VENTURE INCUBATION PROGRAM
Accelerate Your Startup’s Growth
Program
The Venture Incubation Program is open to companies no matter what university their founders graduated from. Entrepreneurs in residence have been from many different fields, countries and universities, including UMass, Cornell, Boston University, WPI, Tufts, Northeastern, Yale, Harvard, and MIT. All have chosen to move to or remain in Boston after graduation and join the VDC to realize their entrepreneurial dreams.
The VDC community is a powerful network for capital, business development, and recruitment. Most companies arrive at the seed stage and graduate in 9-18 months with a larger investment. The average investment in the companies supported to date is $11,219,687.
- To begin, if you are from another country, we relieve immigration uncertainty by sponsoring a cap-exempt H-1B visa anytime during the year. Learn more.
- 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. Learn more.
- And to make you productive, we provide top-tier, ready to use laboratory and office workspace. See below.
- 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. Learn more.
- The entrepreneurs share knowledge regularly, and come together every week at the VDC for a lively community lunch. They schedule office hours with the VDC staff and mentors as needed.
Laboratories, Offices
and Desks
(Included in membership)
- Private wet laboratories (BSL-2 equipped and furnished, with 30 feet of bench space) for 6 persons.
- Private dry laboratories (furnished with work tables) for 8-10 persons.
- Private offices (furnished) for 1-3 persons.
- Shared desks and tables
- Conference rooms
- Event space
- Cafe
- Lounge
- Kitchen
Services
(Included in membership)
- Shipping, receiving and reception
Internet - Server hosting
- Library databases
- Color copying and printing
- Maintenance of permits for all laboratory operations
- EHS training and compliance
- Maintenance of equipment and technical support
- Cleaning and waste removal
- VIP parking
Infrastructure
(Included in membership)
- 3-D printer
- Departmental supercomputer
- Flow cytometer
- Chemical hoods
- Class II, Type A2 biosafety cabinets
- Centrifuges
- Refrigerators
- Freezers
- Incubators
- Deionized water
- Vacuum, compressed air and gas
- Autoclave
- Glass wash
- Flake ice
Core Facilities
(Mission critical instruments, equipment and expertise available at per hour rates)
- Animal Resource Facility
- Fabrication
- Chromatography
- Spectroscopy
- Microscopy
- Genomics
- Flow Cytometry
- Imaging
A new Innovation Voucher Program gives you discounted access to 90 UMass core research facilities throughout the state. Learn more.
Membership
- We accept 10-15 companies annually on a rolling basis. Acceptance rate is 13%.
- The all-inclusive membership fee depends upon the type of facilities your company needs: desks, offices, laboratories. It ranges from $750 to $10,000 per month. There is no per person fee.
- Available on a month-to-month basis.