TOKEKA — Furniture deliveries are rolling in, the bright, bold green exterior sign is up, and Topeka’s new hub for science, startups, and collaboration is nearly ready to open its doors.
Stephanie Moran, senior vice president of innovation for GO Topeka, at Link Innovation Labs in Topeka; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
After years of planning and prep, the hotly-anticipated Link Innovation Labs project is entering the final stretch of construction, setting the stage for a February move-in and a public ribbon cutting Feb. 9. Leaders say the capital city project puts downtown Topeka on the fast track for innovation.
“Last Friday was the date for all of our contractors and subcontractors to have the bulk of their work done,” said Stephanie Moran, senior vice president of innovation for GO Topeka. “We’re knocking a few items off the punch list.”
Located inside the former AT&T building at 220 SE 6th St., Link Innovation Labs spans more than 17,000 square feet and includes wet and dry lab space, offices, co-working areas, conference rooms, pitch and training space and a public coffee shop. The facility is designed as a launchpad for startups ready to scale.
Construction teams are now focused on inspections and permits as the building nears its final milestone.
“We’re really hoping to be in the building full time by Feb. 2, with our tenants getting moved in that week,” said Moran.
The Sparrow Coffee Co. shop inside the lobby at Link Innovation Labs; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
A ribbon cutting with coffee, startups and a first look inside
When the doors open, the public will get a first look inside a space built to blend science, business and community under one roof.
The ribbon cutting is set to feature Sparrow Coffee, a locally owned shop that will operate inside Link and bring a new caffeine stop to the north end of downtown.
“That’s an exciting new addition to downtown,” said Moran, noting the ripple effect of bringing the offering closer to surrounding patrons, not just Link tenants. “It will be great for several local businesses and our city and county folks working in that area as well.”
Sparrow will serve coffee and treats during the Feb. 9 event, alongside a spread of bits and bites from local small businesses. Guests can meet Link’s first occupants and tour the finished facility.
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Link’s pitch space already has multiple events booked for the coming year, giving founders plenty of chances to take the stage and shoot their shot.
“Being able to have that space for startups to pitch their ideas and their businesses to investors, corporate partners and others in the community is huge,” Moran said.
Click here to watch a brief walkthrough video of the Link Innovation Labs space.
A new home for Plug and Play Kansas
One of Link’s biggest milestones is becoming the permanent home of Plug and Play Kansas, the Silicon Valley-based startup accelerator that has run programs in Topeka for the past five years.
Lindsay Lebahn, director at Plug and Play Topeka, shares a laugh with community partners during a June 2025 groundbreaking event for Link Innovation Labs in Topeka; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
“It’s pretty exciting,” said Moran. “We’ve had a partnership with Plug and Play for the last five years, and we’ve run over 100 startups through those batches, but we’ve really not had the place for those startups to land and work together here in Topeka.”
Now, those founders will finally have a home base.
“Having the space for them to connect and settle, being able to have access to resources in one location, I think is critical as we move forward,” said Moran.
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Plug and Play will continue running two accelerator batches each year at Link and will add more programming for the region, including specialized accelerator tracks.
“We’ve also contracted with them to run additional accelerator programming — and programming at the small business level — to help elevate the training and programs we have available for our local startups and innovators.”
Lab coats hanging in a spec space at Link Innovation Labs; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
Lab space built for early growth
At the core of Link Innovation Labs: much-needed regional lab infrastructure. The facility includes eight private lab suites ranging from about 650 to 750 square feet. The labs are designed as BSL-1 and BSL-2 spaces and can be combined as companies grow.
Link will also offer a shared lab for early-stage innovators who need access to equipment and bench space without committing to a long-term lease. The goal, Moran said, is to help founders focus less on real estate and more on building.
“We’re trying to make it affordable for innovators in the region to be able to use these spaces and get their technologies to commercialization faster,” she explained.
Large windows offer a view of future shared wet lab space from the Sparrow Coffee Co. shop and lounge at the Link Innovation Labs in Topeka; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
A hub for every kind of entrepreneur
The Link facility is designed to bring startups from different industries together, creating the kind of collaborative energy where big ideas take shape and take off.
“We’re really open to [supporting] any type of company,” Moran said. “I think you see the best tech innovations come to play when you have a variety of industry sectors working together.”
While animal health and ag tech remain anchor sectors, Moran pointed to Topeka’s other strengths.
“You’ve got financial banking centers here, so think about fintech. You’ve got large insurance companies. You’ve got manufacturing. You’ve got food and beverage. AI spans everything,” she said.
First-run programming focused on AI is expected to be hosted in March and will focus on how artificial intelligence is shaping manufacturing. Additional sessions will follow for small businesses, marketing and operations — allowing Link to help main street operations better leverage AI as a capacity and efficiency tool, Moran explained.
A lounge space welcomes visitors to the new Link Innovation Labs in Topeka; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
A front door for Topeka’s small business community
Link Innovation Labs isn’t just for high-growth startups. The space is built as a front door for the broader business community.
Freshly installed signage heralds the official arrival of Link Innovation Labs in downtown Topeka; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
GO Topeka and the Small Business Development Center, hosted through Washburn University, will relocate into the building, bringing small business advising and training directly into the innovation hub.
Training rooms, conference rooms and the pitch space will be available for public booking. The spaces can host networking events, workshops, roundtables and live music. GO Topeka is also seeking community champions and partners to help activate the space.
“We’re looking for advocates,” said Moran. “If there are people who want to get involved and support what we’re doing in that innovation space, we’re happy to talk to them.”
The project is powered by a long-term commitment to entrepreneurship as an economic engine for the capital city, advancing and growing local technologies, she added.
“We just want to show what a great place Topeka — and the surrounding region — is for starting new businesses.”
