LabCentral

LabCentral, Inc.

Company type	Non-profit
Industry	Biotechnology, Startup incubator
Founded	November 2013 (2013-11)
Founder	Peter Parker, Johannes Fruehauf, Tim Rowe, Steven Tregay, John Harthorne
Headquarters	Cambridge , United States
Area served	Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Products	Laboratory and office space leasing, biotech startup support programs
Number of employees	Nearly 1,000 scientists and entrepreneurs supported
Website	labcentral.org

Lab Central, Inc., commonly known as LabCentral, is a non-profit entity established in November 2013. Boasting more than 225,000 square feet of combined laboratory and office facilities located in Cambridge and on the Harvard University campus, LabCentral accommodates up to 125 biotech startups and supports nearly 1,000 scientists and entrepreneurs within Kendall Square. The organization fosters a durable and inclusive biotech environment through programs such as LabCentral Ignite, which emphasizes STEM education, workforce development, and entrepreneurial growth. Additionally, it operates Gallery 1832, a space designed to bridge the local community with creative arts.

As a non-profit institution, LabCentral refrains from acquiring equity stakes in its tenant companies. Its primary revenue streams include laboratory and equipment leasing fees, augmented by grants, contributions, and sponsorship arrangements. The official launch of LabCentral took place on April 1, 2014.

History

The concept of providing adaptable, ready-to-use laboratory space for startups was first envisioned in 2006 by co-founders Peter Parker of BioInnovation LLC and Johannes Fruehauf of Cambridge Biolabs during the inception of Cequent Pharmaceuticals, which utilized technology licensed from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Following Cequent's establishment, both founders engaged in new initiatives at the Cambridge Innovation Center, a shared workspace for startups founded by Tim Rowe. In late 2012, Rowe joined forces with Parker and Fruehauf as a co-founder of LabCentral. Together with Steven Tregay from Forma Therapeutics and John Harthorne of MassChallenge, they developed LabCentral to serve as a collaborative resource hub for biotech innovators.

On February 7, 2013, The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center granted LabCentral $5 million in capital funding to support its development. Triumvirate Environmental became an inaugural sponsor through a $2.5 million contribution. Early financial backers also included Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Cooley LLP, Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation. The MIT Investment Management Company acts as LabCentral’s partner for real estate management.

A groundbreaking event for LabCentral was held on April 4, 2013, at its site on 700 Main Street in Kendall Square, Cambridge. The ceremony featured notable speakers such as Governor Deval Patrick, Senator Mary L. Landrieu, and MIT Associate Provost Martin Schmidt.

By June 2013, funding for LabCentral was approaching $10 million.

In August 2013, LabCentral revealed that its first tenant would be Vaxess Technologies, a startup commercializing vaccine stabilization technology from Tufts University developed by Harvard alumni.

September 2013 marked Eppendorf North America’s entry as a gold-level sponsor; Eppendorf AG is recognized globally for its laboratory equipment.

During October 2013, LabCentral welcomed Auxocell Laboratories Inc., which pioneered novel techniques to extract Wharton’s jelly for therapeutic applications, alongside Conkwest (currently NantKwest), the first resident company concentrating on cancer therapy development.

November 2013 saw substantial sponsorship from Life Technologies Corporation as well as gold sponsorship from American Laboratory Trading. Additional startups like Bayesian Ventures and 121 Bio also joined LabCentral during this period.

By March 2014, the Boston Business Journal recognized LabCentral among Johnson & Johnson’s six strategic investments in the Boston area. Pfizer also became a sponsor around this time, enabling the nomination of two startups annually for access to lab facilities. At that point, LabCentral housed eleven companies with plans to increase occupancy to fourteen by April.

Governor Deval Patrick officiated at LabCentral’s grand opening ceremony in April 2014 and announced an additional $5 million capital funding pledge.

Facilities

LabCentral's initial 70,000 square feet facility is situated in a historic building owned by MIT at 700 Main Street, Cambridge. The organization has since grown to include three primary sites and manages the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab. To accommodate increasing demand, LabCentral introduced LabCentral 610, a 33,000 square feet space developed with Pfizer’s collaboration, which opened in December 2017. In the autumn of 2021, an additional 100,000 square feet facility was launched at 238 Main Street, dedicated to process development and biomanufacturing scale-up, supporting startups as they advance from research and development to scalable pre-clinical and GMP-compliant manufacturing.

LabCentral offers fully equipped laboratory environments for up to 125 startups, hosting approximately 1,000 scientists and entrepreneurs across its locations. These sites serve biotech companies at diverse stages of growth and provide access to sophisticated instruments including mass spectrometers, electron microscopes, real-time qPCR systems, flow cytometers, chemical fume hoods, centrifuges, biosafety cabinets rated BSL-2, high-performance liquid chromatography units, and plate readers.

The range of services encompasses equipment upkeep, technical assistance, shared workspace options, safety and compliance training programs, waste management solutions, biosafety permit administration, event hosting, business development support, on-site contract research organization (CRO) assistance on a full-time equivalent basis, logistical aid, and group purchasing initiatives designed to lower expenses.

Application and membership

Prospective companies submit applications via the LabCentral website. Qualified candidates present their proposals before a selection panel consisting of senior executives, co-founders, board members, and representatives from founding sponsors. Those accepted are assigned to the facility location that aligns best with their operational requirements.

Residents pay a monthly membership fee of $425 per individual. Bench space leasing begins at $4,090 per month while private laboratory suite rates differ depending on location and size. Additional office accommodations are available with monthly fees ranging between $1,000 and $6,000.