Takeda, a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan with a U.S. hub in Cambridge, MA, will become a LabCentral Founding Sponsor. Takeda will provide funding over a period of three years to support LabCentral’s biotech incubator in Kendall Square. The Founding Sponsorship will provide strategic support for LabCentral’s operations, including its shared lab space and range of programs designed to help local biotech startup residents accelerate their research and development.
 
“Partnering is a critical element of Takeda’s research and development strategy. We employ a unique model that supports diverse and flexible partnerships to translate science into highly transformative medicines for patients around the world,” said Michael Martin, head of Takeda’s center for external innovation. “As part of Takeda’s broader partnering strategy, we endeavor to empower and accelerate early-stage biotech innovation and R&D. LabCentral’s geographic location in the center of Boston’s scientific community, along with its track record of success serving as a launching pad for biotech and life sciences startups, made it a natural investment partner.”
 
LabCentral will allow a maximum of seven Founding Sponsorships, including up to four Sponsors from the pharmaceutical/biotech industry. Takeda is joining existing Founding Sponsors Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), Triumvirate Environmental, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Roche and Eppendorf.
 
“LabCentral 700 is our original facility, optimized to help early stage scientists and entrepreneurs cultivate the seeds of biotech innovation, and its success has become a blueprint for the buildout of our other facilities – LabCentral 610 and now LabCentral 238 – so we can support all stages of the biotech startup lifecycle,” said Johannes Fruehauf, co-founder and president of LabCentral. “The support and collaboration of sponsors like Takeda is instrumental as we continue to grow and develop our operations to help high-potential startups at 700 Main and beyond.”
 
LabCentral residents and alumni have raised nearly $17 billion in funding since 2013 and more than $6 billion in 2021, when LabCentral launched 80 new clinical trials and generated 1,449 new jobs.
 
As part of the Founding Sponsorship, Takeda will have the ability to award up to fifteen LabCentral Golden Tickets, which include advisory support and a seat within LabCentral’s shared lab space for one year, to promising biotech entrepreneurs. The company will also gain access to LabCentral’s community of startups.