Engine Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, founded in 2016 as an initiative by MIT. Managing over $1 billion in assets across multiple funds, the firm targets early-stage “Tough Tech” startups that apply advanced science and engineering to address significant global challenges. Beyond providing capital, Engine Ventures offers operational guidance and connects founders to a network of academic, commercial, and government partners to help companies scale and navigate the path from laboratory research to market readiness.
Investment priorities span three main areas. In climate tech, the firm backs innovations in materials, renewable energy, energy storage, and processes that reduce emissions and support sustainable infrastructure. Within human health, investments focus on novel therapies, diagnostic tools, and systems that integrate biology and engineering to improve disease monitoring and treatment. The advanced systems and infrastructure category covers projects in high-performance computing, next-generation robotics, and smart mobility, each aimed at strengthening the foundation of industrial and commercial capabilities.
Clean technology is a major component of the portfolio. Engine Ventures has supported companies such as Form Energy, which is developing multi-day grid storage systems, and Lilac Solutions, which is streamlining lithium extraction to supply batteries with fewer emissions. Other investments target industrial decarbonization, from advanced liquid separation methods to electrified boilers and electrolyzer technologies for hydrogen production. This emphasis on energy storage and related processes reflects the firm’s interest in solutions that enable reliable, scalable clean power across sectors. The firm’s support extends to novel fuels and sustainable materials research that intersects with battery innovation, underscoring a broad approach to clean energy challenges.
