Amgen has become a LabCentral platinum sponsor. LabCentral is an innovative, shared laboratory space designed as a launchpad for life sciences and biotech startups. As part of the sponsorship agreement, Amgen can nominate up to two promising life sciences and biotech startup companies per year to take up residence in LabCentral’s Kendall Square facilities, based in Cambridge, Mass.

“Amgen, with its deep expertise as a developer of biotech-based drugs, is an ideal partner for many of LabCentral’s resident companies working on promising new biopharmaceuticals,” said Johannes Fruehauf, Ph.D., M.D., LabCentral president.

“Amgen is excited to sponsor LabCentral as we seek additional opportunities to leverage the power of collaboration that occurs naturally within a world-renowned biotech community such as Cambridge,” said Sasha Kamb, Amgen’s senior vice president, Discovery Research. “Given our commitment to early stage research, Amgen’s sponsorship with LabCentral enhances our presence within Cambridge and fosters science-driven curiosity and research innovation, which in turn, has the potential to lead to promising new therapies for patients.”

LabCentral is a 28,000-square-foot facility and a first-of-its-kind shared laboratory space designed as a launchpad for high-potential life sciences and biotech startups. It offers fully permitted laboratory and office space for 28 startups comprising approximately 125 scientists and entrepreneurs. LabCentral provides first-class facility and administrative support, skilled laboratory personnel, a domain-relevant expert speaker series and other critical services and support early-stage companies need to begin laboratory operations on day one.

A private, nonprofit institution, LabCentral was funded in part by a $5 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, with support from its real estate partner, MIT. Founding sponsors include Triumvirate Environmental and Johnson & Johnson Innovation.