Cambridge MA – 9/9/09 -- Polaris Venture Partners today announced that it is opening Dogpatch Labs Cambridge, which will be located at 222 3rd Street in Kendall Square. Dogpatch Labs Cambridge follows the success of Dogpatch Labs San Francisco, which Polaris launched in 2008 as an effort to connect entrepreneurs and help founders conceive and launch startups.
“Dogpatch Labs was the perfect home for us in the very beginning when we were starting our company. The energy, vibe and entrepreneurial spirit is infectious,” said Jason Shellen, former Google exec and current founder/CEO of Thing Labs, an alumnus of Dog Patch Labs San Francisco which has received seed backing from Polaris.
Like its west coast counterpart, Dogpatch Cambridge will be a "frat house for geeks” offering space, connectivity, coffee and food in a fun, open environment. Dogpatch Labs is much more than a physical space -- we are a community of like-minded entrepreneurs who share a spirit of “open source entrepreneurship” -- the idea that, particularly at the very earliest of stages, we all benefit from fostering connection points between and amongst entrepreneurs and startups.
Whether it is sharing space, sharing ideas, sharing referrals, networking, or just hanging out, we all thrive on the flow of ideas, people and relationships. So, in addition to a workspace, we will use the Lab frequently as a meeting place -- for dinner events, brown bag lunch talks, workshops, conferences, symposia and good ole’ pizza and beer nights. Whether the subjects involve Web Marketing, “new school” Leveraged Sales Models, Agile Development, Lean Startup philosophies or just networking, the Lab’s goals include the fostering of collaboration, the cross-pollination of experiences and the exchange of ideas.
Specifically, the Lab’s programs will not only help facilitate connections amongst local entrepreneurs, but also will expose them to many of the leaders of the new web economy from other markets -- some of whom are involved with Polaris portfolio companies or involved with the Labs as “Dogpatch Fellows”.
Reflecting both the diversity of Boston's entrepreneurial system and Polaris's investment strategy, Dogpatch Cambridge welcomes entrepreneurs from all sectors. The Lab will seek to foster super-early stage entrepreneurship in areas where Boston currently has strong start up track records -- such as software-as-a-service, cloud computing, biotech and enertech. But additionally, the Labs will also foster efforts in Social Media, e-Commerce and the Consumer Internet, where Polaris has been highly-active in other markets.
To inquire about joining Dogpatch Labs, email dogpatchlabs@gmail.com.
About Polaris Venture Partners.
Polaris Venture Partners is a partnership of experienced investors, operating executives and entrepreneurs. The firm’s mission is to identify, invest in and partner with seed, early stage, and middle market businesses with exceptional promise and help them grow into market-leading companies. Polaris invests in businesses across a number of markets including digital media, technology, consumer, enerTech and life sciences. The firm has over $3 billion under management, more than 20 investment professionals, and current investments in more than 115 companies. Polaris-backed successes in life sciences include Adnexus (sold to BMS), Advanced Inhalation Research (sold to Alkermes), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Glycofi (sold to Merck), Momenta Pharmaceuticals (MNTA) and Transform Pharmaceuticals (sold to Johnson & Johnson). Current and former portfolio companies in technology, digital media and consumer include: Akamai Technologies, Allaire, Art.com, Athletes’ Performance, HealthCentral Network, JibJab, LogMeIn, Powersoft, QuantCast, Solidworks, TechTarget and WordPress.
