A chance to pause and take stock of where we’ve been and where we’re going, The Report is a public statement of work. It captures milestones for The Engine and champions the efforts of our Tough Tech portfolio companies, while providing context for measuring progress. Please read on, and join us in recommitting to the common good.
01
Introduction
“The Engine is a champion for complexity, a cross-pollinator of knowledge, and a convener for the Tough Tech ecosystem. Together, we can make a more optimistic future possible, faster.”
Katie RaeCEO & Managing Partner, The Engine
As an independent public benefit corporation, spun out of MIT, The Engine aligns our efforts towards material positive impact for the world, while maintaining our belief that long-term solutions for society’s biggest challenges will also create economic benefit for those who bring them to market. This is our third report. Combined, these reports span a remarkable stretch of global events from 2016 through the present. Looking back, it’s clear how interconnected our challenges are across the planet. Unraveling and re-forging these connections helps create more sustainable and resilient approaches for every area of the economy. Today, the urgency and optimism of our mission is viscerally more important than ever. This report is organized by the pillars of that mission to show the progress being made in bridging the gap between discovery and commercialization for the most promising breakthrough inventions - so that we can create a healthier population, a more accessible and adaptive society, and a more resilient world.
02
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
A sustainable framework for global impact
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are a set of 17 goals identified by the UN General Assembly global framework across environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainable development. The goals are interconnected and cut across all aspects of society, with sustainability at the center. In adopting the UNSDG framework, The Engine embraces an integrated approach to solving a diverse set of issues.
Mapping The Engine’s portfolio across the UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Mapping The Engine’s portfolio across the UN Sustainable Development Goals:
1
No Poverty
2
Zero Hunger
3
Good Health & Well-being
4
Quality Education
5
Gender Equality
6
Clean Water & Sanitation
7
Affordable & Clean Energy
8
Decent Work & Economic Growth
9
Industry, Innovation, & Infrastructure
10
Reduced Inequalities
11
Sustainable Cities & Communities
12
Responsible Consumption & Production
13
Climate Action
14
Life below Water
15
Life on Land
16
Peace, Justice, & Strong Institutions
17
Partnerships for the Goals
Climate Change
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Boston Metal
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Commonwealth Fusion Systems
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Copernic Catalysts
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Emvolon
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Foray Biosciences
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Form Energy
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Lilac Solutions
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Mantel
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Osmoses
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Quaise
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Sublime Systems
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Syzygy Plasmonics
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
VEIR
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Via Separations
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Human Health
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Amide
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Axoft
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Biobot Analytics
No
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Cellino
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Droplet
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Hyfé
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Kano Therapeutics
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Kytopen
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Lucy Therapeutics
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Mori
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Seaspire Skincare
No
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Suono Bio
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Vaxess Technologies
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Advanced Systems & Infrastructure
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Atlantic Quantum
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
C2Sense
No
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Celestial AI
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Finwave
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Foundation Alloy
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Hedron
No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Hyperlight
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
ISEE
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Resonant Link
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
RISE Robotics
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Sync Computing
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
TeraDAR
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
The Routing Company
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
WoHo
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Zapata Computing
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Mapping The Engine across the UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Mapping The Engine across the UN Sustainable Development Goals:
1
No Poverty
2
Zero Hunger
3
Good Health & Well-being
4
Quality Education
5
Gender Equality
6
Clean Water & Sanitation
7
Affordable & Clean Energy
8
Decent Work & Economic Growth
9
Industry, Innovation, & Infrastructure
10
Reduced Inequalities
11
Sustainable Cities & Communities
12
Responsible Consumption & Production
13
Climate Action
14
Life below Water
15
Life on Land
16
Peace, Justice, & Strong Institutions
17
Partnerships for the Goals
Commercializing Tough Tech
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
The Engine Fund
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Capital Stack
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Government & Policy
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Corporate Strategic Network
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Supporting Regional Development
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Space & Infrastructure
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Talent & Community
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Fostering Entrepreneurship
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Founder Advisors
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Blueprint, By The Engine
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Tough Tech Summit
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
03
The Engine Initiatives
Bridging the gap between discovery and commercialization.
01.
Commercializing Tough Tech
Initiatives
The Engine Fund
Portfolio Company Programming
Capital Stack
Government & Policy
Strategic Corporate Network
“When I’m asked why my company will succeed, the answer is always quite simple. It’s because we have to. We must transition energy in one generation and it is finally the right time in human history where we have the right technologies to make it happen. Commercializing these technologies is non-negotiable.”
Carlos Araque, CEO & Co-Founder, Quaise
02.
Supporting Regional Development
Initiatives
Introduction to Infrastructure
Space & Infrastructure
750 Main St. Expansion
Talent & Community
“The Engine has been pivotal because there's such a truly unique component of helping new founders, in a way that feels very safe and allows you to be open and honest to find the support you need, both with funding and other operational challenges.”
Amy Ripka, CEO & Founder, Lucy Therapeutics
03.
Fostering Entrepreneurship
Initiatives
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Founder Advisors
Blueprint, By The Engine
Tough Tech Summit
“I see the value of being in a community with not necessarily like-minded people, but people who are in a similar situation and have different perspectives and views. It’s diverse, and gives me ideas, experiences, and principles that I can keep in the back of my head.”
Bharath Kannan, CEO & Co-Founder, Atlantic Quantum
“The creation of The Engine has been instrumental in translating “Tough Tech” ideas from MIT. It has been inspiring to see our graduates create amazing companies that they might not have otherwise. Through the extensive mentorship, facilities, space, and funding, our students, postdocs and faculty have been able to envision and create a path for impact. The Engine has been critical in creating truly impressive leaders. It was a honor to serve on the inaugural Board of The Engine and see the growth of the entity from a concept to an expansive operation.”
Anantha ChandrakasanDean of the School of Engineering, MIT Board Emeritus, The Engine
04
Portfolio Impact
Founders On A Mission
Safe, unlimited, carbon-free fusion power.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) is on track to build and deploy the first commercial fusion power plants in the world. The team has developed high-field magnets using high-temperature superconductors that allow fusion machines to be 10 times smaller, economically feasible, and operational in the next 10–15 years.
“If you have fusion energy, then you have a huge solution for the energy crisis and climate change. Fusion is scalable,
it can be deployed anywhere in the world, anytime you need,
and is dispatchable, meaning you can turn it on and off. Fusion is, essentially, inexhaustible.”
Bob MumgaardCEO & Co-Founder, Commonwealth Fusion Systems
2025
SPARC begins operations — a device that will demonstrate net fusion energy.
Enabling a 100% renewable grid with multi-day energy storage systems.
Form Energy has created a large- scale, modular, multi-day energy storage system built with novel iron-air chemistry that uses low- cost, abundant materials available worldwide. Form Energy has the capability to reshape the electric system, making renewable energy available year-round and extending transmission capacity without building new wires.
“It’s key is that we see how we get to gigaton reduction emissions as we scale our technology. With our designs, the capital, the market buyers, we see a clear path to impact at a meaningful scale, and with this you can build a meaningful business.”
Mateo JaramilloCEO & Co-Founder, Form Energy
<1.00 $/kWh
The iron-air chemistry is the lowest cost rechargeable battery chemistry.
The fastest, most sustainable, and most efficient lithium extraction platform.
Lilac Solutions is sustainably developing previously inaccessible brine resources by commercializing a new ion exchange technology for lithium extraction. It is significantly faster, cheaper, and more sustainable than existing technology, enabling the massive increase in lithium supply needed for electric vehicles.
“There is currently no end in sight to growth in the EV market and that is creating a very intense demand for lithium supplies. With conventional technologies, it can take up to 10 years to get into production. We are shortening that to about 3. That speed to market is really important for the automakers who are already constructing electric vehicle plants and battery plants. No one can wait 10 years.”
Dave SnydackerCEO & Co-Founder, Lilac Solutions
10,000X
Faster brine processing using Lilac's technology compared to incumbents
Cost-effective, low-carbon cement produced via electrochemistry.
Sublime Systems is producing low-cost, zero-carbon cement. Its electrochemical platform converts limestone to lime at room temperature, making the CO2 produced during the conversion process easier to capture, while reducing overall energy consumption.
“Decarbonizing cement production
is one of the biggest and least expensive levers for reducing global CO2 emissions.”
Leah EllisCEO & Co-Founder, Sublime Systems
800,000 tons/year
Sublime’s target cement production scale in 2028
Transforming wastewater infrastructure into public health observatories.
Biobot Analytics is a wastewater epidemiology company analyzing urine and stool samples to createv a rapidly updated, population-level picture of community health. Biobot’s proprietary predictive models provide insights for decision-makers to take more informed actions regarding ongoing threats.
“With Biobot, public health officials can stay ahead of what’s coming and adjust their treatment strategies accordingly.”
Mariana MatusCEO & Co-Founder, Biobot Analytics
3-7 DAYS
Biobot's ability to detect spikes in Covid-19 viral concentrations preempts case testing data and gives governments and institutional clients time to make decisions and take action.
Curing the world’s toughest diseases by automating personalized medicine.
Inspired by the scale and precision of semiconductor manufacturing, Cellino is developing the first-ever stem cell foundry to manufacture regenerative medicines at scale. Cellino engineers use automated, software-driven, closed-system technology to personalize stem cells with laser-precision.
“Cellino brings a truly unique approach, with a high
level of complexity: hardware, AI/ML, bioengineering, cell based therapy, automation, and fluidics. It is supremely rewarding to see the convergence happening every day at Cellino. Our multidisciplinary team comes together actively, solving problems with creativity.”
Nabiha SaklayenCEO & Co-Founder, Cellino
10X+
Target cost reductions enabled by Cellino's technology compared to incumbent methods
Transforming efficacy and access for vaccines and therapeutics.
Vaxess is pioneering a smart release therapeutic patch that provides shelf-stable and easily administered patches. The solution stabilizes vaccines at room temperature, eventually removing the need for cold chain and enabling at-home delivery—critical for the COVID pandemic.
“As a team, Vaxess has gone from interesting science to real- world testing with humans. Our new manufacturing facility allows us to make patches, with a plan to scale up production, and our applicator has gone from a concept to a product.”
Michael SchraderCEO & Co-Founder, Vaxess Technologies
2028
First program launches for the influenza vaccine using the MIMIX platform
Amplifying brain-machine communication with soft, implantable electronics.
Axoft is creating neural implants that are >10,000x softer than plastics and >100,000x softer than silicon used in current brain implants. These new soft electronic materials are fabricated at the nanoscale, and have similar properties to the brain tissue itself.
“We are making new materials to interface with the brain, which has not been done for decades, it will enable us to develop better therapies for patients with mobility disorders and improve their quality of life. These implants will be the brain pacemakers of the future.”
Paul Le FlochCEO & Co-Founder, Axoft
100,000X
Softer than silicon
Spring-loading the next generation of industrial innovation with novel metal alloys.
Foundation Alloy is reinventing the microstructure design of metals, from the atom up, to achieve stronger, lighter, less corrosive materials. Its high-performance metals have made-to-order structural qualities and derive from a more economical, 90% faster, and less energy-intensive manufacturing process.
“Engineering and manufacturing technologies have far outpaced the materials they rely on. Foundation Alloy modernizes metals, with control on an atomic level. This represents a seismic shift in the long history of metal design.”
Jake GuglinCEO & Co-Founder, Foundation Alloy
50%
Reduction in energy usage
Untethering electric vehicles and medical devices with wireless charging.
Resonant Link is developing a novel wireless charging technology for systems as small as implantable medical devices and consumer electronics, to those as large as industrial applications and electric vehicles. Its platform can charge at greater distances, with a smaller footprint, and greater thermal efficiency than conventional systems.
“I've always been drawn to electric vehicles and the connection between electrification and health - reshaping the paradigm between energy and power to enable people to live safer, more fulfilling lives, and protect our planet at the same time.”
Grayson ZulaufCEO & Co-Founder, Resonant Link
5x
Higher performance than conventional wireless charging coils
Transforming the way developers control cloud infrastructure for machine learning workloads.
Sync Computing automatically reconfigures and reschedules big data and machine learning jobs to make the cloud easier, faster, and cheaper. Its technology can quickly optimize complex cloud infrastructure for cost and time with a single click.
“The environmental impact of compute power is quite real. By optimizing systems we can drastically reduce companies annual spend but we are also really reducing a huge amount of waste. That is the Tough Tech challenge of computing that we are up against.”
Jeff ChouCEO & Co-Founder, Sync Computing
UP TO 80%
Faster than competitors
Automating the logistics industry with a humanistic, AI-powered autonomous driving technology.
With ISEE’s AI-powered, self- driving yard trucks, logistics yard operators can improve yard safety, maximize yard efficiency, realize cost savings, and gain reliable driving capacity — all in the midst of a global supply chain crisis. The company plans to first automate logistics yards, reducing costs by 50% and increasing yard throughput by 30%.
“We have built a sophisticated tech
stack, which is like ten technologies and innovations in one startup. This foundation gives us the ability to expand our AI-powered system to more general use cases.”
Yibiao ZhaoCEO & Co-Founder, ISEE
4 weeks
To seamlessly integrate hardware and software to ease customer adoption
“Nobody gets great work done in a vacuum. At The Engine we are building an ecosystem to help founders learn from each other, recruit amazing talent, and build lasting relationships with corporate partners and investors. When everyone is on the mission together it creates compounding returns.”
