Mass High Tech, March 3, 2010
Shaped by a DIY ethos and the economic realities of a lingering recession, local startups are finding ways to inexpensively outfit their offices and lab space as they ramp up their operations. Some of the tactics local entrepreneurs are using to help get their businesses off the ground on a short dollar: hunting for bargains on Craigslist.org, negotiating free furnishings from landlords, buying secondhand lab equipment, even sharing work space with other emerging companies. “People are trying to be as efficient as possible,” said Jon Frisch, an associate with T3 Advisors, a real estate brokerage and consulting firm that represents technology business tenants. …For some startups, the cost of renting and setting up lab space is out of reach and long-term leases are unrealistic, said William Brah, executive director of the Venture Development Center, an incubator for high-tech and life sciences startups at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Launched last May, the VDC has 18,000 feet of lab, office and common space for startups. con’t
The Venture Development Center is Boston’s leading startup incubator for technology and life science companies.