Greentown Labs Gives Green Energy Startups the Green Light This incubator helps green energy companies avoid going into the red.

Check out other industries that are benefiting from launchpads here.

In late 2010, four energy entrepreneurs pooled their resources for an affordable Boston warehouse space where they could build hardware prototypes. Today that collective has ballooned into Greentown Labs—33,000 square feet of office, event and machine-shop space that incubates more than 40 energy and clean-technology startups.

In addition to workspace, members get shared machine-shop tools, free software licensing and access to hardware such as 3-D printers. "They basically get about $130,000 in resources," says Greentown Labs CEO Emily Reichert. And that's not including the benefit of working alongside dozens of engineers who can help troubleshoot in a pinch.