Whiteboard by The Engine™

From Research to Translation.

Next session is Thursday, January 22 2026.

Register for Winter 2026
Join the Info Session

Whiteboard by The Engine™ is a one-day seminar for faculty and principal investigators considering entrepreneurship in Tough Tech. Explore moving breakthrough ideas from your lab toward company formation with clarity, confidence, and community.

Is your lab’s breakthrough the foundation for a Tough Tech company?
Whiteboard helps faculty evaluate whether their research can—and should—move toward venture formation. Through a structured framework and candid discussions, the seminar surfaces key risks, potential milestones, and the evolving roles faculty may play in building a Tough Tech startup.

Participants join a cohort of peers and experienced entrepreneurs to examine real-world case studies and decision points. They leave with a clearer sense of their research’s commercial potential, a working hypothesis for their role, and connections to The Engine’s broader ecosystem—including follow-on opportunities for support.

Organized around the three forms of capital that underpin every Tough Tech venture. Whiteboard blends short talks, case studies, and interactive working sessions focused on human, intellectual, and financial capital in Tough Tech ventures.

  • 01

    Human Capital: How to design and build an effective founding team, understand common founder archetypes, and define a sustainable role for a PI over a 10–15 year company journey.​

  • 02

    Intellectual Capital: How to think about scientific, technical, scaling, and market risk, and how to build a plan to de-risk your technology over time, both in the lab and in a startup.​

  • 03

    Financial Capital: How companies are financed from pre-formation through early fundraising, what different capital sources expect, and how to aim each raise at a clear next milestone.

Featured Case Studies & Speakers

Expert Insights. Tough Tech Impact.

    • Understand typical financing strategies, sources of capital and support for Tough Tech ventures

      Jim Matheson, PhD Professor, Entrepreneurial Finance and Tough Tech Ventures, Harvard Business School, Partner at Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Engine Ventures, Former General Partner, Flagship Pioneering.

    • The importance of a founding team and the evolving role and impact of a PI

      Josué J. López, PhD Senior Associate at Fine Structure Ventures, Senior Associate at Fine Structure Ventures Board Member of Boston Metal, Caelux, Finwave Semi, and iPronics, Former CEO of MIT spinout, Kyber Photonics

    • Entrepreneurial journey of a PI driving multiple successful spinouts in Tough Tech

      Yet-Ming Chiang, PhD Kyocera Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Co-Founder of Sublime Systems, Rock Zero, Form Energy, Addis Energy

    • Understand the risks associated with your innovation and consider the de-risking approach and timeline

      Ian Johnston, PhD VP of Tech Translation and Ecosystem Development, The Engine, Former Investor, Engine Ventures

    "Whiteboard provided a framework for rapidly understanding the human considerations, evaluating the tech viability, and assessing the risks of commercializing IP from our lab. Since my participation in 2023, we've spun out three Tough Tech startups with focuses on sustainable agriculture and chemical production." - Ariel Furst, PhD, Associate Professor, MIT


    Built for faculty and principal investigators actively considering or curious about spinning out a Tough Tech company from their lab. 

    PARTICIPANTS TYPICALLY:
    • Lead or co-lead a lab with research that could underpin a new company in climate, human health, advanced systems, or related Tough Tech domains.​​
    • Have limited or varied prior startup experience—ranging from first-time faculty founders to those with one or more prior spinouts.​​
    • Want structured time to think through their role, responsibilities, and options as a potential faculty founder.​
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    Register Now
    Join the Info Session

    FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

    • US-based faculty members or principal investigators employed at a university or research institution that are able to attend the session in-person at The Engine (750 Main St., Cambridge, MA).

    • We cast a broad net and are open to all scientific and engineering disciplines. Areas The Engine has already invested in address challenges in climate change, human health and advanced systems and infrastructure but are by no means limited to that. We are constantly learning from researchers like you about new areas that are impactful.

    • No. The aim of the Whiteboard program is to help faculty explore the commercial opportunities for their research.


    • No. Whiteboard is designed for faculty members at any stage of venture formation, including professors without a specific idea or technology to commercialize.

    • We do not take an equity stake in or create a formal business relationship during Whiteboard.

    • Yes, the program is open to faculty members and principal investigators at all universities and research institutions, as long as they can attend all of the Whiteboard sessions in person.

    • Yes, Whiteboard is an in-person only program aimed at facilitating networking and sharing of experiences between faculty members.

    • We are happy to welcome you to our next cohort, but this program will be run entirely in-person.