CASE STUDY: Flux Marine

CASE STUDY: Flux Marine

Ben Sorkin and his team created Flux Marine, an up-and-coming startup based in New England. The team won several high-profile pitch competitions and competitive grants. They had been working out of the Autodesk Technology Center in the Boston Seaport, developing their prototype demonstrator, and generating interest from early customers and investors. At that point, the team felt they built enough traction to quit their jobs and work on Flux Marine full time—and then the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

Like many other facilities around the nation, the Autodesk Technology Center was forced to close at the onset of the pandemic. Technology center staff generously offered to machine parts and provide virtual design assistance, but Flux Marine was in a pivotal state. The founders were balancing relations with early investors while trying to finish building a motor for their first customer. They needed a space to rapidly iterate through ideas in the physical world, and the clock was ticking.

How did Flux Marine survive? That is where the 401 Tech Bridge story comes into play. 401 Tech Bridge got right to work brainstorming solutions and facilitated Flux’s migration to the IYRS School of Technology and Trades in Newport, Rhode Island.

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