MassCEC Announces $300,000 for Clean Energy Business Incubators

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Alicia Barton today announced more than $300,000 to assist four incubators as part of the Patrick Administration’s support for clean energy startups across the Commonwealth.

“Supporting our innovative start-up culture is critical in maintaining our edge in creating the clean energy jobs of the 21st Century economy right here in Massachusetts,” said Governor Patrick. “By sticking to our strategy of investing in education, innovation and infrastructure, we are shaping our own future, rather than leaving it to chance.”

The grants, funded as part of MassCEC’s IncubateMass program, will assist in the day-to-day operations of these incubators, which provide early-stage clean energy companies with affordable office space, targeted business support services and resources that include mentorship, specialized equipment, professional services like human resources or legal assistance, educational series and/or information technology networks and hardware.

“These incubators are an important part of the Patrick Administration’s efforts to grow the clean energy economy and support innovation in Massachusetts,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan, who chairs MassCEC’s Board of Directors. “Incubators accelerate the development of clean energy startups, allowing these early-stage companies to cultivate their technologies and grow their businesses, creating jobs and building a foundation for success in the marketplace.”

“We are always looking for ways to reduce barriers faced by early-stage companies as they look to take their promising technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace,” said Barton. “Assisting incubators create more opportunities for startups to drive cutting-edge clean energy innovation right here in Massachusetts.”

Programs receiving funding under the program are:

• Greentown Labs (Somerville) - $190,000 – Greentown Labs, which recently moved to Somerville from Boston’s Innovation District, hosts 28 cleantech organizations with about 100 employees.
• North Shore InnoVentures (Beverly) - $60,000 – North Shore InnoVentures (NSIV) hosts three clean energy startups in its Beverly office space, plus an additional six member clean energy startups who have access to mentoring and other services. The nine cleantech startups employ 33 workers.
• Advanced Technology Manufacturing Center (Dartmouth) - $30,000 – The Advanced Technology Manufacturing Center (ATMC) at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth hosts two early-stage clean energy startups, employing four workers.
• Scibelli Enterprise Center (Springfield) - $20,000 – The Scibelli Enterprise Center at the Springfield Technology Park hosts three clean energy startups, employing six workers.

Incubators help new companies establish their technologies and grow their businesses, helping to expand a clean energy job market that is already on the rise in Massachusetts.

From 2011 to 2012, clean energy jobs rose by 11.2 percent. There are 5,000 clean energy companies in Massachusetts that employ 72,000 workers.