The $2 billion revitalization effort known as Greater College Park is centered on Baltimore Avenue, but the latest major addition is invisible from the road.
Tucked under the parking garage behind the Hotel at the University of Maryland is a glassed-in, wired-up, tricked-out innovation hub called the Diamondback Garage—a space where student startups mix with Fortune 500 firms and an “entrepreneurial ecosystem” is strengthening its campus roots.
The 20,000-square-foot facility opened in November, featuring the kickoff of the Capital One Tech Incubator, a partnership between the University of Maryland and the McLean, Va.-based bank. The space is dedicated to machine learning, predictive analytics and cybersecurity, and creates a pipeline of job opportunities for students in computing and a pool of talent for industry.
The opposite end of the facility is home base for Immuta, a startup founded in 2014 by umd undergrads and former U.S. intelligence analysts; it’s become the leading provider of enterprise data management solutions for artificial intelligence. If that sounds forbidding, the space the company inhabits is anything but, with vibrant original artworks painted onto the walls and an uber-chill central lounge/meeting area with table games and an impressive kitchen.
In between the two companies, Startup UMD provides shared office, meeting and high-tech work spaces where student entrepreneurs can find support. Among the tenants are the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, UM Ventures and the Do Good Accelerator.
