The Deshpande Center was established at the MIT School of Engineering in 2002 to increase the impact of MIT technologies in the marketplace. Founded with an initial donation by Jaishree and Desh Deshpande , the Center depends on the financial and professional support of successful alumni, entrepreneurs, and investors to provide a sustainable source of funding for innovative research and guidance to help it reach the marketplace.
Since 2002, the Deshpande Center has funded more than 90 projects with over $11 M in grants. Twentysix projects have spun out of the center into commercial ventures, having collectively raised over $350 M in outside financing.
The Deshpande Center supports a wide range of emerging technologies including biotechnology, biomedical devices, information technology, new materials, tiny tech, and energy innovations.