The developer of one of Baltimore’s largest science complexes is launching a program aimed at keeping growing startups in the region.
Wexford Science & Technology plans to open Connect Labs, a combination of pre-built lab space, support services and office space, in the upcoming 4MLK building in West Baltimore. The company is reserving around 35,000 square feet of the 250,000-square-foot building for the initiative, enough space for around 20 companies. The tower is part of the University of Maryland BioPark, a research hub that includes tenants like BD Diagnostics Solutions and pharmaceutical company Gliknik.
The lab will try to address a gap in the market: the lack of spaces for companies that are too large for an accelerator but are not ready to build their own lab. This gap leads many companies to move to areas like Boston, which has more venture capital firms and office spaces.
“Companies coming out of the universities may have a small amount of funding and the opportunity to grow but don’t have the resources or time to fully build out a traditional lab,” said Wexford Executive Vice President Thomas Osha.
Wexford executives believe Connect Labs allows companies to upgrade to a larger space without committing to a large facility or moving to a new city. Osha believes it will also offer a way for big companies to start operating in Baltimore while waiting for a larger space.
“It keeps you in a market in a way that hasn’t always been possible before,” Osha said.
Wexford operates a startup program, the Bioinnovation Center, at the University of Maryland BioPark, but Connect Labs will offer additional support services and much more space, Connect Labs Vice President Kathy Webb said. She hopes the firms working together at Connect Labs can bounce ideas off each other. Wexford will offer a variety of scientific equipment as well as shared conference rooms and a cafe.
Companies can lease spaces ranging from 200 square feet to 3,000 square feet. The lab will be operated by CIC, which runs shared workspaces, labs and other science facilities nationwide. Wexford has operated the program in Phoenix since 2023. Webb added that the space will also be home to various events for the companies participating in the program.
Connect Labs will open at the same time as 4MLK by the end of this year. The rest of the building will include a floor rented by the University of Maryland and space for other tenants, Webb said.
