Orange Odyssey
A Decade of Impact
A Letter from
Johannes Fruehauf
President & Co-Founder, LabCentral
To me, a decade of LabCentral stands for 10 years of innovation, impact and community building. In 2013, we presented an idea to “change the way we build biotech companies” and within a decade, LabCentral did just that.
In partnership with the broader life sciences community, we built a new framework for innovation and a place where transformation flourishes and innovators thrive. This new model for building biotech companies has made a significant impact in Massachusetts and beyond as our approach has been adopted and emulated globally.
What began as a solution to a simple infrastructure problem - providing lab tools for founders to complete their science - evolved into a profound realization of the power of community. Our founding principles of open-mindedness, trust in the power of science, and kindness towards others, enabled us to create something truly remarkable - an enduring legacy dedicated to shaping a better future.
We take pride in reflecting on the progress made over this last decade, most visible in the work LabCentral's residents have done since our doors opened. Nearly 300 entrepreneurs have chosen to build their companies at one of our sites, inspiring us and the world with their work and its potential impact on patient health.
Many LabCentral companies have started clinical trials for life-saving therapies, and several have made news along the way, such as the recent successful organ transplantation from a genetically modified animal to save a human patient's life. But our work extends further.
LabCentral Ignite, now in its third year, has found its stride with multiple parallel programs and has had great success providing historically underrepresented populations with access to the life sciences industry. And a cornerstone of our community, Gallery 1832, consistently provides space for thought-provoking interactions between science and art while facilitating collisions (one of my favorite words) - serendipitous encounters between people with different backgrounds, experiences and horizons.
As we embark on our second decade, we believe that science’s role will expand in tackling humanity’s greatest challenges. With improved tools, we can confront not only healthcare obstacles, but those in other vital fields. Biotechnology will help solve issues in nutrition, global warming, material science, data storage and many other critical areas.
We are most grateful for your ongoing support of this critical work, and for the trust the community has placed in us and look forward to continuing to shape a brighter future for all.
LabCentral Operates
243k sq ft of lab space
Industry Impact
278
Companies supported
6,339+
Life-Science jobs created
19
IPOs
29
Mergers & Acquisitions
Patient Impact
132+
Clinical trials launched
15,010
Patients dosed/enrolled
180+
Patents granted
Clinical Trial Trends
Across the last 10 years, LabCentral residents’ clinical trial work has spanned the spectrum of disease indications and modalities. Oncology-focused drug development has represented the lion’s share, with many teams leveraging novel gene-editing techniques born out of the discovery of CRISPR-Cas9.
Active Clinical Trials by Phases
LabCentral is seeing an increasing number of resident and alumni companies advancing through the clinical trial phases. We are excited about the possibility of one of the organizations bringing a drug to market.
Modality Trends at LabCentral
Biologics/Small Molecules
After the first FDA approval for gene therapy, the number of gene therapy modalities has tripled in the past 5 years.
Complex Modalities
With the FDA's approval of new modalities, there has been a significant decline in small drug molecule therapies over the past 5 years.
Alumni Spotlight
1910 Genetics
LabCentral Alumni, 1910 Genetics ("1910"), is the only biotechnology company advancing small and large molecule drug discovery with a multimodal AI platform powered by laboratory automation. 1910 integrates AI with three proprietary data streams—computational data, wet lab proxy biological data, and wet lab ground truth biological data—to deliver innovative drug candidates and software technologies to prominent pharma and tech partners. The company is supported by top investors, including M12 - Microsoft's Venture Fund, Playground Global, Sam Altman, Y Combinator, and FoundersX Ventures. 1910 recently announced a groundbreaking commercial partnership with Microsoft to build the infrastructure layer on which pharma companies can begin, accelerate, and achieve their transition to AI-driven drug discovery, development, and commercialization. LabCentral is honored to have been a part of their journey!
Jen Nwankwo, Ph.D., Founder & CEO of 1910 Genetics
What are 3 highlights from your time at LabCentral?
- "Blueprint for building a state-of-the-art laboratory facility: The 2 years we spent at LabCentral provided us with the blueprint to build and seamlessly operate our state-of-the-art laboratory facility in the Boston Seaport District. We owe a lot of gratitude to Nathan and the LabCentral Biology Operations Team for patiently teaching us the ins and outs of lab operations."
- "Pharma Partnerships: Our time at LabCentral facilitated positive collisions with Big Pharma companies. We were literally bumping into them in the halls! This proximity led to a research collaboration with a top 5 pharma company in the immunology space."
- "Fundraising: While raising our Series A, Maggie provided excellent references to investors on our behalf, and this was of great help in closing our $22M round!"
Alumni + Resident Spotlight
Affinivax and Atias
Founded in 2014, Affinivax was acquired by GSK in August 2022. Affinivax is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing a next generation approach in vaccine technologies to design both preventive and therapeutic vaccines that provide broader protection against infectious and other immune mediated diseases. Led by founders Steve Brugger, Rick Malley, and Kamran Tavangar, Affinivax spent their early days at LabCentral. This included a suite in the original location at 700 Main Street, as well as in 610 Main Street.
Given his positive experiences at these sites, LabCentral's 700 location became a natural choice for Kamran Tavangar to launch his next venture, Atias Pharma, in 2023. The company focuses on fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) therapy, developing highly potent FGF21 derivatives for novel indications where no direct pharmaceutical intervention exists. Lead candidates have already been identified in two areas of high unmet need: acute pancreatitis and acute alcohol toxicity. Successful FGF21 therapy in these indications could establish a new standard of care.
Kamran Tavangar, Co-Founder of Affinivax / CEO and President of Atias Pharma
What are 3 highlights from your time at LabCentral?
- “The ready-made infrastructure – the shared laboratory format, along with all necessary permits, hazardous waste management, centralized front office and procurement, security, and IT were essential, letting us to prioritize the hiring of scientists. We also had the flexibility to grow at our own pace.“
- “The vibrant community helped us attract, motivate and retain employees. When you only have 4-5 people on your team, having them in the community in the heart of Cambridge with 30 other people is huge.”
- "It's not just one element that makes LabCentral special; it's the perfect blend of resources, community, and Johannes' visionary leadership that sets it apart from the rest."
LabCentral has a 94% renewal rate of partnerships/sponsors
Sponsor Ecosystem Growth
10 Year Celebration
LabCentral and Johnson & Johnson Innovation
LabCentral and the J&J Innovation Center celebrated their 10-year anniversaries in 2023 with an interactive afternoon dedicated to commemorating a decade of collaboration and innovation in the life-sciences. The event featured a community-designed art exhibit by the students at Artists for Humanity, reflecting on the past decade and envisioning the future. Attendees engaged in conversations with key members from the ecosystem, celebrating achievements and inspiring the vision for the next decade of partnership. The artwork created during the event is permanently exhibited at LabCentral's 700 Main Street location, symbolizing the commitment to advancing biomedical innovation and delivering solutions to patients.
"In 2023, Johnson & Johnson and LabCentral celebrated our 10th anniversary, honoring a decade-long partnership dedicated to advancing innovation and serving patients. Together, we have been fostering a vibrant life-science ecosystem and propelling forward a multitude of ideas from early-stage toward development and commercialization.
I’m proud of Johnson & Johnson’s continued support of LabCentral and LabCentral's IgniteVC to help ensure innovation will continue to flourish and reach ALL people and patients. By fostering a life-sciences ecosystem that not only operates at the highest standard, but is also diverse and inclusive, we are making strides toward a future of health equity for everyone. We take great pride in our shared contribution to progress in our industry and eagerly anticipate what's next."
Head, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, East North America
Golden Tickets
Since launching in 2013, Golden Tickets present the unique opportunity for our sponsors to directly partner with promising early-stage companies by underwriting the cost of residency for one scientist and one lab bench for one year.
150+
Golden Tickets awarded
$7.5M+
Total value of tickets
Launched with Harvard’s Office of Technology Development (OTD)
Guppy Tank Series
In 2015, LabCentral and Harvard's Office of Technology Development initiated the Guppy Tank series. This platform provides Harvard life-science innovators with the opportunity to present their early-stage concepts to a panel of entrepreneurs and investors, receiving comprehensive feedback. Over the past 9 years, the series has facilitated more than 30 presentations and networking sessions.
Guppy Tank events play a crucial role in offering industry exposure and guidance to research teams, assisting them in navigating their projects towards success. These events serve as invaluable training grounds for teams to refine their technology pitches and engage in meaningful discussions with investors, entrepreneurs, and scientists.
30+
Guppy Tanks hosted
LABCENTRAL THROUGH THE YEARS
Major Milestones
Timeline
1832: The Birth of 700 Main Street
700 Main Street, initially a train-car manufacturing site due to its oblong shape, later became a hub for innovations like the Stillson wrench, Polaroid labs, and the first two-way phone call between Thomas Watson and Alexander Graham Bell.
2013: Our Founding
LabCentral launches at 700 Main Street with a $5 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to foster an innovation economy and kickstart high-potential start-ups in the Commonwealth. Founding sponsors: Eppendorf, Roche, Triumvirate Environmental, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation..
2016: The First Harvard Life Lab
LabCentral launches at 700 Main Street with a $5 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to foster an innovation economy and kickstart high-potential start-ups in the Commonwealth. Founding sponsors: Eppendorf, Roche, Triumvirate Environmental, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation..
2017: Expansion at 700 Main Street
LabCentral launches at 700 Main Street with a $5 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to foster an innovation economy and kickstart high-potential start-ups in the Commonwealth. Founding sponsors: Eppendorf, Roche, Triumvirate Environmental, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation..
2017: 610 opening
LabCentral launches at 700 Main Street with a $5 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to foster an innovation economy and kickstart high-potential start-ups in the Commonwealth. Founding sponsors: Eppendorf, Roche, Triumvirate Environmental, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation..
2018: LabCentral Turns 5
LabCentral launches at 700 Main Street with a $5 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to foster an innovation economy and kickstart high-potential start-ups in the Commonwealth. Founding sponsors: Eppendorf, Roche, Triumvirate Environmental, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation..
2020: The COVID-19 Pandemic
LabCentral companies swiftly adapted to address health challenges, pivoting efforts to develop rapid testing, vaccines, and therapeutics amidst the pandemic. Our team ensured uninterrupted lab services throughout the year, facilitating ongoing advancements for resident companies.
2020: Social Evolution
Amidst significant social change, we established Community Development and Social Impact programs as well as DEIB committees to uphold authenticity, vibrancy, and equity within our network, fostering a more inclusive future.
2020: A Match is Struck: LabCentral Ignite
LabCentral Ignite combats gender and racial underrepresentation in life sciences and biotech by providing academic support, skills training, mentorship, job placement, and leadership prep, fostering diversity and career growth.
2021: Advances in the Clinic
LabCentral launches at 700 Main Street with a $5 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to foster an innovation economy and kickstart high-potential start-ups in the Commonwealth. Founding sponsors: Eppendorf, Roche, Triumvirate Environmental, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation..
2022: Prix Galien
In 2022, LabCentral and our partner organization received the prestigious Prix Galien Award, akin to the "Nobel Prize" in life sciences, for "Incubators, Accelerators, and Equity."
2022: 238 Main Street Opens
LabCentral 238 debuts with 100,000 square feet, tripling LabCentral's lab space and creating a seamless pipeline from initial start-up bench science (LabCentral 700) to growing startups (LabCentral 610) and scale-up bio-manufacturing (LabCentral 238), all located in Kendall Square.
2022:Blavatnik Harvard Life Lab Longwood
LabCentral and Harvard opened the 10,000-square-foot Blavatnik Harvard Life Lab Longwood. It backs early-stage therapeutic startups founded by Harvard affiliates, providing wet and dry labs, offices, and collaborative workspaces for up to 12 companies. Part of the Harvard Medical School Therapeutics Initiative, its aim is to swiftly translate biological discoveries into impactful medicines while nurturing future medicine inventors.
2023: Bayer Co.Lab Opening
LabCentral 238 debuts with 100,000 square feet, tripling LabCentral's lab space and creating a seamless pipeline from initial start-up bench science (LabCentral 700) to growing startups (LabCentral 610) and scale-up bio-manufacturing (LabCentral 238), all located in Kendall Square.
2023:a Decade of Impact
LabCentral 238 debuts with 100,000 square feet, tripling LabCentral's lab space and creating a seamless pipeline from initial start-up bench science (LabCentral 700) to growing startups (LabCentral 610) and scale-up bio-manufacturing (LabCentral 238), all located in Kendall Square.
Our Team
The LabCentral Team keeps our lab operations, shared spaces, and services running seamlessly, fostering collaboration and innovation. We prioritize building strong relationships with entrepreneurs and industry partners. We also host community events to nurture belonging and camaraderie. LabCentral proudly serves as a career launchpad, supporting individuals on important paths to success within our vibrant community.
Employee Highlights
184
Employees and interns since inception
$500K+
Spent on employee continuing education over 10 years
"The best part about working at LabCentral is that our team gets to meet and work with intelligent entrepreneurs and their incredible technology. The exposure to company creation and growth coupled with our emphasis on community, collaboration, and commitment to resident success is invaluable. Helping early-stage teams hit milestones and gain traction is the most rewarding experience."
Site Head, Blavatnik Harvard Life Lab Longwood & Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab Allston
Executive Leadership
Johannes Fruehauf, MD, PhD
President and Executive Director
Mike LaRhette
Chief Business Officer
Maggie O’Toole
Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President
