Mass Innovation Labs, an accelerated commercialization space, has signed 10 member companies since opening its doors in May 2015, including CRISPR Therapeutics, Imagen Biopharma, Gritstone Oncology, WaveGuide, Radius Health, TCR2 and Editas. Mass Innovation Labs’ member companies account for more than $1 billion in startup R&D capital in one location, and have achieved many important milestones after receiving operational support through the Jumpstart program.

A prime example of success with member companies is CRISPR Theraputics, Mass Innovation Labs’ first member company, which recently completed major partnerships with Bayer and Vertex Pharmaceuticals in two separate agreements. CRISPR Therapeutics is using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to develop transformative gene-based medicines for patients with serious diseases.

The Mass Innovation Labs Jumpstart Program helps companies launch in as quickly as two weeks. In a highly competitive biotech space, a fast launch can mean gaining a significant time advantage over competitors, and can make the difference in being and staying first-in-class. Experienced operations staff drawn from industry veterans work with companies to establish space and infrastructure requirements. This includes lab design and setup, workflow, biosafety and other operational programs to help companies work efficiently and effectively.

“Since joining the Mass Innovation Jumpstart Program in August 2015, we were able to quickly set up our laboratory, advancing our hiring process three months ahead of plan,” said Ron Seidel, head of R&D at Imagen Biopharma. “We look forward to continuing to utilize Mass Innovations Labs space to accelerate our work in precision biologic therapeutics for immuno-oncology, autoimmunity and other diseases.”