Building extraordinary innovation
environments.

Drive change & build a better future.

At Captains of Innovation we drive venture and idea creation, leveraging the power of proximity to identify and connect diverse partners. Our high-touch services aid disruptive thinking, instill an innovative mindset, develop strategy, and deliver high-impact activities. Our team of thinkers and innovation builders foster collaborative and future-focused outcomes.

Captains has experience building, developing, and cultivating innovation ecosystems. We provide expertise in innovation district planning, strategy consulting, concept development, research, scenario planning, startup sourcing, and ecosystem engagement.

Created by innovators,
for innovators.

Our partnership with CIC and Venture Café allows us to capitalize on our track record of success in activating physical spaces and building innovation programming. We’ve seen firsthand that proximity and connection are essential for trust and collaboration. We also believe that multidisciplinary thinking fuels creativity, generates new ideas, and creates powerful, engaging environments. These beliefs are the cornerstones of our work. Our services are designed to meet the unique needs of all innovators: from corporate executives and innovation teams, to innovation district conveners, institutional leaders, and those looking to create new ventures.

  • “At binx health, we’re building new models for care in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. We’ve been especially fortunate to have found the team at Captains, who’ve been thoughtful accelerants to our plans—bringing the industry experts, insightful questions, and strategic instincts to the table that have been central to our growth."

    -Jeff Luber CEO at binx health

  • “It was hard to find good startups that matched the specific collaboration needs from our business divisions. Venture capitalists were naturally interested in introducing us only to their portfolio companies. We found some accelerators providing match-up programs, but their networks were limited or they were not customizable and didn't meet our needs. Captains of Innovation provided a fully customized matching program that really met our needs. They deeply understood our specific requirements and introduced us to the right startups from their vast network of startup ecosystems in many regions. It's been a pleasure to [work] with the team, and we are looking forward to continuing working with Captains to expand our technology sourcing network around the world.”

    -Senior Manager, CTO Office, NEC

  • “Thanks to the Captains program, we were able to shorten our lead time to building a network with top-tier players in the Boston/Cambridge innovation ecosystem. The Captains’ team devoted time to help understand our needs and introduce us to the right potential partners. Captains offers a serious matching program that is far and above those offered by startup accelerators or VCs. We highly recommend this program to companies serious about generating value in [the] Boston/Cambridge innovation ecosystem.”

    -Innovation Manager, Japan Tobacco