James Nubile/Provided

Cornell Tech campus in New York City.

Forest City Ratner Cos. announced Jan. 23 that Two Sigma Investments, a tech and investment firm, is the first company to be selected to locate at The Bridge at Cornell Tech. The Bridge is a first-of-its-kind building that will house a mix of cutting-edge companies working alongside Cornell academic teams: from recent Cornell Tech graduates hustling to commercialize a new idea, to startups on the verge of growth, and established companies developing technologies and products.

Two Sigma will open a new Collision Lab in the space, where engineers from its research and development team will tackle difficult challenges and interact with innovative startup companies backed by Two Sigma Ventures. The Collision Lab will also serve as a tool for Two Sigma to retain and attract the best talent by providing access to Cornell Tech’s ecosystem of innovation. The Bridge will open on Roosevelt Island in September as part of the first phase of the Cornell Tech campus.

“Two Sigma is dedicated to creating and using technology in groundbreaking new ways, and their Collision Lab is a perfect fit for The Bridge at Cornell Tech,” said MaryAnne Gilmartin, president and CEO of Forest City Ratner Cos. “The Bridge is designed to encourage the random interactions and deep collaborations that solve problems, build partnerships and accelerate new products to market. Two Sigma will be able to take advantage of their close proximity to Cornell Tech students, faculty and researchers in an ecosystem driving innovation.”

Said Cornell Tech Dean Dan Huttenlocher: “Cornell Tech is reinventing the way we live and work for the digital age, bringing research and industry together, and The Bridge is at the core. Two Sigma is a terrific example of how technology can be applied to change the world and is a fitting first tenant for The Bridge. We can’t wait to open our Roosevelt Island campus in the fall, as a revolutionary new place for graduate research and education, convening the tech community and developing new technologies and products that will have an impact on our society.”

“Collaboration is at the heart of Two Sigma’s mission so we jumped at the opportunity to be in The Bridge at Cornell Tech, a place uniquely designed to bring science, technology and entrepreneurship together,” said Alfred Spector, chief technology officer at Two Sigma. “We’re excited to launch the Collision Lab, a space that will allow our engineers to interact with Two Sigma-backed startups in the unique atmosphere of innovation that will exist at Cornell Tech. Being in The Bridge will help Two Sigma accelerate solutions and continue to attract industry-leading talent.”

Forest City is accepting applications from technology companies who are interested in a front-row seat for the recruitment of talent, the opportunity to collaborate with students and faculty at Cornell Tech, and the opportunity to have a space where research and development and innovation teams can work in an intense, creative and productive environment to develop, prototype and commercialize new products and technologies.

With more than 40 percent of the building pre-leased, The Bridge at Cornell Tech offers the opportunity for a limited number of startups and established companies to be on the Cornell Tech campus. Forest City will select a diverse mix of startups and established companies from a variety of industries to create an ecosystem of companies focused on catalyzing innovation and the commercialization of new products and technologies, driving economic growth for New York. The Bridge will be the only building in New York City designed and built to leverage the resources of a cutting-edge research university, and to remove barriers to collaboration and innovation with the world’s most cutting-edge companies.

The Bridge will open in September at the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island, along with The Bloomberg Center – in honor of Emma and Georgina Bloomberg, the first academic building on campus, and The House, a residential building for graduate students, faculty and staff that will be the world’s largest passive house.