The Engine

Thanks to the Boston Business Journal for highlighting The Engine's crucial and expanding role in Tough Tech. The transition to not-for-profit status reflects The Engine’s enduring commitment to providing specialized resources, infrastructure, and programming that support #ToughTech companies as they move from scientific breakthrough to commercial impact. The journal also draws attention to the impressive pace of spinout creation across Massachusetts, while acknowledging the persistent hurdles researchers face—namely, licensing delays, fragmented support systems, and gaps in entrepreneurial education. These articles reaffirm The Engine’s vital mission: to bridge the gap between transformative science and scalable, real-world solutions. Read both articles here: ⚙️ "The Engine Becomes Nonprofit, Expands Tough Tech Support in Boston": https://lnkd.in/e6HCfSmx 🏛️ "Is $90M per Spinout too Much?": https://lnkd.in/e2-MBBsr

📢 JOB ALERT: Join The Engine's Builder Platform team! Are you driven to support the next generation of #ToughTech? The Builder Platform, powered by The Engine, is hiring! We're looking for a passionate individual to play a critical role in connecting groundbreaking #startups with key resources, including capital and partners. You'll also be instrumental in helping regional innovation ecosystems launched under the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engines program realize their full potential. If you have experience in, or a deep passion for, connecting founders with resources and realizing ambitious technological goals, we want to hear from you! ➡️ Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/gk4Fq5n9 Know someone perfect for this role? Please share this post with your network! #VentureCapital #InnovationEcosystem #DeepTech #TheEngine #StartupSupport #Innovation #TechJobs #hiring

AI-native startups are redefining the trajectory of #ToughTech by embedding artificial intelligence as a core design principle, not merely layering it onto existing operations. Companies integrating AI at the foundation are realizing operational velocity, cost structures, and scalability that traditional models cannot match. In practice, Tough Tech companies working in areas such as life sciences and advanced materials now move from concept to milestone with significantly less time and expense, outpacing incumbents and building defensible positions in rapidly evolving markets. These companies are setting measurable new standards for efficiency and scientific discovery, rather than simply speculating about AI’s potential. Various The Engine Resident companies, including Quantum Formatics and Phare Bio, have built platforms where AI is indispensable to the discovery of novel materials and therapeutics, achieving speed and accuracy that were not feasible under legacy approaches. As capital becomes more selective, the market is rewarding those that demonstrate concrete outcomes enabled by deep AI integration. Adopting AI as a true design principle yields durable advantage and is fundamentally reshaping how transformative technologies are brought to market in complex sectors. Teams who embrace this approach are positioned to lead in both technical capability and long-term societal impact. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/e6Btxv7z

Congrats Nanopath on this huge milestone! Great to see the impact you're beginning to make in women's health.

Introducing The Builder Platform website. Progress starts with connection. The Builder Platform strengthens regional ecosystems across the country by linking the people, programs, and partners turning research into real-world impact. Our new website showcases the regions leading this work, stories behind their momentum, and the services designed to help them move further, faster, together. Explore how The Builder Platform is supporting the next generation of technology ecosystems and see what’s being built across the country.  builderplatform.engine.xyz

How do we power the Tough Tech economy? Tough Tech companies—from clean energy and advanced manufacturing to biotech and materials—share one essential need: access to the grid. In a new piece, The Engine’s Chief Growth Officer Benjamin Downing reflects on what it will take to connect the next generation of factories, data centers, and pilot facilities to reliable, affordable, and clean power. Drawing on his experience in public policy and industry, Ben outlines three critical challenges — and the technologies and collaborations already emerging to solve them: ⚡ Information asymmetry – Developers need better visibility into where grid capacity exists. 🏛️ Permitting & policy – Interconnection must move from “no” to “yes” through smarter regulation and earlier engagement. 🔌 Infrastructure & system planning – We need to modernize transmission and storage to meet the demands of electrification. From superconducting transmission lines to carbon capture and thermal energy storage, #ToughTech companies are already helping reshape the grid for abundance. Read Ben’s full article to learn how industry, government, and innovators can work together to power Tough Tech → https://lnkd.in/eaY6G-mq Special thanks to keynote speaker Rep. Jake Auchincloss as well as panelists Eric Johnson, Ben D'Antonio, Max Luke, Dan Dolan, Gregory M. Wilson, Kate Tohme, and Jennifer Daloisio for their contributions to the panel on How to Power Tough Tech at #ToughTechWeek that shaped the insights in this piece. 

Vaxess Technologies is pioneering a needle-free, self-applied microarray patch to safely and effectively deliver GLP-1 therapies at home—an innovation with the potential to transform patient experience and accessibility. This technology is supported by rigorous research and preclinical testing, distinctly setting it apart from unregulated and counterfeit alternatives flooding the market. This article from Rachel Sha, CEO of Vaxess and a Resident alumnus, highlights exactly why we host the #ToughTechSummit: to showcase transformative ventures committed to solving complex challenges with scientific integrity and real-world impact. Responsible innovation lies at the core of The Engine’s mission to support Tough Tech ventures driving meaningful change.

We just wrapped an inspiring few days at Tough Tech Week, hosted by The Engine. This annual gathering reaffirmed why building hard technologies is both a marathon and a masterclass in storytelling, strategy, and grit.    A few takeaways:    - Great investors offer more than capital.    We believe the best ones bring pattern recognition, strategic clarity, and deep domain expertise. They’ve seen the movie before—and their guidance can help you skip the slow scenes and dodge the plot twists that stall progress.     -Early-stage founders: get good at grants.    Non-dilutive funding is a lifeline in tough tech. Writing clear, compelling, and fundable grant applications is a skill—and one that can unlock critical early momentum.     - Storytelling is your superpower. Storytelling is what sets humans apart. In biotech, the better molecule often wins. But in other sectors, it’s rarely the best tech that triumphs—it’s the team that executes, scales, and tells the most compelling story. If people don’t understand your vision, they likely won’t remember it. And if they don’t remember it, they won’t fund it, join it, or champion it.    Thanks to The Engine for convening such a thoughtful community.    Tough tech is hard, but it’s also where the future gets built.    #ToughTechWeek #DeepTech #Founders #Storytelling #TheEngine #BostonTech #HardTech #Innovation #BuiltInLabs

Tough Tech is solving our world's greatest challenges — yet turning breakthrough science into scalable impact takes more than an idea. It takes a home with the resources to bridge the gap. At The Engine, we equip early-stage Tough Tech companies with the infrastructure, programs, and ecosystem they need to move from discovery to deployment — faster, stronger, and with lasting commercial impact. Watch our new brand video to see how The Engine is empowering the next generation of world-changing #ToughTech companies.