Award-Winning Cleantech Startup Joins Cummings Properties' Woburn, MA Innovation Cluster

Woburn, MA, October 05, 2024 --(PR.com)-- Climate tech pioneer Active Surfaces has expanded from Somerville to Cummings Properties’ Woburn innovation cluster. The solar technology startup recently moved from Greentown Labs’ cleantech incubator to a 4,800-square-foot facility at 34 Commerce Way, Woburn.

Co-founded in 2022, Active Surfaces is the brainchild of Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers Richard Swartwout, Ph.D. and Shiv Bhakta, M.S./MBA. The pair aims to make clean energy more accessible by commercializing a flexible, lightweight, ultrathin solar panel.

“Relocating to Woburn marks an exciting new chapter for Active Surfaces as we scale our technology and expand our operations,” said Bhakta. “The vibrant climate tech ecosystem here, combined with the support from Cummings Properties, positions us perfectly to accelerate our mission of unlocking more solar for more people in more places.”

“We see many early-stage firms choosing to locate in Woburn, a growing hub for cleantech with strategic proximity to Boston and Cambridge,” said Cummings senior account manager Jeff Pelletier, who worked directly with Bhakta and Swartwout on the lease.

Pelletier also noted the draw of Cummings’ ability to accommodate future expansion. “Just months into the initial lease, Active Surfaces has already grown in place,” he said, noting that the company took an additional 1,400 square feet at 34 Commerce Way earlier in August.

Active Surfaces closed a $5.6 million pre-seed funding round in May. Other recent accolades for the startup include Singapore Management University’s Kajima Innovation Award and U.S. Department of Energy’s Phase 1 Lab MATCH clean energy innovation prize. Additionally, Bhakta was profiled in Forbes’ 2024 “30 Under 30” in energy.

Other Greentown Labs graduates that have leased with Cummings after outgrowing an incubator environment include Folia Materials, Nth Cycle, Phoenix Tailings, Radical Plastics, RootAi, Verdox, and ZwitterCo.

Active Surfaces’ new neighbors at 34 Commerce Way include medical device manufacturer Cytrellis and rechargeable battery producer Solid Energy Systems, among others. The campus also accommodates several younger firms in its “Emerging Tech Center,” a cluster of newly constructed turn-key lab suites with multiple collaboration areas and a shared lounge and conference room.

Cummings Properties manages 11 million square feet of commercial space in 11 communities north and west of Boston. Most of these properties, including 34 Commerce Way in Woburn, are owned by Cummings Foundation, with 100 percent of all rental profits supporting hundreds of local charities. The Cummings organization just announced $30 million in grants to greater Boston nonprofits, and it has awarded more than $500 million to date.

Active Surfaces is on a mission to redefine solar energy's role in combating climate change by unlocking vast solar potential where it was previously unimaginable. Its MIT-patented, lightweight, flexible solar technology aims to accelerate adoption in the built environment and rapidly mitigate CO2 emissions at global scales.