As it looks toward expansion, the Innovation Hub hosted a tour of the facility Monday.
The 48,000-square-foot building, located at 747 SW 2nd Ave., was visited by several students and members of the community and the tour was given by the director, Jane Muir.
The hub serves as an “incubator” for startup companies. “The idea is to nurture those young chickens and feed them with nutrition here we feed them with resources and expertise help them grow their company – develop their company, develop their concept, their business strategy and generate revenue to the point where they’re a viable commercial entity,” Muir said.
The hub opened in 2010 and was funded by an $8 million grant with a $5 million contribution from the University of Florida.
Another grant of $8 million and a $9 million contribution from UF will fund phase two of the Innovation Hub.
Phase two is set to open on Dec. 1 this year and will double the size of the current building.
The expansion will include office spaces and labs to serve as a transition space for startups that have grown larger than the current offices will hold.
Muir said that the ecosystem of like-minded individuals is a key component to the success of startups at the Innovation Hub.
“Having access under one roof to all of the resources, the expertise, the mentors, and being able to get daily guidance is invaluable to anybody in the community who is starting a technology-based company,” Muir said.
The tour of the innovation Hub was part of UF’s Innovation Week and the Innovation Hub is scheduled to host a startup gathering on Friday.