START.nano

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Hard-tech companies face significant hurdles to success, especially in their early stages. For example, these startups typically spend their first few years and a substantial proportion of their early funding just to create the facilities they need to develop their technology.

START.nano offers early-stage, deep-tech startups discounted access to MIT.nano’s state-of-the-art laboratories:

• Nanofabrication
• Characterization
• MIT.nano Immersion Lab

Our goal is to minimize the cost of launching a nascent idea, to help increase the survival rate of promising companies, and to shorten the time it takes for their innovations to reach the market.

MIT.nano asks for no equity/IP in exchange for participating in the program.

Participating startups will have access to tools and other advantages that can help them create more well-developed prototypes, obtain validated data, set them on the path to success, and position them for the next stage of growth. Benefits to the startups include:

• Access to state-of-the-art MIT.nano facilities and other open MIT toolsets to advance their ideas, reducing the need to invest in or construct facilities on their own.
• Use of MIT.nano tools and facilities for research, at a discounted rate, and use of other open toolsets at MIT at standard rates and terms.
• Standard user support from MIT.nano staff and technicians in utilizing equipment and planning processes.
• New in 2023: the potential to receive funds to spend at MIT.nano, offsetting tool usage costs.
• New in 2023: Workshop series conducted in collaboration with MITdesignX to help founders explore the feasibility and scaling of their ideas and design business models and deployment plans for maximum impact.
• Eligibility to join the MIT Startup Exchange (STEX), with START.nano counting as the venture's MIT affiliation.
• Introductions to the global companies that are members of the MIT.nano industry consortium.
• Introductions to other potential supporters or partners, such as venture capital firms.
• Assistance with efforts to recruit MIT talent, including an annual MIT.nano career fair.
• Exposure to a network of further support in the MIT startup/innovation ecosystem.
• A present in the incomparable, innovative MIT community of scholars, researchers, and innovators.

We will soon announce our call for applications for the 2024 cohort. Apply today.

The selection process to join START.nano is led by MIT.nano. In its selection, MIT.nano may seek advice from its industry consortium members; MIT.nano advisors, including the START.nano Advisory Council; MIT faculty; and MIT organizations.

Participants are accepted to the program for one year. If a startup requires continued access to MIT.nano’s facilities, they may apply for up to two more years of access at the discounted rate.

MIT.nano does not ask for equity from participating startups. Our motivation is to advance MIT's mission to build a better world and our bottom line is impact. We benefit from START.nano by:

• Advancing MIT's mission by speeding the transition of innovation to the marketplace.
• Exposing our academic users—undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doc—to the presence of start-ups in the MIT.nano facilities.
• Enhancing MIT campus-wide partnerships to support entrepreneurship.

Contact us mitnano@mit.edu.