Connect Labs Sacramento, located at Aggie Square, opened a facility in March designed to support early-stage startups in digital, life science and health sectors.

The 50,000-square-foot space features pre-built and furnished labs, office and support spaces with a curated set of amenities, services and shared equipment for emerging and growth companies.

“It’s an awesome opportunity for life sciences and health companies building their products, especially those coming out of universities and looking for a place to land,” said Monique Brown, Wexford Science and Technology’s new Knowledge Community Director of Connect Labs. “It’s a huge capital expense to purchase these things on your own, especially when you're a small company.”

The facility also offers a dedicated lab director who provides training and support for anyone using the lab equipment. In addition to lab space, the facility includes essential amenities such as conference rooms, a fully stocked kitchen and collaborative work areas. These features help foster a dynamic environment for entrepreneurs working to bring innovations to market.  

Wexford Science and Technology is committed not just to providing physical space but to creating an environment where ideas can flourish, Brown said. By leveraging the university's academic and research expertise, combined with programming created by Wexford, the ecosystem at Aggie Square encourages collaboration between faculty, staff and entrepreneurs, making it a place with great potential for groundbreaking ventures in life sciences, biomedical engineering, technology and data sciences, among others.

Beyond offering physical resources, Connect Labs serves as a hub for industry connections. The facility is exploring networking events, investor information sessions and talent development programs designed to help foster growth among early-stage companies.

“The goal is to create partnerships between industry and innovators to help build health and life science companies, and to allow them to stay in the region as they grow,” Brown said. “We want them to build here, get support from the university and work with industry partners interested in emerging sectors.”

As a cornerstone of the Aggie Square development, Connect Labs is poised to play a crucial role in advancing Sacramento’s innovation economy, providing early-stage companies with the infrastructure and connections they need to succeed.

“In a few years, we hope to have enough companies that have continued to grow within the building, so we can expand the project at Aggie Square,” Brown said. “We do have an opportunity to build out the remaining lab building planned in Aggie Square Phase 1. It would be great if it was anchored by a successful startup company that began its journey in Connect Labs.”