Partners & Supporters

From bold ideas to a better world — your support makes it possible.

The Engine is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created by MIT to accelerate Tough Tech companies turning breakthrough research into solutions to society's greatest challenges. Your tax-deductible support enables us to provide the resources these teams need to validate their technology, attract capital, and scale their impact.

Ways to Fuel The Engine:

Our Impact

Tough Tech teams supported
800
Total funds raised by current and former residents at The Engine
$5.5B
Regional Innovation Engines empowered
10
See 2024 Impact Report

Fuel the future of...

  • Aviation

    The founders of carbon-neutral aviation fuel company Lydian pose in their lab.

    Lydian developed a way to decarbonize aviation by recycling CO2 emissions. But like many breakthroughs, this tech could have never made it out of the lab. As an early participant in The Engine’s Blueprint program, the team gained the expertise to turn the concept into a viable product. By their third year in residency at The Engine, Lydian launched a pilot plant capable of generating 25 gallons of carbon-neutral fuel per day.

  • Energy

    The founders of fusion energy company Commonwealth Fusion Systems pose in their lab.

    Fusion energy is notoriously difficult to commercialize. But with the support of The Engine's residency and mentorship programs, Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) was able de-risk its technology and attract the capital it needed to scale. In 2024, CFS announced plans to build the world's first grid-scale commercial fusion power plant, expected to power about 150,000 homes, create hundreds of jobs, and bring clean, fusion power to the grid.

  • Healthcare

    The founders of regenerative medicine startup Cellino pose in their workspace.

    Founded in 2017, Cellino’s Nebula™ biomanufacturing platform automates the production of personalized stem-cell therapies — at the point of care. With the support of The Engine’s resident services, the technology was prototyped and commercialized out of The Engine’s wet lab and engineering facilities. In 2025, Cellino partnered with Mass General Brigham to launch the world’s first hospital-based foundry for stem cell therapies, redefining treatment options for degenerative diseases.

“The Engine provides far more than benches and infrastructure. It delivers a vibrant ecosystem tailored for Tough Tech founders and their teams. Through critical programs that support activities like fundraising, scaling technology, team building, and access to government resources, The Engine equips Tough Tech startups with the tools to translate research into real-world impact—driving the Tough Tech Economy for decades to come.”

Sue Siegel Board Chair, The Engine & Fmr Chief Innovation Officer, GE
  • The Eppendorf booth at The Engine
  • Attendees congregate at a vendor booth during the Spring 2024 Tough Tech Resource Expo in The Engine's event space
  • The Engine partners eLab Next and Eppendorf host an Olympics Afterparty at The Engine
  • The Arrow Electronics team poses at their booth at The Engine's 2024 Spring Tough Tech Resource Expo.
  • A crowd listens to a fireside chat hosted by Jordan Stowe, of The Engine's partner CSC Leasing, along with with resident founder and CEO Jake Guglin, and founding investor of venx, John Ho.
  • A vendor speaks to two attendees at The Engine's 2024 Tough Tech Week.
  • The image shows ThermoFisher bioanalytical equipment in a wet lab at The Engine.
  • Jessica Uhl, President of GE Vernova, discusses Tough Tech financing with JPMorgan's Head of Climate Tech, Kelly Belcher, during The Engine's annual Tough Tech Week event.
  • Investors and founders shake hands at The Engine's annual Tough Tech Week event.
  • Attendees congregate at vendor booths in The Engine's event space during Tough Tech Week 2024.
  • A man shakes hands with a woman in front of a name tag booth at Tough Tech Week 2024.