NewLab

NewLab
Name	NewLab
Formation	2016
Type	Innovation hub, hardware incubator
Headquarters	Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York
Founders	David Belt

NewLab NewLab is a technology incubator and hardware-focused innovation hub located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York. The organization provides space, manufacturing resources, mentorship, and capital connections for startups working in robotics, advanced materials, aerospace, energy, and manufacturing technologies. It serves as an anchor for entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, and researchers seeking prototyping facilities and partnerships with corporations, universities, and public agencies.

History

Founded in 2016 by entrepreneur David Belt, the organization emerged amid post-industrial revitalization efforts in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and broader initiatives linked to urban innovation districts such as those in Silicon Alley and Kendall Square. Early development drew on collaborations with municipal leaders from New York City and workforce development programs associated with the Mayor's Office of Economic Development (New York City). The facility's growth paralleled investments from corporate partners including hardware-focused divisions of Siemens, GE Appliances, and aerospace groups connected to Northrop Grumman. Programming and tenancy expanded during periods of increased venture funding across Manhattan and San Francisco hardware ecosystems, intersecting with research at institutions like Columbia University, New York University, and the State University of New York system.

Facilities and Campus

Located in a rehabilitated building within the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the site offers industrial-scale prototyping labs, machine shops, and cleanrooms that interface with maritime and manufacturing infrastructure tied to the Yard's historical facilities such as the Brooklyn Navy Yard Dry Dock and the Bensonhurst industrial corridors. Fabrication amenities include CNC mills, laser cutters, electronics benches, and composite layup areas used by tenants collaborating with defense contractors like Raytheon and aerospace suppliers linked to SpaceX supply chains. Shared office suites and event spaces host summits similar to those at South by Southwest and workshops modeled after maker spaces allied with Maker Faire participants and nonprofit partners such as NYCEDC initiatives.

Programs and Services

The organization runs accelerator-style programs, residency tracks, and mentorship networks tied to investors from firms such as Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, and corporate venture arms like GV (company). Services include access to capital introductions, prototyping support, regulatory guidance for sectors interacting with Federal Aviation Administration rules, and connections to procurement pathways with municipal buyers like agencies in New York City. Educational offerings involve partnerships with technical training groups resembling curricula from General Assembly and apprenticeship models reflecting standards from trade organizations such as the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

Community and Culture

Tenants and collaborators form a community that blends entrepreneurs, designers, and researchers influenced by startup cultures found in Brooklyn, Chelsea (Manhattan), and innovation districts near Boston and Palo Alto. Events feature speakers and panels with practitioners from organizations including NASA, IBM, and philanthropic funders comparable to the Rockefeller Foundation. Community governance and programming often reference workforce inclusion goals advanced by advocacy groups such as JobsFirstNYC and industry consortia like Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing.

Notable Projects and Startups

Startups and projects incubated at the site have spanned robotics, energy storage, and advanced manufacturing, echoing ventures similar to Boston Dynamics, Impossible Foods, and materials innovations seen at MIT Media Lab spinouts. Selected resident companies and initiatives have pursued contracts with clients including U.S. Department of Defense programs, smart city pilots with New York City Department of Transportation, and collaborations with consumer electronics firms exemplified by partnerships akin to Apple Inc. accessory supply chains. Several alumni have progressed to Series A and later rounds backed by investors such as Kleiner Perkins and Bessemer Venture Partners.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding for operations and expansion combined private investment, corporate sponsorships, and public support from local economic development entities comparable to NYCEDC and state-level innovation funds in New York (state). Strategic partnerships include collaborations with corporations in manufacturing and energy sectors such as General Electric and Schneider Electric, academic partnerships with Pratt Institute and engineering departments at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and procurement relationships with municipal agencies and defense suppliers. Philanthropic and foundation grants from organizations with missions similar to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation have supported workforce training and inclusion initiatives.

Impact and Recognition

The organization has been recognized in trade coverage alongside innovation hubs in Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Shenzhen for revitalizing industrial space and supporting hardware entrepreneurship. Awards and honors have acknowledged contributions to regional job creation, advanced manufacturing growth, and diversity in tech, comparable to citations from publications such as Fast Company, Wired, and the Wall Street Journal. Its model has been cited in urban planning analyses of adaptive reuse exemplified by projects involving the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation and case studies in innovation district literature produced by scholars associated with Brookings Institution and Harvard Kennedy School.

Category:Technology incubators Category:Innovation hubs in New York City