About
We deliver the support you need when you need it to launch an innovative technology or life science company, beginning with visa sponsorship.
With thoughtful and meaningful business mentorship, connections and resources including offices, laboratories, and equipment.
Backed by our years of experience and expertise.
Mission
Massachusetts universities attract the best and brightest from everywhere, many of whom want to be in Boston after graduation to realize their entrepreneurial dream. The University of Massachusetts opened the VDC in 2009 to make it possible.
-To begin, if you are from another country, we relieve your immigration anxiety by sponsoring a cap-exempt H-1B visa anytime during the year.
-To help you build your business, we give you unprecedented access to a team that has been part of creating companies worth a billion dollars as both investors and entrepreneurs.
-And to make you productive, we provide top-tier, ready to use laboratory and office workspace.
-Plus, to stretch your resources, we help you find talented and skilled science, engineering and business interns and give you access to many types of advanced university engineering and life science instruments including an animal facility.
Most companies arrive at the seed stage and graduate in 9-18 months with a larger investment.
Results
The VDC’s offering has proven to be rewarding:
-New companies supported: 116, with at least one immigrant, woman, and/or minority member in the founding team.
-Investment: $2.0B
-Company headcount: 2,725 employees
-Investors: 132, including 5 of the top 10 venture capital firms
-Acquisitions: $1.5B (PillPack by Amazon; Kensho by S&P; enEvolv by Zymergen)
-IPOs: $321M (SQZ Biotech; Flywire)
Community
Today, there are 16 companies (~50 persons) in residence:
-Industries are healthcare, biopharma, medical device, finance, software, electronics and nanotech
-Company size ranges from 3-10 employees
-Founder origin: 5 continents and 14 universities, including UMass, Cornell, Rhode Island School of Design, Boston University, Northeastern, Yale, Harvard, MIT, Columbia, Stanford and Carnegie Mellon
Membership
-Become part of a thriving community of some of the best and brightest entrepreneurial talent in the world.
-We accept 10-15 companies annually on a rolling basis.
-The month-to-month membership fee depends upon the type of facilities you need: laboratory, office or desk.
Did we pique your interest?
Feel free to reach out
Venture Development Center
University of Massachusetts Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125-3393
Contact us
vdc@umb.edu
1.617.287.6070