Photo | Courtesy of Rucker Investments
Zachary Dutton, Auxilium Worcester executive director
4 hours ago
Cliff Rucker’s new Worcester startup hub names first cohort
Photo | Courtesy of Auxilium Worcester
Auxilium Worcester, a new startup hub in Downtown Worcester, has named its first cohort of its Accelerator program. Pictured (left to right) are Thomas Schofield, CEO, Splice Histology, Karen Cronholm, CEO & Co-founder, Akeyna, Mike Noonan, COO, MiComp Solutions, and Dibs Mahanta, President, MiComp Solutions.
Worcester’s latest organization working toward making the city a top startup hub has named its first cohort of entrepreneurs.
Auxilium Worcester, an innovation studio and accelerator launched by Beverly-based Rucker Investments, has named three healthcare-focused startups as the first cohort of its three-month accelerator program designed to boost existing businesses.
The program provides $250,000 to each participant, as well as access to industry leaders who will aim to assist businesses reach their next stage of growth.
“This first class of companies reflects the type of innovation we’re here to champion - technologies that are advancing healthcare, improving operational efficiency, and applying AI to solve real-world problems,” Zak Dutton, executive director of Auxilium Worcester, said in a Monday press release from the organization. “These founders are all connected to this region, and we’re proud to support their growth right here in downtown Worcester.”
The first three participants are Karen Cronholm, CEO and co-founder of Akeyna, Thomas Schofield, CEO of Splice Histology, and Keith Ledoux, CEO of MiComp Solutions.
Akeyna is a firm working to produce a proprietary smart needle designed to avoid serious complications during dermal filler injections, a common cosmetic procedure. Using an algorithm to detect blood vessels, the device fits onto standard syringes and alerts the user if the needle tip enters a vessel, helping avoid injuries including blindness and necrosis.
Akeyna was founded in Boston in 2022 and has received backing from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and California-based accelerator MedTech Innovator, according to the firm’s profile on the website for PitchBook, a startup-focused data and research platform.
Splice Histology, a Worcester-based startup operating from the Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives incubator, is working to provide histology slide preparations and digitalization services to hospitals and other healthcare-focused businesses.
Photo | Courtesy of Auxilium Worcester
Auxilium is based from the Central Exchange Building in Downtown Worcester.
Splice seeks to use AI and automation to modernize what it says is a labor-intensive process, helping address a shortage of histotechnologists in the healthcare industry. The company was founded in 2024 and has seven employees, according to PitchBook.
Medway-based MiComp Solutions is building a digital platform connecting healthcare customers and insurance brokers while streamlining functions including book of business management and accounts receivable. The firm seeks to use AI-based insights to increase clients efficiency and profitability.
MiComp Solutions CEO Keith Ledoux worked at Worcester-based Fallon Health from 2006 to 2015, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The Accelerator program will operate from a 2,300-square-foot space at Auxilium’s hub in the Central Exchange Building at 311 Main St., as Auxilium expects the rest of the 14,000-square-foot facility to be completed in the fall. Rucker Investments is owned by entrepreneur Clifford Rucker and his wife Susan Rucker, who also own the Worcester Railers Hockey Club, the Worcester Palladium, and the Central Exchange Building.
Since launching in January, Auxilium has partnered with Quinsigamond Community College to bring a new entrepreneurship center to campus, inked a partnership with a Rhode Island-based startup hub, and collaborated with the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce to launch a startup-focused week of programming in April.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
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