Thornton Tomasetti Rolls Out Tech Accelerator

First came the news. Then the launch. Now the products.

NYC-based structural engineer Thornton Tomasetti made waves at BuiltWorlds’ CEO Tech Forum earlier this spring when it unveiled TTWiiN (@ttwiin_inc), a new technology accelerator intended to drive AEC innovation. The firm believes it is the first of its kind in this industry. “TTWiiN gives us a platform,” explains CEO Tom Scarangello. “We are taking technologies that are developed in our [in-house] CORE Studio R&D incubator, and tested in real-world scenarios, then providing the necessary support and leadership to accelerate them to the next level.”

Now, less than two months after its launch, the privately held TTWiiN is fully operational, with no fewer than six products already in the pipeline. To develop and commercialize them, Thornton Tomasetti said in a statement that its new accelerator will leverage “the deep and diverse technical expertise across the parent firm’s 10 centers of excellence” worldwide.

TTWiiN’s arrival is a strategic outgrowth of Thornton Tomasetti’s merger last fall with fellow engineering mainstay Weidlinger Associates, also based in NYC. In fact, the TTWiiN name, itself, stands for “Thornton Tomasetti Weidlinger Innovation Accelerator”. Some of the products to be developed derive directly from work within Weidlinger. Others originated at CORE Studio. Below, the first batch:

Looking ahead, TTWiiN each year will select additional products to support from within CORE. To qualify, products must demonstrate development potential outside of the company. To help that happen, the accelerator will be overseen by a board of managers elected by company shareholders. Crain’s New York also reported last month that Thornton Tomasetti had hired The Combine, an Atlanta-based tech advisory firm, to help manage the startup, appoint executives, and recruit talent through the summer.

• Speaking of summer, lest we think engineering is just about “piezoelectric devices” and “stack actuators”, this new video reminds us of how engaging our industry can be. Watch the world’s first Ferris Wheel, which debuted at the 1893 Columbian Exposition, rise again on Chicago’s lakefront:

To see the TTWiiN brochure, click here.