives Korean biotech start-ups the opportunity to build real relationships with key players in the Boston ecosystem - the world's largest life sciences market - without taking on the enormous cost and risk of fully relocating to the U.S.," adding that it "will serve as a meaningful springboard for Korean biotech companies approaching technology partnering deals." The Loop Program Partners represent both public and privately held economic development organizations from various countries in Europe and Asia, adept at identifying high potential start-ups that would benefit from an immersion experience with LabCentral's ecosystem and expertise. "We are pleased to celebrate the launch of the LabCentral Loop Program. Strengthening connections between Asian entrepreneurs and the Boston biotech ecosystem is essential to advancing life science innovation, and we believe the Loop Program will provide meaningful opportunities for emerging start-ups to grow on a global stage," remarked Toshio Fujimoto, CEO, iPark Institute Co., Ltd. Along with Shonan iPark in Japan, additional partners include Innovation Centre Denmark - Boston, Seoul BioHub, Hong Kong Science & Technology Park, Quebec Government Office in Boston, IOCB Tech, and other start-up support organizations. "...By connecting these companies with the knowledge, networks and resources of the Greater Boston ecosystem, the program can help accelerate their international growth, strengthen their global ambitions, and bring valuable experience and connections back to Denmark," said Ann-Christina Lange, Consul General of Denmark & Executive Director, Innovation Centre Denmark Boston ABOUT LABCENTRAL A private, non-profit institution, LabCentral is a launchpad for high-potential life sciences and biotech start-ups with more than 200,000 square feet of space across Kendall Square in Cambridge, Mass., and the Harvard University campus. Founded in 2013, LabCentral offers a full complement of programming and networking to life sciences entrepreneurs in addition to fully permitted laboratory and office space for early-stage and growing life sciences companies. In its first twelve years, LabCentral residents raised more than $21 billion in funding and created more than 7,800 jobs. More information is available at www.labcentral.org.

With China rising, Hong Kong builds bridge to biotech innovation. August 19, 2026 | Massachusetts-based biotech accelerator LabCentral signed an agreement with Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation in June to connect founders with the U.S. ecosystem - and fuel more innovation. With geopolitical risk rising around the swarm of Chinese biopharma deals, Hong Kong is looking to position its growing biotech sector as the next great destination for dealmaking. This summer, representatives from two biotech accelerators on opposite sides of the Earth met at the BIO International Convention to sign an agreement that will fuel innovation for years to come - and, they hoped, make a statement that Hong Kong has plenty to offer as the low hanging fruit is picked out of China. LabCentral signed a memorandum of understanding with Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) at the convention, agreeing to trade scientists across borders so that they can build their startups and work to make more connections in China. "I hope that we can find a way to collaborate with China. I think places like Hong Kong are key for that, because they're a gateway," said Maggie O'Toole, CEO of the Cambridge, Massachusetts biotech accelerator LabCentral, on the sidelines of the BIO conference in June. Axiom Biosciences is thinking outside of the box, betting on a public debut in Hong Kong to raise capital and grow into a global company. July 21, 2026 The initiative came from a LabCentral program called the Loop, which invites founders from overseas to visit Cambridge for 90 days to build toward a U.S. visa application. The founders are paired with mentors and embedded in the biotech ecosystem, with an aim of learning the ways of the American venture capital system and building a pitch deck. Through this program, Lab Central connected with HKSTP, which jumped at the chance to exchange talent. Terry Wong, CEO of HKSTP, told BioSpace that investment activity in China has helped buoy Hong Kong's sector and generated excitement. HKSTP was simply taking advantage of the market opportunity. From O'Toole's perspective, the debate around China has thrown up unnecessary barriers to biotech innovation. "There are more and more barriers that are being put in place that are artificial to collaboration," she said. "We are trying to find out how we can take some of those away and create opportunities for the scientists to collaborate." The Hong Kong orchestrator. Hong Kong has had a thriving life sciences sector for years, Wong said, with about 120 therapeutics developers that are aiming to break into U.S. markets. The region is a leader in venture capital investment and has strong intellectual property protections, he added, supporting a "very stable and very business-friendly place for people to land as a hub." He has seen plenty of interest in Hong Kong biotechs, with about two-thirds of venture capital investment coming from China and other Asian nations while one third is international. European VCs have also taken notice of Hong Kong biotechs, Wang said, particularly in the past two to three years. Hong Kong is also home to a thriving stock market, which has become an attractive place for companies in China to list their initial public offerings, Raven Lin, CEO of Pilatus Biosciences, said during a panel discussion at BIO on June 24. International companies may also target Hong Kong for their public debuts. Last month, Axiom Biosciences CEO Remo Moomiaie-Qajar told BioSpace that the San Diego-based biotech is looking to IPO in the territory instead of in New York next year. Moomiaie-Qajar said he views Hong Kong as more advantageous than the Nasdaq or New York Stock Exchange. When signing a biotech licensing deal in China, experts say that pharma's patent attorneys need to understand the geopolitical risk of the BIOSECURE Act. July 28, 2026 Wong referred to the HKSTP as an "orchestrator" to allow interested stakeholders a chance to explore Asia. The memorandum with LabCentral is simply riding the wave of excitement. "This is one of the actions that is driven by the market trends for us to get together," he said. He pointed to a partnership HKSTP has with Arthrosi Therapeutics. The accelerator helped connect the gout drug developer with hospitals and medical doctors in Hong Kong to boost diversity in the company's clinical trial. "That's a very successful case. I would say without our part of the clinical trial, I think [it] would take much longer for the clinical trial to be successful," Wong said. This isn't about replacing China, O'Toole clarified. The region still has plenty to offer. But in the age of the BIOSECURE Act and other legislative moves to curb China's influence, Hong Kong can offer a potentially safer alternative in Asia to spread out investment, she argued. "[Hong Kong is] sort of a hub where they're engaged with all of these different groups, and they're still considered safe to be engaged with."