Boston and GE: Strength in Partnership

This week marks the second anniversary of GE’s move to Boston. The spirit of Boston has become integral to GE just as GE has become part of this great City on a Hill. Personally, Boston is a city close to my own heart as I attended graduate school at Boston University School of Medicine, where I stoked my love of science and innovation, plus met my husband, now of 30 years. 

So it was no surprise to me that Boston has been such a welcoming place. The city has truly opened its arms and its doors to GE, inviting us to take part in everything Boston has to offer. We are very grateful.

Boston was at the heart of the American Revolution and has grown to become a thriving center of innovation. With great learning institutions, and a booming startup community, some of the most exciting new ideas and businesses are sprouting from the Boston area.

And we’re proud to be a part of it! Since GE Ventures launched five years ago, we’ve invested in 10 Boston-based startups, including Catalant, an exciting company at the forefront of the future of work, Rethink Robotics, a company creating the category of smart, collaborative robots, and Iora Health, a company providing service to patients to ensure improved outcomes while lowering overall health care costs. We’ve also invested in Desktop Metal, Tamr, Aras, 1366 Technologies, Arctic Sand Technologies, RainDance Technologies, and last but certainly not the least, Arcadia Solutions.

And while investing in startups is at the heart of what we do at GE Ventures, we’ve also engaged in other ways to spur innovation in Boston. At GE Ventures, we’ve incubated and launched three new companies that are headquartered in this great city. In 2015, we helped launch Current, which builds on our company’s history in the lighting and energy businesses. In 2017, we launched Avitas Systems, which uses predictive data analytics, robotics and artificial intelligence to deliver advanced inspection services to the oil and gas, transportation and energy industries. And in June 2018, we launched AiRXOS, which helps accelerate the safe, efficient, scalable integration of air and ground space for manned and unmanned vehicles — ultimately paving the way for next-generation integrated autonomy.

We’re proud of the powerful partnerships we’ve formed and nurtured in Boston. With MassRobotics, we’re helping the next generation of robotics entrepreneurs gain access to the space and equipment they need to build the robots that will revolutionize industry. We’re sponsors at Greentown Labs, the largest cleantech startup incubator in the U.S., and have partnered with the New England Venture Capital Association (NEVCA) and Xconomy. We're working with Flare Capital Partners and other VC's to bolster Boston's startup community. And through MassChallenge, we’re sharing our knowledge and resources to help accelerate startups that will change the world.

And of course, there’s the work we’ve been able to do with local universities, an initiative that has been particularly gratifying for me. We are part of MIT’s Energy Initiative, which is helping MIT students work across disciplines to come up with low- and no-carbon power solutions to meet the growing global need for energy while minimizing the impact on the environment and mitigating climate change. And I’m proud to be on the founding board of MIT’s The Engine, a home for tough tech founders, building the next generation of world-changing companies. Working with students, distinguished faculty and founders makes me feel deeply optimistic about the incredible future that is emerging right around us.

In the coming years, GE looks forward to continuing to work closely with the vibrant, growing startup community that flourishes in Boston. Together, we’re building businesses that will change the world for the better. We’re proud that GE headquarters chose Boston to call home!