The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) announced that it has partnered with Smart City Works, Inc. to launch Smart City Works @ Herndon, the world’s first business actuator, a new type of business accelerator, focused on growing early stage businesses aimed at making cities smarter, more livable, and more resilient.
Smart City Works @ Herndon will serve to catalyze greater economic development and smarter cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the broader DC metro area through innovation in how we design, build, and maintain urban infrastructure.
CIT has a long and successful track record of success operating national-scale business accelerators including the MACH37 Cyber Accelerator and the DHS-funded EMERGE program. Smart City Works, Inc. brings a strong infrastructure, technology, and entrepreneurial history and a world class eco-system to equip companies with the skills, market awareness, and validated products to compete and grow in commercial markets.
The smart city actuator in Herndon will be uniquely focused on enhancing the performance, security, and resiliency of cities and their infrastructure. Its structure and operations are closely modeled on the successful MACH37 Accelerator, which has launched 40 companies in just over three years. The actuator will run two cohort sessions a year, and provide intensive training, mentoring and support in interacting with sources of capital and partners who can assist in reaching the target markets. In addition to new startups, the smart city actuator will also engage somewhat more mature early stage technology product companies, and connect them with funders, mentors and corporate partners who can help deliver their products to market.
Ed Albrigo, CIT President and CEO, said “The Smart City Actuator is an exciting new initiative that pushes the envelope of innovation and highlights the Commonwealth of Virginia’s and CIT’s leadership roles in building robust innovation ecosystems for the next generation of technology companies.” Gregory Sauter of Smart City Works added “I believe that we are at a unique point in time and Smart City Works is poised to change the infrastructure equation via technology and applied innovation. We are excited to be partnered with CIT and 22 CityLink to launch this first-of-a-kind smart city actuator, as a model of innovation and to improve how we design, build, and live in cities.”
This announcement comes in the wake of the previously announced partnership between CIT and 22 Capital Partners, the organization behind the up and coming Gramercy District that is currently under development at the Silver Line Ashburn Metro Station.
“The new actuator program will become an integral part of 22 CityLink’s Concept Foundry, an immersive collaboration, education, coworking and startup accelerator environment. We are excited to continue to grow our partnership with CIT,” says Minh Le, Managing Partner of 22 CityLink. “22 CityLink will participate in the cohort through curriculum development, and selection and mentorship of these early stage companies. We will also provide the graduates access to our ecosystem of world-class partners, manufacturing capabilities, education programs, coworking space and development sandbox for further growth. Partners like CIT are integral to the development of high-quality, innovative companies.”
The inaugural Spring 2017 cohort will be hosted at the CIT complex in Herndon, Virginia. Applicants are now being accepted from entrepreneurs, startups, and companies with emerging product solutions that cover one of three main infrastructure challenges:
- Transportation – Solutions that reduce costs, extend serviceable life, reduce congestion, or leverage intelligent transportation solutions to improve our transportation infrastructure.
- Resilience and Public Safety – Solutions that address the safety and security of the urban public; that mitigate the impact of rising sea levels, extreme weather events, or other natural or man-made calamities; that protect critical infrastructure; or improve livability and sustainability.
- Construction Techniques – Solutions that improve the design, construction, or maintenance of infrastructure; reduce lifecycle costs or improve safety, schedules, or margins.
Interested applicants are encouraged to visit www.f6s.com/smartcityworks for more details and to fill-out the online application.
About the Center for Innovative Technology, www.cit.org
Since 1985, CIT, a nonprofit corporation, has been Virginia’s primary driver of innovation and entrepreneurship. CIT accelerates the next generation of technology and technology companies through commercialization, capital formation, market development and revenue generation services. To facilitate national innovation leadership and accelerate the rate of technology adoption, CIT creates partnerships between innovative technology start-up companies and advanced technology consumers. Follow CIT on Twitter @CITorg and add the Center for Innovative Technology on LinkedIn and Facebook.
About 22 CityLink, 22citylink.com
22 CityLink is a global leader in smart city development and technology. Through their dedication to providing complete urban, technology and education solutions, 22 CityLink is revolutionizing every aspect of the way people live. Whether you are a real estate developer, small business, international company, local government, citizen, software developer or a student, they have developed a suite of products that empower you to do more. Welcome to The Future of Living™. For more information, visit 22citylink.com. Follow 22 CityLink on Twitter @22CityLink.
About Smart City Works, www.smartcityworks.io
Smart City Works™ is the world’s first business actuator and a premier business accelerator for improving livability and resilience in cities. Our unique focus on the built environment aims to dramatically change the way we design, build, and operate civil infrastructure.
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