HAX Accelerator
Venture capital accelerator
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
HAX (formerly HAXLR8R) is a pre-seed, startup development program specializing in hard tech startups and headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. The 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) facility houses machine shops and mechanical, chemical, and electronics labs to support founders working on sustainability tech across climate, industrial automation, and human health.[1][2] Operated by the U.S. venture fund SOSV, HAX also has offices in Pune, Shenzhen, San Francisco, and Tokyo.[3]
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Venture Capital |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Cyril Ebersweiler Sean O'Sullivan |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 5 |
| Services | Investment |
| Parent | SOSV |
| Website | www.hax.co |
History
Founded in 2011 by Cyril Ebersweiler and Sean O'Sullivan, the first HAX program ran in Shenzhen from March to June 2012.[4] More than 257 startups have completed the program.[5]
In September 2021, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) announced a partnership with SOSV to provide $25 million over five years to build the new HAX headquarters in Newark in exchange for launching 100 hard tech startups focused on health tech and "re-industrialization and decarbonization of the U.S."[6] The new HAX office opened officially on April 30, 2024 at an event featuring New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.[7]
Startups accepted into the HAX program receive an initial investment of $250,000 - $500,000 in pre-seed funding from SOSV and join a collaborative residency in Newark supported by staff design and engineering teams.[8][5] Once HAX companies complete the program, they typically raise series seed and later stage venture rounds, in which SOSV usually participates.[5]
Companies affiliated with the HAX program include:
- Formlabs, a 3D printing company[5]
- Opentrons, open-source, lab automation[9]
- unSpun, 3D weaving technology for apparel for on-demand production[10]
- Neptune Robotics, robotic ship hull cleaning[11]
- Flow Neuroscience, addressing depression with transcranial direct-current stimulation[12]
- Voltstorage, grid-level energy storage based on redox flow storage battery technology[13]
- Allozymes, platform technology to rapidly develop novel enzymes[14]
- Smartex, automated AI-based Inspection for circular knitting machines[15]
- Green Li-ion, lithium-ion battery recycling[16]
- SepPure Technologies, sustainable chemical separation[17]
- R-Zero, building monitoring and automated air and surface disinfection[18]