Startup incubator and seed fund startup 1776 expands into Arlington’s Crystal City

The Washington, D.C. –based 1776, a startup incubator and seed fund, is expanding to Crystal City in Arlington by acquiring Disruption Corp.

Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The move is part of a new partnership aimed at creating a stronger regional innovation economy in the Washington Metro area.

In addition to integrating Disruption into its portfolio of offerings, 1776 also will partner with Arlington-based real estate firm Vornado/Charles E. Smith to open a new campus in Crystal City.

“This region’s growing innovation economy and its future economic growth are closely linked, which is why at 1776 we’ve focused our attention on creating new opportunities for regional innovation and unfettered access to the networks that exist across regional borders,” 1776 co-founder Donna Harris said in a statement. “Between our partnership with Vornado and the acquisition of Disruption, this exciting new venture will allow us to bring together all  the tremendous assets this region has to offer, from the NIH and MedStar in Bethesda to the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin in Crystal City, and create one of the most vibrant technology communities in the country.”

Through this new relationship, Disruption founder Paul Singh will join 1776 as a managing director.

“The Washington region is poised to become a global powerhouse in the cultivation of startups driving life-changing innovations in education, energy & sustainability, smart cities and health,” Singh said in a statement.

Today’s announcement follows 1776’s announcement earlier this week of a new partnership with Montgomery County, in which 1776 startups will have access to Maryland County’s Thingstitute, a lab where startups can beta test their products.

As part of this new regional partnership, 1776 will partner similarly with Arlington County to create new pathways for startups to grow and scale locally, further enhancing the area’s growing innovation economy.