INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Plug and Play, the world’s most active global innovation platform and venture capital firm, today officially launched the IU LAB Lifetech Accelerator with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Indianapolis. This landmark event, a collaboration with Indiana University, BioCrossroads, and IU Health, marks the beginning of a new era of life sciences innovation for the state, positioning Indianapolis as a premier hub for cutting-edge technology.
The new accelerator, headquartered at the 16 Tech Innovation District, is designed to attract and support top-tier startups from around the globe. The program will focus on critical areas such as therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, and biotechnology, leveraging the deep expertise of Indiana’s academic and corporate partners.
Indiana University President Pam Whitten emphasized the importance of the university’s investment in innovation.
“The future of Indiana’s life sciences industry is being built at Indiana University. Through bold initiatives like IU LAB and our partnership with Plug and Play, Indiana is becoming a hub for breakthroughs in life sciences and technology that drive human progress and fuel a thriving economy,” said Pamela Whitten, president of Indiana University. “This new accelerator is one more example of IU’s commitment to innovation and impact in Indiana and beyond.”
David Rosenberg, inaugural president and CEO of IU LAB, said this initiative is set to transform Indiana’s role in life sciences.
“IU LAB is harnessing the collective strength of IU, IU Health, and Indiana’s life sciences expertise to change the landscape of the state’s life sciences sector,” Rosenberg said. “By integrating education, research, business incubation, and acceleration, IU LAB will create a pipeline of discovery, innovation, and entrepreneurship that will benefit Indiana for generations to come.”
16 Tech President and CEO Emily Krueger said the launch adds to the growing innovation district in Indianapolis.
“Every aspect of the IU LAB Lifetech Accelerator is thoughtfully designed to navigate the complexity of health and life sciences innovation,” Krueger said. “Locating in 16 Tech further ensures participants are part of a community where partnerships and collaboration enable their success.”
The accelerator’s model is built on a foundation of collaboration, bringing together academia, industry, and venture capital. This unique approach provides startups from Indiana and around the world with the programmatic resources needed to be their best. The program includes access to mentors, workshops, pitch sessions, and introductions to corporate partners, among other things.
Founder and CEO of Plug and Play Saeed Amidi said, “We are proud to launch Plug and Play in Indianapolis with IU LAB. Today’s launch represents another step in bringing startups and partners together to create real impact. Building on what we started in Warsaw, this new location will give startups and health care partners more opportunities to collaborate and drive innovation.”
Plug and Play Indiana Director Brandon Noll stated that the expansion to Indianapolis is a natural next step, building on the success of the firm’s Medtech accelerator in Warsaw and reflecting a strategic vision for the state.
“Our involvement with the IU LAB initiative is a direct reflection of its strategic alignment with our core mission. It’s a perfect opportunity to connect startups, ideas, industry, and investors in a way that truly accelerates innovation,” Noll said. “By layering Plug and Play’s global network onto Indiana’s local expertise and resources, we are confident we can create generational impact in the life sciences ecosystem.”
The accelerator will support up to 40 startups annually, with the first cohort set to begin its intensive 14-week program in October 2025.
For more information about Plug and Play, its initiatives, or how to get involved, visit the website at pnptc.com.
About Plug and Play
Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Plug and Play is present in over 60 locations across five continents. It offers corporate innovation programs and helps corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. Plug and Play also organizes startup acceleration programs and has built an in-house venture capital (VC) to drive innovation across multiple industries where it has invested in hundreds of successful companies including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal and Rappi. For more information, visit www.plugandplaytechcenter.com.
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