Draft:The Engine

The Engine specializes in supporting startups developing hardware-based technologies across diverse fields including biotech, robotics, carbon capture, green energy, agriculture, manufacturing, material science, and quantum computing. Collectively, The Engine refers to these technologies as "tough tech."{{Cite web|title=The Engine About Page|url=engine.xyz/about/our-mission|access-date=2025-04-04|language=en|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240819002545/*engine.xyz/about/our-mission|archive-date=19 August 2024 }}

The Engine provides its resident companies with access to wet labs, fabrication space, machine shops and office space.Pressman, Aaron. [https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/29/business/engine-mit-venture-capital-startup-support// Venture capital fund backed by MIT spins off startup support unit]. The Boston Globe. January 29, 2024. It also offers programs to help scientists and engineers learn the skills to become entrepreneursDe Chant, Tim. [https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/13/activate-and-the-engine-accelerator-team-up-to-train-scientists-to-become-founders// Activate and The Engine Accelerator team up to train scientists to become founders]. Tech Crunch. December 13, 2024., and hosts events to convene a support network of investors, policymakers, and business leaders. MIT News Office [https://news.mit.edu/2019/the-engine-tough-tech-expands-0827 The Engine expands, responding to rapid growth of “tough tech”]. MIT News. August 27, 2019.

Beyond its physical headquarters in Cambridge, The Engine is supporting ten regional innovation engines across the United States through The Builder Platform, funded by the National Science Foundation. The Builder Platform delivers an integrated suite of resources, community and advisory services to build, connect and accelerate regional tough tech ecosystems.{{cite press release |author= |date= September 29, 2023|title= NSF announces award for its Regional Innovation Engines Builder Platform|url= https://www.nsf.gov/tip/updates/Nsf-announces-nsf-engines-builder-platform-winner|location= |publisher= |agency= U.S. National Science Foundation |access-date=2025-04-04}}

On May 22, 2015, Rafael Reif, then the president of MIT, published an op-ed in The Washington Post outlining the challenges of commercializing new scientific discoveries and inventions. According to Reif, the U.S. market is designed for firms with the potential for profitability within five to six years, with no stable framework for slow-growing solutions for the significant problems of resource insecurity, health concerns, and climate change.Reif, L. Rafael. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-better-way-to-deliver-innovation-to-the-world/2015/05/22/35023680-fe28-11e4-8b6c-0dcce21e223d_story.html A better way to deliver innovation to the world]. The Washington Post. May 22, 2015.

The following year, on October 26, 2016, Reif announced that MIT was launching The Engine, a new kind of accelerator designed to support startup companies working on capital- and time-intensive technologies that would otherwise have difficulty finding stable support.Matheson, Rob. [https://news.mit.edu/2016/mit-announces-the-engine-for-entrepreneurs-1026 MIT launches new venture for world-changing entrepreneurs]. MIT News. October 26, 2016.Coldewey, Devin. [https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/26/the-engine-is-mits-incubator-for-tech-and-science-companies-straight-out-of-the-lab/ ‘The Engine’ is MIT’s incubator for tech and science companies straight out of the lab]. "Tech Crunch". October 26, 2016.

Initially, The Engine combined an investment fund with space for startups at its headquarters in Cambridge’s Central Square, featuring 26,000 square feet of office, wet lab, and prototyping space with shared access to capital-intensive equipment and a network of experts to advise the startups on matters including business management, intellectual property, and finances. Harris, David L. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-republican-mit-engine-2-d2/174733990/ MIT to fund, support 'tough' innovations with 'The Engine'] "The Republican". October 31, 2016.

The Engine closed its first investment fund for over $150 million in April 2017, with $25 million committed by MIT.Matheson, Rob. [https://news.mit.edu/2017/the-engine-closes-first-fund-150-million-0406 The Engine closes its first fund for over $150 million]. MIT News. April 6, 2017.Kolodny, Lora. [https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/09/a-150-million-fund-the-engine-will-back-startups-others-find-too-hard/ A $150 million fund, The Engine, will back startups others find ‘too hard’]. "Tech Crunch". April 9, 2017. In September 2017, The Engine announced that it had selected its first cohort of seven tough tech startups to invest in and admit into the building.Matheson, Rob. [https://news.mit.edu/2017/the-engine-announces-investments-first-group-startups-0919 The Engine announces investments in first group of startups]. MIT News. September 19, 2017.Konrad, Alex. [https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2017/09/19/mit-venture-fund-the-engine-backs-7-startups/ MIT's $200M Venture Fund Invests in Energy, Space, and Smell]. "Forbes". September 19, 2017

The Engine hosted its first Tough Tech Summit in Boston in October 2018.{{cite report |author= The Engine |date= 2018|title= Tough Tech: A publication by The Engine, built by MIT|url= https://engine-ventures.files.svdcdn.com/production/Reports-and-Publications/Tough-Tech-Publication-02.pdf|access-date= April 4, 2025}} The event has since been held every year and was expanded in 2024 to be included within the first annual Tough Tech Week, featuring a series of events across the Greater Boston area.{{cite press release |author= |date= September 10, 2024|title= Inaugural Tough Tech Week in Boston Will Gather Inventors, Investors, and Innovators for Five Days of Collaboration and Connection|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/inaugural-tough-tech-week-in-boston-will-gather-inventors-investors-and-innovators-for-five-days-of-collaboration-and-connection-302243617.html|location= |publisher= The Engine|agency= |access-date=2025-04-07}}

In August 2019, The Engine announced that it would begin construction on a 200,000 square foot expansion of shared office, fabrication, and lab space in the old Polaroid building at 750 Main Street in Cambridge. The new space would expand The Engine's capacity to host over 100 companies, employing at least 1,000 people, across both locations. Chesto, Jon. [https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2019/08/26/mit/6XvjvBSaZovaJ1CdBCjj0O/story.html MIT spinoff will expand into old Polaroid building] "The Boston Globe". August 27, 2019. The new facility opened its doors in the summer of 2022. Levy, Marc. [https://www.cambridgeday.com/2022/09/29/a-showy-opening-for-mits-engine-at-750-main-space-where-tough-tech-gets-down-to-business/ A showy opening for MIT’s Engine at 750 Main, space where ‘tough tech’ gets down to business]. Cambridge Day. September 29, 2022.

In 2023, the investment fund became a separate entity from The Engine (formal legal name: The Engine Accelerator, Inc.), and rebranded as the venture capital firm Engine Ventures.{{Cite web|title=Engine Ventures |url=https://engineventures.com//|access-date=2025-04-04|language=en}} The two entities continue to collaborate closely. However, companies do not need to be funded by Engine Ventures to be residents at The Engine or to access The Engine’s programming.Knapp, Alex. [https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2024/06/18/mit-spinout-the-engine-ventures-raises-new-400-million-fund-to-tackle-techs-toughest-problems/ MIT Spinout The Engine Ventures Raises New $398 Million Fund To Tackle Tech’s Toughest Problems]. Forbes. June 18, 2023.

The National Science Foundation granted $9.5 million to The Engine in September 2023 to develop, launch and run The Builder Platform to support its inaugural Regional Innovation Engines. To date, The Builder Platform, powered by The Engine, provides resources, community and advisory services to support 10 Regional Innovation Engines across the United States.

Although founded by MIT, residency at The Engine is open to all Tough Tech startups, and residents do not need to be affiliated with MIT. Prospective resident companies can apply for residency at The Engine’s website. Applications are evaluated based on their alignment with The Engine's focus on Tough Tech, the technical novelty of their solution, potential for significant societal and environmental impact, and the expertise of the team.{{Cite web|title=The Engine Residency Options & Amenities |url=engine.xyz/spaces/residency/residency-options|access-date=2025-04-04|language=en|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240819002545/*engine.xyz/spaces/residency/residency-options|archive-date=19 August 2024 }} Residency terms are flexible and there is no term limit to a team’s residency at The Engine.

The Engine’s facilities Cambridge’s Central Square contain over 200,000ft² of convergent lab space, fabrication spaces, offices and meeting spaces. This includes over 60,000ft² of BSL-2 wet lab space, including microbiological labs, tissue culture labs and chemistry labs.{{Cite web|title=Residency — Wet Labs |url= engine.xyz/spaces/residency/wet-labs|access-date=2025-04-04|language=en|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240819002545/*engine.xyz/spaces/residency/wet-labs|archive-date= 19 August 2024}} The rapid prototyping shops are equipped with professional-quality tools including 3D printers, CNC lathe and mills, a waterjet, laser cutters, and an electronics lab. The facilities also include a high-bay industrial space with the power and space to support heavy equipment.{{Cite web|title=Residency — Engineering Spaces |url= engine.xyz/spaces/residency/engineering-spaces|access-date=2025-04-04|language=en|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240819002545/*engine.xyz/spaces/residency/engineering-spaces|archive-date= 19 August 2024}}

In addition to specialized spaces and equipment, The Engine offers services including CLIA permitting, environmental health and safety risk review, equipment maintenance and management, hazardous waste management and disposal, engineering project consultations, design reviews, prototype fabrication, and business development support.{{Cite web|title=Residency|url= engine.xyz/spaces/residency|access-date=2025-04-04|language=en|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240819002545/*engine.xyz/spaces/residency|archive-date= 19 August 2024}}

The Engine runs programs for various audiences to encourage tough tech entrepreneurship, build leadership capacity, and accelerate the impact of tough tech.

First launched in 2020, Blueprint is a tech translation program designed to help graduate students, postdocs, researchers, and their teams explore the commercial potential of their innovations. The 8-week program has two cohorts every year and is curated for technologists developing a tough tech innovation for over 6 months and who plan to pursue it full-time as a startup within the next 12-18 months.{{Cite web|title=Blueprint|url=engine.xyz/blueprint|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240819002545/*engine.xyz/blueprint|archive-date=19 August 2024 |url-status=unfit}}

To date, Blueprint has graduated 599 teams from 128 institutions, who have collectively gone on to raise $405M in capital for their startups.{{Cite web|title=The Engine Home Page|url=engine.xyz/|language=en|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240819002545/*engine.xyz/|archive-date=19 August 2024 }}

Similar to Blueprint, Whiteboard is a tech translation program designed to help faculty members at universities and research institutions to understand and navigate the process of translating academic research out of their labs and into tough tech startups.{{Cite web|title=Whiteboard|url=https://whiteboard2024.splashthat.com/|access-date=2025-04-04|language=en}}

In addition to its tech translation programs, The Engine also offers numerous programs for its resident companies, including monthly workshops on business skills such as intellectual property management, finance, government relations, HR, leadership and communication, led by a rotating cohort of resident experts.{{Cite web|title=Resident Programs|url=engine.xyz/spaces/residency/resident-programs|access-date=2025-04-04|language=en|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240819002545/*engine.xyz/spaces/residency/resident-programs|archive-date=19 August 2024 }}

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