Deshpande Center - About the Center



			Bridging the Innovation Gap People Contact Support the Center			Since 2002, the Deshpande Center has taken advantage of the fertile innovation environment at MIT and proved that small cash grants, and a well-defined process designed to nurture and support innovation, can accelerate the migration of ideas from the lab to practical commercial application.

The Deshpande Center was established at the MIT School of Engineering in 2002 to increase the impact of MIT technologies in the marketplace. Founded with an initial donation by Jaishree and Desh Deshpande , the Center depends on the financial and professional support of successful alumni, entrepreneurs, and investors to provide a sustainable source of funding for innovative research and guidance to help it reach the marketplace.

Since 2002, The Deshpande Center has funded more than 80 projects with over $9 M in grants. 18 projects have spun out of the center into commercial ventures, having collectively raised over $140 M in outside financing. Thirteen venture capital firms have invested in these ventures.

The Deshpande Center supports a wide range of emerging technologies including biotechnology, biomedical devices, information technology, new materials, tiny tech, and energy innovations.

The Deshpande Center achieves its mission through several approaches: Grant Program, Catalyst Program, Innovation Teams (i-Teams) & Events.

Deshpande Center
By The Numbers

Since our first request for proposals in September 2002, we have:

Reviewed 400+ proposals

From over 200 Faculty

Funded more than 80 projects with over $9 M in grants

Supported 200+ Faculty and their Students, from a diverse array of Departments across campus

Engaged 100 + volunteers from the venture and entrepreneur community

Seen the creation of 18 companies (1 license) , capitalized at over $140 M with 200+ employees