The Community

The Pennovation Works is a distinctive blend of offices, labs, and production space developed by The University of Pennsylvania to link the intellectual and entrepreneurial initiatives necessary for advancing knowledge and generating economic development. The master plan articulates a phased approach, with initial activity focused on site improvements and renovating existing buildings, beginning with the 2016 completion of the Pennovation Center.
Events hosted by the Pennovation Center draw multidisciplinary attendance.

The 23-acre property adjacent to Penn's campus accommodates, in state-of-the-art facilities, researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry partners solving real world problems and translating inventiveness into viable ventures. By grouping facilities for innovation, technological development, and artistic production/exhibition, Penn envisions a multifaceted workshop for harnessing and commercializing the tremendous creative potential in the region.

This property is strategically situated in a valued location within the Lower Schuylkill Innovation District, and is envisioned to become a keystone securing University City, Center City, and the emerging Innovation District as three engines of Philadelphia's economy. Businesses that are located at Pennovation Works are eligible to receive significant state and local tax benefits including abatement of Business Privilege Tax, Net Profit Tax and Real Estate Tax.

Innovators

Penn-based biotech company staff member

AlphaThera

AlphaThera is a Penn-based biotech company that specializes in simple, fast and site-specific antibody labeling technology.

The company serves customers across the world and aims to be the go-to antibody toolbox for researchers.

low cost, ​​​​​​​regenerable and reusable water filters

Amriton

Amriton LLC is developing low cost, regenerable and reusable water filters for water and pharmaceutical industries, with emphasis on water reuse application. Unlike some other water technologies, no waste is generated for disposal and no toxic by-products are produced in treated water.

ARG logo in color

Automation Research Group

ARG is a small company designing embedded systems, with a focus on developing products that could be used for remote monitoring in cities of the future.

The Autoware Foundation logo in black and white

The Autoware Foundation

The Autoware Foundation is the world’s first “all-in-one” open-source software for self-driving vehicles hosted under the Autoware Foundation.

Autoware.Auto is a next generation of Autoware based on ROS 2, with contributions from the Autoware Foundation members and community at large following best...

Avisi Technologies at Pennovation

Avisi Technologies

Avisi Technologies is a pre-clinical medical devices startup focused on advancing the development of VisiPlate, a nanoscale defense against blindness from glaucoma.

Pennovation Center featuring north facade

Center Members

Learn which exciting new companies are at the Pennovation Center. Our list of members is updated regularly.

Ciscovery Bio Logo in color

Ciscovery Bio

Ciscovery Bio is a non-coding genomics company that experimentally discovers cis-regulatory modules (CRMs), the major class of functional DNA elements in the non-coding genome, and develops applications of CRMs for gene therapy, drug development and precision medicine.

Clean Energy Conversions Lab Research Team

Clean Energy Conversions Lab

At the Clean Energy Conversions Lab, researchers are studying the fundamentals of storing captured carbon in rock waste, and conducting experiments to minimize the world’s dependence on fossil fuels through carbon management at the Pennovation Lab. 

Cocoa Press banner with the 3D chocolate printer creator standing in front

Cocoa Press

Cocoa Press has created a 3D chocolate printer that uses scanning technology to produce customized chocolate creations without the use of traditional molds, making it a more efficient and cost-effective process.

DriQ team photo at Pennovation

DriQ Health

DriQ Health is on a mission to create technology which transforms the management of urinary incontinence. DriQ's intelligent IoT diaper monitoring system detects when residents in a nursing home experience urinary incontinence and immediately communicates this to the clinical staff to ensure timely...

FloBio Logo in color

FloBio

FloBio is pioneering a novel point-of-care diagnostic platform that analyzes flowing blood to rapidly assess blood clotting function to personalize management.

state-of-the-art, humidity- and climate-controlled storage environment

Free Library of Philadelphia

Over 800,000 volumes, some more than 100 years old, are located at the Pennovation Works site, stored in a state-of-the-art, humidity- and climate-controlled environment. Compact shelving made it possible to efficiently store these materials, which can be accessed by customers with 48 hours’ notice...

Inventors of highly responsive autonomous 4-leg robots

Ghost Robotics

Ghost Robotics develops unstoppable, agile, and highly responsive autonomous 4-leg robots offering superior operability over wheeled and tracked devices on unstructured terrain and in rough environments.

purple Infini Fluidics Logo in the shape of the infinity symbol

Infini Fluidics

Infini Fluidics is working to optimize the manufacturing of high value therapeutics, drugs, cosmetics, and specialty chemicals through technological advancements in highly-scalable on-chip production.

interius team photo

Interius BioTherapeutics

Interius BioTherapeutics is an early-stage biotechnology company expanding the potential of cell and gene therapy by developing next generation delivery technology based on inventions from the laboratory of Dr. Saar Gill at the University of Pennsylvania.  Interius’ lead programs are initially...

Opertech Bio team, march 2018

Opertech Bio

Opertech Bio is a service-based business offering its customers a pioneering approach to measuring taste, a multi-billion dollar market covering the food and beverage, flavor ingredients, pet food, and pharmaceutical industries.

PCI Ventures Team 2022

PCI Ventures

The Penn Center for Innovation’s (PCI) mission is to empower ideas into becoming real world solutions that benefit society. As a one-stop-shop for all innovation and commercialization needs, PCI facilitates industry-sponsored research, corporate alliances, straight licensing, and new venture...

Penn's Tier 1 data center

Penn Data Center

In order to service the University’s needs, a Tier 1 data center was created on the first floor of the Pennovation Center. The 2,500 sq. ft. facility hosts up to 40 racks of computing equipment. It has a 250KVA power capacity and will accommodate high performance computing of up to 14KW/rack. The...

provide inexpensive medicine to people in remote areas

Penn Dental Research Greenhouse

Driven by a desire to provide inexpensive medicine to people in remote areas, Dr. Henry Daniell at the Penn Dental Research Greenhouse wants to use plants in a new medicinal capacity.

One of the biggest barriers in providing low-cost medical supplies to the developing world is the lack of...

Penn graduate architecture students use this studio space to design and construct

Penn Design Studio

Graduate architecture students use this studio space to design and construct through hands-on work, focused on acquiring knowledge through making. They have built direct collaborations with experts outside of the university as well, including industry, to develop their skills further.

Partnerships...

fundamental research on robotics and embedded systems

Penn Engineering Research and Collaboration Hub

At the Penn Engineering Research and Collaboration Hub (PERCH) on the third floor of the Pennovation Center, faculty, staff and students will pursue fundamental research on robotics, embedded systems, the “Internet of Things” and other emerging domains of interdisciplinary science and engineering...

Biology professor Marc Schmidt outside the smart aviary on Pennovation Works campus

Penn Smart Aviary

The Penn smart aviary, lead by Biology professor Marc Schmidt, brings together a collaboration of biologists, engineers, and physicists to study the reproductive behavior of birds. The 8’ by 8’ by 20’ wire cage enclosure is outfitted with 10 computer-vision cameras, an array of 24 high-precision...

trains dogs to search and rescue, sniff out indicators of disease

Penn Vet Working Dog Center

The Penn Vet Working Dog Center, founded and directed by veterinarian Cynthia Otto, trains dogs to search and rescue, sniff out indicators of disease, and detect bioterrorism threats. Constant innovation in the dog’s selection and training is important to their success, and that requires a diverse...

advanced structural geometry for construction technologies

Polyhedral Structures Lab (PSL)

Polyhedral Structures Lab (PSL) is a research unit concentrating on advancing structural geometry and construction technologies within the Advanced Research & Innovation Lab (ARI) at the School of Design, University of Pennsylvania PSL is an interdisciplinary research lab connecting architecture...

Penn Public Safety in partnership with Drexel Public Safety

Public Safety Emergency Communications Backup Center

Penn Public Safety in partnership with Drexel Public Safety operates and maintains a Backup Operations Command Center to be used in the event that facilities on campus are inoperable or inaccessible. In addition to the backup command center, the facility also houses conferencing and interview rooms.

growing team of researchers and engineers aerial vehicles and robotic systems

Qualcomm Research Philadelphia

A division of the Fortune 100 company Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Qualcomm Research Philadelphia was established in February 2015, along with the acquisition of KMel Robotics. This growing team of researchers and engineers work on research, development, and commercialization of leading-edge...

Red & Blue Ventures logo in color

Red & Blue Ventures

Red & Blue Ventures is a privately owned and operated, seed and early stage venture capital fund that invests in companies from the University of Pennsylvania ecosystem. Red & Blue Ventures is wholly independent of and not affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania.

Penn Engineer testing an ocean simulating indoor pool

The Scalable Autonomous Robots (ScalAR) Lab

Researchers in M. Ani Hsieh’s lab (Penn Engineering) are working to enable robots to perform useful tasks across the ocean, fueled by the power of the water’s currents, with the ability to stay in the ocean beyond the lengths of time any manned vehicle could without extensive equipment and fuel.

Three Sonnest team members discuss in Pennovation space

Sonnest, Inc.

Sonnest, Inc. is a pre-clinical stage diagnostic and therapeutic imaging company developing Electrast™, a voltage-sensitive ultrasound imaging agent that will allow clinicians to assess and monitor the perfusion of the heart at the bedside, in real-time using traditional ultrasound techniques.

two founders of Strella, Penn students

Strella BioTechnology

Strella offers the first and only ripeness technology that travels the supply chain to deliver better produce and reduce food waste.

Tozuda logo

Tozuda

Tozuda makes impact indicators for head injury awareness and helmet damage indication.

Founders of Treeswift standing outside of the Pennovation Center

Treeswift

Treeswift is building the next generation of forest monitoring systems through the utilization of state-of-the-art robotic and machine learning technology. 

UHP founders

UHP Wireless Networks

UHP Wireless Networks designs and deploys connected, smart buildings enabled through Private 5G / LTE Networks and secure LPWAN IoT. Wireless has become the “fourth utility” – 5G, CBRS, LPWAN and Gigabit WIFI.

Vertiq team

Vertiq

Born out of the University of Pennsylvania’s robotics lab, Vertiq (formerly IQinetics/IQ Motion Control) is a tech startup that delivers the ultimate motor module and controller for versatility and performance. We first gained recognition in the robotics community for our Anticogging technology, and...

 

 

 

 

 

pennovation background shapes

Existing and Available Spaces

New Life Sciences Building

New Life Sciences Building

The Longfellow project will be a 484,000 SF state-of-the-art life sciences building housing a cGMP manufacturing facility and two (2), six-story towers featuring lab and office space. The project will consist of lab-ready infrastructure, capable of supporting various types of research and development. Upon anticipated completion in 2026, the project will foster retention and growth of companies from within the current Penn ecosystem as well as attract new tenants to the Pennovation Works community.

Learn more about the future of life sciences at Pennovation Works by downloading the full marketing kit below.

Pennovation Lab Building

Lab Building

The Pennovation Lab Building is a 65,000 +/- rentable square foot scientifically advanced, multi-tenant laboratory and office building located within Pennovation Works. Ideal tenants are early-stage companies requiring 2,000 SF to 6,000 SF —companies that have secured early-stage funding and outgrown their incubator space either at Pennovation or moving from other locations. Lab areas on each floor consist of 2,000 SF modules that can be combined or subdivided based on tenant requirements. Utilities are modularized similarly and will be available without disruption to adjacent modules. 

Inquire about space at the Pennovation Lab, and download the marketing kit below for additional information on the facility and its amenities.

Outside the Pennovation Center

Pennovation Center

Leasing options at the Pennovation Center include offices, labs, and Inventor Garages. Co-working memberships are also available at several levels. Visit the Pennovation Center page to learn more about their programs and offerings. 

Outside the Pennovation office

Inventor Office Building

The Inventor Office Building is a 3-story facility offering office/flex space designed for start-up companies and entrepreneurs whose needs have expanded beyond the incubator model. Renovated in 2016-17, the Inventor Office Building consists of 24,000 rentable sq. ft. that can be modestly fit out to meet a tenant’s needs. Approximately 16 companies currently occupy the Inventor Office Building, most in spaces close to 2,000 sq. ft. each. Located near the entrance to the Pennovation Works site, the Pennovation Center, several other renovated research facilities, and the central Pennovation Plaza, the Inventor Office Building is connected to the spirit of community and collaboration developing at Pennovation Works.