In a large open space on the first floor of 750 Main Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a carbon capture company heats molten salt to 600 degrees Celsius, right next to the quantum computing company's qubit supercooler. The difference is about 900 degrees over a 15-foot range.
On a tour of The Engine Accelerator, it doesn't take long to realize that this is not your typical coworking space. Companies here are working to extremes to develop new technologies that have a world-changing impact – what The Engine Accelerator's leaders call “tough technologies.”
The new 150,000 square foot, four-story space adjacent to MIT's campus will offer startup-specific laboratory equipment, advanced machining, manufacturing facilities, office space, and a variety of startup support services.
The goal is to provide young companies that combine science and engineering with all the resources they need to take their ideas from the bench to their own mass production lines.
“Infrastructure has always been a really important catalyst for getting these types of companies up and running,” says Emily Knight, president of The Engine Accelerator. “Now you can start a company and start building from day one. Real estate is a huge component. Our idea is to put this investment into infrastructure for founders. This is an agile lease that allows us to be very flexible as we grow.”
Since the new facility opened in summer 2022, the accelerator has hosted approximately 100 companies employing nearly 1,000 people. In addition to space, members enjoy educational workshops on topics such as fundraising and employment, events, and networking opportunities. The accelerator team hopes to use these workshops to foster a sense of community among people working across the cutthroat technology industry.
“We're not just champions of startups in this space,” Knight says. “We support tough technology across the board. We think it's important for Massachusetts to build a robust technology hub here, and that's important to national competitiveness.” That's what I think.
Bringing tough technology to your home
The Engine was spun out of MIT in 2016 as a public benefit corporation with a mission to bridge the gap between discovery and commercialization. Since its inception, it now features an investment component and a shared services component, known as Engine Ventures.
From the moment The Engine opened its doors to startups in its original headquarters on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, the services team has seen first-hand the unique challenges faced by demanding technology startups. After speaking with the founders, they realized that the renovated office space would require more power, stronger floors, and full lab equipment.
The team rose to the challenge. They turned their closet into a biolab. They turned an unused wellness room into a laser lab. When the founders informed them that a 5,000-pound magnet would soon arrive for testing, they managed to respond to Commonwealth Fusion Systems.
But bigger ships have always been needed to support ambitious founders looking to build world-changing companies. As early as 2017, MIT leaders were considering turning the old Polaroid building, which had sat vacant for nearly 20 years next to the MIT campus, into the tough technology's new home.
Speaking of big challenges, construction crews began major renovations to the building for the accelerator in late 2019, months before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Although the team managed to avoid the worst of a supply chain disruption, it quickly became clear that there was something special about the building. Each floor has a different ceiling height, and each floor is separated by huge pillars called mushroom pillars.
Based on conversations with the founders, The Engine's Accelerator team plans to equip the renovated building with office and co-working space, a full machine shop, labs for biology and chemistry research, a suite of 3D printers, bike storage, And perhaps most importantly, it had heating and cooling equipment. Brew on tap.
“I think of Accelerator more as a really great Airbnb host than a landlord. You might be renting a bedroom in a big house, but you have access to all sorts of great amenities, so you don't have to rent everything. It makes me feel like,” he says. Dr. Bernardo Cervantes, PhD '20, co-founder of Concerto Biosciences. He develops microorganisms that can be used for a variety of applications in human health and agriculture.
The Engine Accelerator team credits MIT leadership with helping manage the project, noting MIT's Office of Environment, Health, and Safety as particularly helpful.
One week after the accelerator opened in August 2022, 35 companies moved in on a sweltering day. By 2023, the accelerator housed 55 of his companies. Since then, the Accelerator team has done everything they can to continue to grow.
“At one point, one of my team members came up to me with his tail between his legs and sheepishly said, 'We gave away our office space to a startup,'” Knight said. look back. “Of course! I mean, I get it! We don't need an office. We can sit anywhere.”
The first floor houses some of the largest machinery, including a molten salt machine (developed by Mantel Capture) and a quantum computer (developed by Atlantic Quantum). The next level has a machine shop and manufacturing space with every imaginable 3D printer, giving companies a way to quickly build prototype products and parts. Another floor is called “The Avenue” and features a kitchen and tables that can be used for networking or casual meetings. The avenue is lined with giant garage doors that can be opened to accommodate large groups of people as workshops and meeting spaces.
“Each of our founders works in separate spaces, but we wanted to create an area where people could connect, meet each other, and get help with 3D printing, employment, and everything in between.” Mr. Knight says. “It fosters the casual interaction that is so important for startups.”
An ecosystem that changes the world
Only about one-fifth of the companies in the Accelerator space are Engine Ventures portfolio companies. Although the two organizations operate separately, they have accumulated common learnings about supporting tough technologies, and Engine Ventures has an office in his Accelerator space.
Katie Rae, CEO of Engine Ventures, sees this as a symbiotic partnership.
“We needed to provide all of these robust services, not just to our portfolio companies, but to everyone in the tough technology industry,” Rae says. “Because of our important mission, we will always collaborate and together produce the Tuff Tech Summit. It is much like a rising tide lifting all boats. All of these companies They are all working to change the world in their own fields, so we focus on the impact they are trying to make and tell their story.”
Rae said MIT helped both teams at The Engine consider how best to support struggling tech startups.
“Partnering with MIT, which understands innovation and safety better than anyone, gives us the ability to say yes to more things and be more flexible,” says Ray. . “If you’re going to work at breakneck speed to solve global problems, you better have the mentality to get things done quickly and safely, and I think that’s a core tenet of The Engine. ”
Meanwhile, Knight said her team hasn't stopped learning from the tough tech community and will continue to adapt.
“There's just a cascade of information coming in from these companies,” Knight said. “It's important to iterate on your service to best support it, so we asked our team members, 'Can you learn how to run this kind of program?' We just found out we're here.'' All the founders we know in the area have badges so they can come in. We're already a hub in a lot of ways. We want to create a tough technology hub within the Kendall Square area.”