Resources for Entrepreneurs

Office of Technology Development (OTD): Our integrated, research-focused approach to technology development comprises corporate partnerships and alliances, management of University-owned intellectual property, and technology commercialization through venture creation and licensing. We also lead and operate the Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator and the Physical Sciences & Engineering Accelerator.

Harvard Grid: The Grid aims to catalyze translation of Harvard research by providing resources including funding, physical workspace, mentoring, and entrepreneurial programming.

OTD Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs): OTD’s EIRs are experienced entrepreneurs who spend time on campus becoming familiar with the latest research in Harvard labs. They can provide advice on entrepreneurship and innovation and — when the right opportunity presents itself — help catalyze a new startup around Harvard technology.

OTD Experts-in-Residence (XIRs): OTD's XIRs have a wealth of experience in company formation and leadership, intellectual property strategy, legal transactions, product development, regulatory affairs, marketing, corporate partnerships, and much more.

OTD Business Development Fellowship: This OTD fellowship provides Harvard graduate students and postdoctoral researchers an opportunity to participate in the crucial early stages of technology assessment and development, gaining experience in translating research discoveries into products that reach the public.

Blavatnik Fellowship in Life Science Entrepreneurship: Open to recent MBA graduates of Harvard Business School, the Blavatnik Fellowship at HBS offers the opportunity to work with Harvard inventors to promote the commercialization of life science technologies with significant market potential.

Harvard Innovation Labs: Launched in 2011, the i-lab is a significant resource for student entrepreneurs. Programming is designed to help students grow their ventures at any stage of development. The Innovation Labs also comprise the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab, a co-working wet lab facility, and the Harvard Launch Lab, an alumni venture incubator space. The i-lab hosts the President’s Challenge, an annual venture competition.

TECH: The Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard, based at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, supports entrepreneurial students, encourages their innovation education, and runs the annual Harvard College Innovation Challenge (i3).

Courses: The University offers dozens of courses for aspiring entrepreneurs, across the Schools, in topics covering startup R&D, health care innovation, commercializing science, educational technologies, social entrepreneurship, international entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, and more.

Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab:
The Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab is a 15,000-square-foot state-of-the-art wet laboratory and co-working space for high-potential biotech and life science ventures of Harvard affiliation. Companies are part of a community supported by the Harvard and LabCentral ecosystems. The Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab is located on the Harvard Business school campus.

Blavatnik Harvard Life Lab Longwood:
The Blavatnik Harvard Life Lab offers wet laboratories and co-working space for early-stage, high-potential biotech, and life science ventures of Harvard affiliation, including hospitals and institutions. Companies are part of a community supported by the Harvard and LabCentral ecosystems. The Blavatnik Harvard Life Lab is in the heart of Longwood, on the Harvard Medical School campus.

Activate Boston: A two year fellowship for early-stage founders to access funding, technical support, and community at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journeys.

Nucleate Boston: Nucleate is a free and collaborative student-run organization that educates and empowers future entrepreneurs to build academic ventures

Pillar Frequency: Frequency is a free, part-time program hosted by Pillar VC and Petri to explore building a startup. Pillar VC also provides advice and tools for founders through their website.

The Engine Blueprint: The Engine, a local VC providing funding, advising, and facilities for “tough tech” founders runs a free, part-time program to help scientific innovators navigate the commercialization process.

CIC: Formerly Cambridge Innovation Center. One of several places that provide shared office space for early-stage companies.

Greentown Labs: Prototyping and office space in Somerville for energy and clean-technology startups, with a shared machine shop and electronics shop.

LabCentral: Shared lab facilities and administrative support for life-science and biotech startups, in Kendall Square.

MassRobotics: Shared workshop, prototyping, and lab space in Boston for robotics startups.

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center: A quasi-public agency, MassCEC offers a number of grant programs, including the Catalyst Program, to help prototype or deploy clean-energy and water technologies.

The Entrepreneur Forum: An independent non-profit organization whose mission is to provide practical programs for startup founders at all stages of development.

MassChallenge: An accelerator program with a competition for high-impact startups.

TechStars: A mentorship-driven seed-stage investment program that runs in Boston and other cities.

Alexandria LaunchLabs - Cambridge: Shared space for life-science startups in Kendall Square. Offers Innovation Prizes and access to seed funding.

NSF I-Corps: This 7-week program run by the National Science Foundation (NSF) provides academic scientists with grants and rigorous training in entrepreneurship and customer discovery through a defined curriculum.

SBIR grants: The federal government’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program offers competitive awards to support small businesses’ early R&D efforts. The proposals are solicited and funded by many of the same federal agencies that fund academic research. Successful SBIR projects sometimes obtain follow-on federal R&D funding or government production contracts.

Creative Destructive Lab (CDL): CDL hosts a program aimed at early-stage science and technology-based companies providing mentorship, opportunities to raise money, and advice on technology roadmaps and business plans.

Y Combinator (YC): YC offers a full time program for early-stage startups that includes funding and workshops, culminating in a Demo Day presentation to investors.