Cambridge, Mass.-BioLabs is preparing to open its first Midwest location in Rochester later this month, with construction nearly complete and recruitment underway for its initial group of startups.

BioLabs is a national operator of more than a dozen shared laboratory facilities for early‑stage biotech companies. Its locations include Boston, New York, San Diego, Los Angeles, Princeton, Paris and Kyoto, and typically support 30 to 50 startups at a time.

The Rochester facility—co-developed with Mayo Clinic, Destination Medical Center (DMC) and Mortenson Properties—was announced in 2025 as part of a broader effort to expand the region’s life‑science capacity. Co‑development with major research or clinical institutions is standard for BioLabs; most of its locations nationwide are built in partnership with universities, hospitals or innovation districts.

While partners on the Rochester project have not disclosed total investment, DMC’s public‑private framework typically supports multimillion‑dollar innovation‑district projects. Meanwhile, wet-lab incubators of similar size elsewere have cost an estimated $10 million to $20 million to build, based upon published per-sqaure-foot construction costs, biosafety infrastructure costs and specialized HVAC/air handling needs, and another $2 million to $5 million to equip.

Selection criteria focus on scientific rigor, feasibility of the technology, strength of the founding team and whether Mayo Clinic’s clinical or research expertise could accelerate development. Companies must be early‑stage but beyond the conceptual phase, typically with preliminary data, a defined development plan and a need for wet‑lab or specialized research space.

BioLabs’ national track record provides a benchmark for expected outcomes. Across its network, BioLabs says roughly 20 percent to 30 percent of resident companies reach major milestones, such as Series A financing, strategic partnerships or clinical‑trial entry, within three to five years. It says it has helped launch more than 500 companies, and that more than $20 billion has been raised by BioLabs-supported companies.

Located in Rochester’s Two Discovery Square, the facility is intended to give emerging biotech and health‑tech ventures access to lab space, shared equipment and proximity to Mayo Clinic, all resources aimed at helping more early‑stage companies advance toward clinical or commercial readiness.