This week in Boston tech, we’re tracking a new accelerator program at Harvard University; a key hire by a Babson College program that supports women entrepreneurs; and recent venture capital investments in robotics, artificial intelligence, materials science, and marketing. Read on for details.
—Harvard Innovation Labs created Launch Lab X, a nine-month accelerator program for startups led by Harvard alumni. Ventures accepted into the program will receive free office space at the main “i-lab” space in Boston’s Allston neighborhood. Companies won’t have to give up an equity stake, but they aren’t guaranteed funding, either—they’ll have a chance to win up to $75,000 as automatic finalists in the i-lab’s annual President’s Innovation Challenge.
Meanwhile, in June, the i-lab will stop operating its Launch Lab co-working space, located nearby the organization’s main offices, while a new space is identified, according to its website.
—Nift, a Boston-based startup that has created a software-enabled rewards program for small businesses, closed a $16.5 million Series A funding round from Spark Capital, Foundry Group, and Accomplice.
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