Polaris launches ‘frat house for geeks’ By D.C. Denison Boston Globe Staff
September 14, 2009 http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2009/09/14/polaris_to_house_entrepreneurs_in_dogpatch_cambridge_space?mode=PF Polaris Venture Partners operates from a hilltop office park in Waltham (sometimes called Mount Money) so pristine that it almost could have been created in the Second Life virtual world. The venture capital group has billions invested around the globe in virtual-sounding technologies like “cloud computing.’’ But late last week, Polaris made a splash with Boston entrepreneurs by launching a venture that could not be more concrete and down to earth: a “frat house for geeks,’’ called Dogpatch Labs Cambridge. Polaris said it will offer “space, connectivity, coffee, and food in a fun, open environment,’’ all for free, to a select group of start-ups. The new space, in Kendall Square, follows the launch last year of Dogpatch Labs San Francisco, which Polaris started on that city’s waterfront. At a time when the Internet and digital technologies have allowed start-up businesses to rely less on physical assets than ever, Polaris hopes they will see a return on an investment in a place with real desks and conference rooms. “What we learned in San Francisco is that it’s just really important to have a base lodge to foster collaboration, networking, mentoring,’’ said Michael Hirshland, a Polaris general partner. “It helps to have a hang-out space.’’ Dogpatch Labs Cambridge will start by hosting 10 entrepreneurs, some scheduled to move in as early as this week. The tenants are under no obligation to work with Polaris, although the firm will have an inside track on projects it hosts. Hirshland said residency will be negotiated “loosely’’ every two to three months. David Barrett, another Polaris general partner, said he expects the Cambridge space to evolve into more than just a place to work. The company has been gathering a corps of experienced entrepreneurs and technologists, called Dogpatch Fellows, who will regularly mentor and network with the tenants. Angus Davis, who held pivotal roles at Netscape, Microsoft, and the telecom start-up Tellme, has signed on as a Dogpatch adviser. Hirshland and Barrett, who discussed the project on a conference call with fellow Polaris general partner Alan Crane, emphasized they are also expecting Dogpatch to reap benefits for their venture firm. “When you think about what we do every day, it’s getting out there and meeting the next generation of entrepreneurs,’’ Hirshland said. “Dogpatch is that on steroids. It gives us a space where we’re not just observers; we’re out there on the playing field, mixing it up with the young entrepreneurs.’’ Polaris’s Crane said Dogpatch residents will come from a variety of fields, from information technology to life sciences. Russell Cook, a former executive with beRecruited.com Inc. who is working on a Web start-up, is the first announced resident. “The approach Polaris has taken to recruit from a broad range of industries for its new space in Cambridge has me particularly excited, since great ideas can often come from looking and thinking beyond the scope of just one industry,’’ Cook said. Timothy Rowe, who runs the Cambridge Innovation Center, which rents small offices to entrepreneurs in a lively start-up environment, also in Kendall Square, said Polaris will probably benefit from Dogpatch as much as the young companies. “They are doing precisely what many have been calling on the western suburban venture capital firms to do,’’ Rowe said. “They are coming downtown and really getting involved in supporting early stage ‘seed planting.’ The knock on them is that they primarily have reaped, but do not sow.’’ Rowe said there may even be a response to the Polaris project from other venture capital firms, many of which are also on Mount Money. That, in turn, could benefit Boston’s young, urban entrepreneurs. “The interesting question to me is: How do the other suburban venture capital firms respond?’’ Rowe said. “Doing another location of the same type is possible. But some may seek to one-up this with another approach. What will that be? Whatever their response, it will further strengthen our cluster.’’ -- ================================ George Antunes, Political Science Dept University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204 Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927 Mail: antunes at uh dot edu *********************************** * POST TO MEDIANEWS@ETSKYWARN.NET * *********************************** Medianews mailing list Medianews@etskywarn.net http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
