*Okey-doke, let's see how that works out, then.
Like a fablab makerspace, only with, uh, money
Rob Matheson | MIT News Office
December 2, 2016At a community forum on MIT’s new startup accelerator, The Engine, administrators discussed the new enterprise and fielded questions about its formation, components, mission, funding, mentor and equipment access, startup-selection process, and other issues.
The forum, held last night in Building 32, opened with remarks from MIT’s leadership who helped launch The Engine: MIT President L. Rafael Reif, professor and head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Anantha Chandrakasan, Provost Martin Schmidt, and Executive Vice President and Treasurer Israel Ruiz.
The floor then opened up to professors, students, alumni, and other MIT community members, who posed questions about The Engine’s selection process and components, and offered advice and potential opportunities for collaboration.
Announced in October, The Engine is a new venture aimed at supporting entrepreneurs pursuing transformative technologies that are capital- and time-intensive. The venture aims to provide those entrepreneurs hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, and make available hundreds of thousands of square feet of space in Kendall Square and nearby communities. A web-based app, called the Engine Room, will allow entrepreneurs to use or rent specialized resources from MIT, and participating companies and institutions, including office and conference spaces on and off campus, clean rooms, and other facilities and specialized equipment. The venture will also introduce entrepreneurs to peers, mentors, and established companies in innovation clusters across the region and around the world.
Within a day following the announcement, The Engine’s website received about a thousand inquiries from those wanting to become involved….
