The Engine is a venture firm established in 2016 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that focuses on early-stage investments in technology-driven companies addressing significant global challenges. It aims to accelerate the transition from innovative ideas to impactful solutions by providing a supportive ecosystem that includes access to funding, infrastructure, and specialized resources. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, The Engine offers physical space for entrepreneurs and simplifies the legal processes necessary for bringing products to market. It fosters a collaboration between startups and investors who are committed to long-term growth and innovation, allowing startups to retain more control over their ventures. With the capacity to support up to 60 startups simultaneously, The Engine provides essential business planning, legal, and administrative support, enabling companies to validate their concepts and achieve market readiness.
Developer of a cement decarbonizing technology designed to reduce emissions and co-produce green hydrogen. The company's technology uses clean renewable energy and an electrochemical process that eliminates carbon dioxide emissions without changing the properties or chemistry of the cement, enabling builders to contribute towards the shared goal of a sustainable and renewable future.
Mori, officially known as Cambridge Crops, Inc., specializes in the development of an innovative biopolymer coating designed to extend the shelf life of perishable foods. Established in 2016 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, the company utilizes a unique process that extracts protein from natural silk using salt and water. This edible and natural coating forms a protective layer over various food items, including fruits, vegetables, meat, and seafood, effectively slowing down spoilage. Through its technology, Mori aims to enhance the freshness of food while promoting sustainability in the food supply chain.
Quaise
Series A in 2022
Quaise is an energy company pioneering millimeter wave drilling technology to access deep geothermal energy. Quaise is developing and commercializing novel millimeter wave drilling systems to harness geothermal energy around the globe, overcoming the geographic constraints limiting this energy source today.
Resonant Link LLC manufactures and develops wireless charging solutions by leveraging coil technology. Its products include Resonant Link’s multi-layer self-resonant structure (MSRS). It serves robot, drone, and electric vehicles industries throughout the world. The company was founded in 2017 and is based in Shelburne, Vermont.
Cellino Biotech, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, founded in 2017. The company specializes in developing intracellular delivery lasers and nanotechnology for gene editing applications. By leveraging advanced tools from optics, biology, and computation, Cellino transforms the process of stem cell differentiation into a digital format, allowing for the engineering of functionally mature cells. This innovative approach significantly accelerates the development time of engineered cells, reducing it from years to weeks.
Sync Computing Corp. specializes in the development of optimization processing units (OPUs) that address complex combinatorial optimization challenges across various sectors, including telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, finance, and logistics. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company offers innovative solutions that integrate advanced algorithms into hardware, enhancing the ability of organizations to tackle significant optimization issues. By leveraging its technology, Sync Computing aims to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness in industries that heavily utilize machine learning and optimization techniques.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems LLC is a research company focused on developing fusion energy as a sustainable solution to combat climate change. Established in 2017 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company utilizes advanced rare-earth barium copper oxide superconductor technology to create energy through fusion. Commonwealth Fusion Systems combines decades of government-funded fusion research with innovative superconducting magnet technology to expedite the commercialization of fusion energy. The company emerged from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and collaborates closely with MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, leveraging extensive research to enhance its development efforts. By designing and building fusion machines, Commonwealth Fusion aims to provide limitless and clean energy, contributing to the global transition toward sustainable energy sources.
Analytical Space is in the business of quickly moving data from imaging satellites in space back to the ground. Analytical Space is building the in-orbit communication infrastructure that will enable real time knowledge of what is happening on the surface of our planet.
Via Separations, Inc. specializes in developing membrane-based products designed for the separation of industrial liquids in demanding environments. Founded in 2016 and located in Somerville, Massachusetts, the company utilizes a unique materials technology that significantly enhances energy efficiency, using ten times less energy than conventional separation methods. Its innovative platform improves selectivity between nano filtration solutes while ensuring membranes possess greater temperature stability, solvent resistance, and oxidizer tolerance. This approach aims to optimize industrial separation processes, contributing to more sustainable operational practices.
Kytopen Corp. is a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focused on advancing cell therapy through its innovative Flowfect technology. Established in 2017, Kytopen specializes in non-viral delivery systems for molecules into challenging immune cells that are typically hard to transfect. The company utilizes a combination of microfluidics and automation to streamline the delivery process, making it faster, more efficient, and cost-effective. By employing a unique platform that integrates continuous fluid flow with electric fields, Kytopen enables researchers to produce high-quality engineered cells in a matter of minutes while preserving their health and functionality. This approach supports the discovery of novel biological insights and the development of affordable cell and gene therapies.
Lilac Solutions has developed a new ion exchange technology to address the challenges faced by lithium producers. Lilac's technology cuts capital and operating costs, accelerates project startup, boosts lithium recovery, and unlocks new resources. Their process is modular and can be ramped up quickly through pilot and commercial projects.
Lilac is a mining technology company and is building partnerships with brine developers and operators around the world.
Form Energy, Inc. specializes in the development of long-duration energy storage systems aimed at replacing fossil fuel-based generation with renewable energy solutions. The company focuses on creating low-cost battery systems that can store energy from wind and solar sources for extended periods, enabling electricity supply from renewables to be more reliable and dispatchable throughout the year. Form Energy's technology, originally developed at MIT, enhances the electric grid's capacity without necessitating new transmission infrastructure and aims to diminish reliance on conventional thermal generation. Additionally, the company offers Formware, a software tool designed for capacity expansion with advanced optimization capabilities. Founded in 2017 and based in Somerville, Massachusetts, Form Energy is backed by notable investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures and MIT’s The Engine, and is driven by a team dedicated to overcoming complex technological challenges through innovation.
Emvolon is a technology company focused on developing a platform that facilitates the distributed production of chemicals from wasted resources, particularly natural gas at flare sites. By converting this wasted gas into usable chemicals, Emvolon addresses a variety of industrial applications and offers carbon-negative fuel alternatives. The company's innovative approach reimagines conventional diesel engines as miniature chemical reactors, allowing for efficient and localized chemical production. This method eliminates the need for large refineries and chemical plants, making it economically viable for smaller production facilities. Emvolon's technology aims to provide communities with the necessary raw materials while promoting sustainability and reducing waste.
Mori, officially known as Cambridge Crops, Inc., specializes in the development of an innovative biopolymer coating designed to extend the shelf life of perishable foods. Established in 2016 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, the company utilizes a unique process that extracts protein from natural silk using salt and water. This edible and natural coating forms a protective layer over various food items, including fruits, vegetables, meat, and seafood, effectively slowing down spoilage. Through its technology, Mori aims to enhance the freshness of food while promoting sustainability in the food supply chain.
VEIR is a company developing a new approach to using high-temperature superconductors for electricity transmission. Its passive evaporative cryogenic cooling delivers 20 times the cooling power per kilogram of nitrogen flow compared to mechanical subcooling.
Cellino Biotech, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, founded in 2017. The company specializes in developing intracellular delivery lasers and nanotechnology for gene editing applications. By leveraging advanced tools from optics, biology, and computation, Cellino transforms the process of stem cell differentiation into a digital format, allowing for the engineering of functionally mature cells. This innovative approach significantly accelerates the development time of engineered cells, reducing it from years to weeks.
Boston Metal is a provider of industrial-scale, metals production solutions utilizing its Molten Oxide Electrolysis (MOE) process. MOE provides the metals industry with a more efficient, lower cost, and greener solution for the production of a wide array of metals and alloys from a wide variety of feedstocks. Boston Metal was spun-out of MIT in 2012 with an investment from Ingo Wender and has since scaled the technology 1,000x and produced thousands of kilograms of metal. Boston Metal’s headquarters and industrial development center are located in Woburn, MA.
Routable AI Inc., founded in 2019 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specializes in fleet management software designed for on-demand transportation services, including shuttles and buses. The company aims to address the evolving mobility landscape, targeting the high-capacity mobility-as-a-service market, which is projected to be worth $30 billion. By leveraging advanced AI and patent-pending routing algorithms developed from extensive research at MIT, Routable AI provides a platform that significantly enhances operational efficiency for fleet operators. This technology enables dynamic routing of transportation services, leading to reductions in fleet sizes by up to 80% while offering a cost-effective and convenient alternative for commuters and corporations alike.
Zapata Computing is a quantum software company that offers computing solutions for industrial and commercial use. It provides hardware-agnostic solutions for simulation, optimization, and machine learning applications in chemistry, finance, logistics, pharmaceuticals, engineering, and materials.
Zapata Computing is a spun out of Harvard University launched by a group of Harvard scientists, including Alán Aspuru-Guzik.
The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
Form Energy, Inc. specializes in the development of long-duration energy storage systems aimed at replacing fossil fuel-based generation with renewable energy solutions. The company focuses on creating low-cost battery systems that can store energy from wind and solar sources for extended periods, enabling electricity supply from renewables to be more reliable and dispatchable throughout the year. Form Energy's technology, originally developed at MIT, enhances the electric grid's capacity without necessitating new transmission infrastructure and aims to diminish reliance on conventional thermal generation. Additionally, the company offers Formware, a software tool designed for capacity expansion with advanced optimization capabilities. Founded in 2017 and based in Somerville, Massachusetts, Form Energy is backed by notable investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures and MIT’s The Engine, and is driven by a team dedicated to overcoming complex technological challenges through innovation.
WoHo Systems, Inc. constructs buildings spaces and structures. It offers WoHo Systems which are made up of a series of discrete foundational components which can be scaled and configured to span residential and commercial buildings, such as multifamily housing, hotels, dormitories, labs, and offices. It also provides suite and tower used in residential and commercial buildings. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts with additional offices in Madrid, Spain.
Mori, officially known as Cambridge Crops, Inc., specializes in the development of an innovative biopolymer coating designed to extend the shelf life of perishable foods. Established in 2016 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, the company utilizes a unique process that extracts protein from natural silk using salt and water. This edible and natural coating forms a protective layer over various food items, including fruits, vegetables, meat, and seafood, effectively slowing down spoilage. Through its technology, Mori aims to enhance the freshness of food while promoting sustainability in the food supply chain.
Quaise
Seed Round in 2020
Quaise is an energy company pioneering millimeter wave drilling technology to access deep geothermal energy. Quaise is developing and commercializing novel millimeter wave drilling systems to harness geothermal energy around the globe, overcoming the geographic constraints limiting this energy source today.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems LLC is a research company focused on developing fusion energy as a sustainable solution to combat climate change. Established in 2017 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company utilizes advanced rare-earth barium copper oxide superconductor technology to create energy through fusion. Commonwealth Fusion Systems combines decades of government-funded fusion research with innovative superconducting magnet technology to expedite the commercialization of fusion energy. The company emerged from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and collaborates closely with MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, leveraging extensive research to enhance its development efforts. By designing and building fusion machines, Commonwealth Fusion aims to provide limitless and clean energy, contributing to the global transition toward sustainable energy sources.
Biobot Analytics is a wastewater epidemiology company that is transforming wastewater infrastructure into public health observatories. Its wastewater monitoring technology analyzes urine and stool samples to create a health database that is independent of hospital reporting systems, free from societal biases affecting who can and can’t seek care, and most importantly, rapidly adaptable to new and emerging public health threats.
THE HUMAN EMPOWERING ROBOTICS COMPANY
Rise Robotics designs, makes and sells breakthrough mechanical products.
The company was founded in 2011 to advance the robotics industry with the ultimate goal of enabling powerful wearable ExoSUITS™ for all.
Our first product Bacon Robotic Air Compressor™ disrupts handheld air compressors.
The innovation that enabled the Bacon Robotic air compressor™ is the Cyclone Linear Drive. A new mobile robotic component that can advance many applications. Cyclone drives enable piston or muscle like actuation. It was inspired by our ExoSuit™ explorations.
Lilac Solutions has developed a new ion exchange technology to address the challenges faced by lithium producers. Lilac's technology cuts capital and operating costs, accelerates project startup, boosts lithium recovery, and unlocks new resources. Their process is modular and can be ramped up quickly through pilot and commercial projects.
Lilac is a mining technology company and is building partnerships with brine developers and operators around the world.
Lilac Solutions has developed a new ion exchange technology to address the challenges faced by lithium producers. Lilac's technology cuts capital and operating costs, accelerates project startup, boosts lithium recovery, and unlocks new resources. Their process is modular and can be ramped up quickly through pilot and commercial projects.
Lilac is a mining technology company and is building partnerships with brine developers and operators around the world.
Sync Computing Corp. specializes in the development of optimization processing units (OPUs) that address complex combinatorial optimization challenges across various sectors, including telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, finance, and logistics. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company offers innovative solutions that integrate advanced algorithms into hardware, enhancing the ability of organizations to tackle significant optimization issues. By leveraging its technology, Sync Computing aims to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness in industries that heavily utilize machine learning and optimization techniques.
ISEE, Inc. is a company that specializes in developing artificial intelligence software and hardware solutions for autonomous vehicles. Established in 2016 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, ISEE focuses on creating humanistic AI that can navigate complex driving scenarios and unfamiliar situations. The company draws inspiration from computational cognitive science, aiming to ensure that its technology integrates seamlessly into society and enhances human lives. The team at ISEE comprises leading technologists and researchers from prestigious institutions such as MIT, Harvard, and Carnegie Mellon University, reflecting a commitment to innovative thinking in the field of AI autonomy.
E25Bio specializes in the development of rapid diagnostic tests for epidemic fever viruses. It is dedicated to preventing severe downstream health outcomes with the use of mobile, fast, real-time reporting to create unprecedented large datasets to guide informed and timely responses for the control of disease spread.
The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Form Energy, Inc. specializes in the development of long-duration energy storage systems aimed at replacing fossil fuel-based generation with renewable energy solutions. The company focuses on creating low-cost battery systems that can store energy from wind and solar sources for extended periods, enabling electricity supply from renewables to be more reliable and dispatchable throughout the year. Form Energy's technology, originally developed at MIT, enhances the electric grid's capacity without necessitating new transmission infrastructure and aims to diminish reliance on conventional thermal generation. Additionally, the company offers Formware, a software tool designed for capacity expansion with advanced optimization capabilities. Founded in 2017 and based in Somerville, Massachusetts, Form Energy is backed by notable investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures and MIT’s The Engine, and is driven by a team dedicated to overcoming complex technological challenges through innovation.
Mori, officially known as Cambridge Crops, Inc., specializes in the development of an innovative biopolymer coating designed to extend the shelf life of perishable foods. Established in 2016 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, the company utilizes a unique process that extracts protein from natural silk using salt and water. This edible and natural coating forms a protective layer over various food items, including fruits, vegetables, meat, and seafood, effectively slowing down spoilage. Through its technology, Mori aims to enhance the freshness of food while promoting sustainability in the food supply chain.
Lucy Therapeutics is a biotech company providing effective treatments for neurological diseases start with the mitochondria. They offering a differentiated and novel approach to drug discovery by drugging targets associated with early disease pathogenesis. Their innovative approach can also be expanded to provide new options for treating similar neurologically focused diseases including Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Lucy Therapeutics' unique approach recognizes that improvement of mitochondrial function early in disease will lead to disease modification as opposed to late-stage symptomatic treatments being pursued by many others. It proposes to focus on the orphan disease Rett Syndrome for a proof of concept. The Rett Syndrome (RTT) is a devastating pediatric disease, with no currently available drug treatments. Lucy Therapeutics was founded in 2017 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems LLC is a research company focused on developing fusion energy as a sustainable solution to combat climate change. Established in 2017 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company utilizes advanced rare-earth barium copper oxide superconductor technology to create energy through fusion. Commonwealth Fusion Systems combines decades of government-funded fusion research with innovative superconducting magnet technology to expedite the commercialization of fusion energy. The company emerged from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and collaborates closely with MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, leveraging extensive research to enhance its development efforts. By designing and building fusion machines, Commonwealth Fusion aims to provide limitless and clean energy, contributing to the global transition toward sustainable energy sources.
Vaxess Technologies, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 2011. It specializes in developing and commercializing silk biomaterial technologies aimed at improving vaccine delivery and storage. The company has created the MIMIX microneedle platform, which facilitates transdermal delivery of vaccines and therapies, and the MATRIX formulation and drying platform, which enhances the stability of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic products. By utilizing a silk-derived protein, Vaxess enables vaccines to be stored and transported without refrigeration, thereby reducing distribution costs and increasing access to essential healthcare products globally.
Kytopen Corp. is a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focused on advancing cell therapy through its innovative Flowfect technology. Established in 2017, Kytopen specializes in non-viral delivery systems for molecules into challenging immune cells that are typically hard to transfect. The company utilizes a combination of microfluidics and automation to streamline the delivery process, making it faster, more efficient, and cost-effective. By employing a unique platform that integrates continuous fluid flow with electric fields, Kytopen enables researchers to produce high-quality engineered cells in a matter of minutes while preserving their health and functionality. This approach supports the discovery of novel biological insights and the development of affordable cell and gene therapies.
Zapata Computing is a quantum software company that offers computing solutions for industrial and commercial use. It provides hardware-agnostic solutions for simulation, optimization, and machine learning applications in chemistry, finance, logistics, pharmaceuticals, engineering, and materials.
Zapata Computing is a spun out of Harvard University launched by a group of Harvard scientists, including Alán Aspuru-Guzik.
The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
Cellino Biotech, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, founded in 2017. The company specializes in developing intracellular delivery lasers and nanotechnology for gene editing applications. By leveraging advanced tools from optics, biology, and computation, Cellino transforms the process of stem cell differentiation into a digital format, allowing for the engineering of functionally mature cells. This innovative approach significantly accelerates the development time of engineered cells, reducing it from years to weeks.
Via Separations, Inc. specializes in developing membrane-based products designed for the separation of industrial liquids in demanding environments. Founded in 2016 and located in Somerville, Massachusetts, the company utilizes a unique materials technology that significantly enhances energy efficiency, using ten times less energy than conventional separation methods. Its innovative platform improves selectivity between nano filtration solutes while ensuring membranes possess greater temperature stability, solvent resistance, and oxidizer tolerance. This approach aims to optimize industrial separation processes, contributing to more sustainable operational practices.
Boston Metal is a provider of industrial-scale, metals production solutions utilizing its Molten Oxide Electrolysis (MOE) process. MOE provides the metals industry with a more efficient, lower cost, and greener solution for the production of a wide array of metals and alloys from a wide variety of feedstocks. Boston Metal was spun-out of MIT in 2012 with an investment from Ingo Wender and has since scaled the technology 1,000x and produced thousands of kilograms of metal. Boston Metal’s headquarters and industrial development center are located in Woburn, MA.
Radix Labs aims to be the operating system for laboratories. Radix works with your existing on premise hardware, and makes it easy to use hardware from many manufacturers.
Form Energy, Inc. specializes in the development of long-duration energy storage systems aimed at replacing fossil fuel-based generation with renewable energy solutions. The company focuses on creating low-cost battery systems that can store energy from wind and solar sources for extended periods, enabling electricity supply from renewables to be more reliable and dispatchable throughout the year. Form Energy's technology, originally developed at MIT, enhances the electric grid's capacity without necessitating new transmission infrastructure and aims to diminish reliance on conventional thermal generation. Additionally, the company offers Formware, a software tool designed for capacity expansion with advanced optimization capabilities. Founded in 2017 and based in Somerville, Massachusetts, Form Energy is backed by notable investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures and MIT’s The Engine, and is driven by a team dedicated to overcoming complex technological challenges through innovation.
Analytical Space is in the business of quickly moving data from imaging satellites in space back to the ground. Analytical Space is building the in-orbit communication infrastructure that will enable real time knowledge of what is happening on the surface of our planet.
Baseload Renewables
Seed Round in 2017
Baseload Renewables develops low-cost energy storage to replace fossil base-load generation with renewable energy.
Suono Bio is developing platform technology designed to enable ultra-rapid delivery of therapeutics, including proteins and nucleic acids, to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the capacity to deliver small molecules, proteins, vaccines, and nucleic acids locally and systemically, validating further development of the system.
Kytopen Corp. is a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focused on advancing cell therapy through its innovative Flowfect technology. Established in 2017, Kytopen specializes in non-viral delivery systems for molecules into challenging immune cells that are typically hard to transfect. The company utilizes a combination of microfluidics and automation to streamline the delivery process, making it faster, more efficient, and cost-effective. By employing a unique platform that integrates continuous fluid flow with electric fields, Kytopen enables researchers to produce high-quality engineered cells in a matter of minutes while preserving their health and functionality. This approach supports the discovery of novel biological insights and the development of affordable cell and gene therapies.
Via Separations, Inc. specializes in developing membrane-based products designed for the separation of industrial liquids in demanding environments. Founded in 2016 and located in Somerville, Massachusetts, the company utilizes a unique materials technology that significantly enhances energy efficiency, using ten times less energy than conventional separation methods. Its innovative platform improves selectivity between nano filtration solutes while ensuring membranes possess greater temperature stability, solvent resistance, and oxidizer tolerance. This approach aims to optimize industrial separation processes, contributing to more sustainable operational practices.
C2Sense, Inc. develops chemiresistive gas sensors for food and agriculture applications. Its sensors are used to detect ethylene, biogenic amines, and other relevant gases at low parts per million (ppm) and sub-ppm concentrations; and monitor fruit ripeness and meat/fish/poultry freshness at all stages of the supply chain. The company’s sensors help to improve food quality and address the problem of waste by allowing growers, shippers, distributors, retailers, and consumers to make decisions to reduce waste at every stage. C2Sense, Inc. was founded in 2013 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
ISEE, Inc. is a company that specializes in developing artificial intelligence software and hardware solutions for autonomous vehicles. Established in 2016 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, ISEE focuses on creating humanistic AI that can navigate complex driving scenarios and unfamiliar situations. The company draws inspiration from computational cognitive science, aiming to ensure that its technology integrates seamlessly into society and enhances human lives. The team at ISEE comprises leading technologists and researchers from prestigious institutions such as MIT, Harvard, and Carnegie Mellon University, reflecting a commitment to innovative thinking in the field of AI autonomy.