WASHINGTON, March 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- DuPont Fabros Technology, Inc. (NYSE: DFT), a leading owner, developer, operator and manager of enterprise-class, carrier-neutral, large multi-tenant wholesale data centers, today announced a sponsorship of 1776, a global startup incubator located just blocks from the White House and DFT's corporate headquarters.

The bronze-level sponsorship provides not only financial support and mentoring opportunities to 1776 and its members, but also the opportunity for DFT to understand and engage with next generation technology companies—companies that are similar to DFT prior to its IPO in 2007.

1776 is focused on helping high-growth startups drive innovation in some of the most challenging industries: education, energy and sustainability, health, transportation and cities. Key to 1776's success is its ability to connect startups to mentors and experts who help them navigate landmines and learn from the experience of others.

DFT has a rich history of working with several of the world's biggest names in enterprise IT and social media and welcomes this opportunity to be part of the next phase of technology companies.

"The D.C. tech scene has grown into a formidable force, and as a Washington, D.C.-based company, we are excited about this opportunity to align ourselves with 1776, which is nurturing innovation in our own backyard," said Lee Kestler, Senior Vice President of Sales and Leasing at DFT. "The startups that 1776 works with are taking on some of society's biggest challenges. We understand the business challenges they will face as they expand beyond the incubator stage. We're happy to join this community of high-potential companies, as well as build on existing relationships with some of 1776's other partners who are customers of our own."

"We're thrilled to announce this exciting new opportunity with DuPont Fabros Technology, one of the nation's foremost developers of wholesale data centers," said Evan Burfield, Cofounder of 1776. "Not only will this relationship give DFT access to the world's most promising startups using data to solve fundamental challenges—it will provide young companies with invaluable mentorship and connections from a proven leader in the data center sector."

About DuPont Fabros Technology, Inc.

DuPont Fabros Technology, Inc. (NYSE: DFT) is a leading owner, developer, operator and manager of enterprise-class, carrier-neutral, large multi-tenanted wholesale data centers. The Company's facilities are designed to offer highly specialized, efficient and safe computing environments in a low-cost operating model. The Company's customers outsource their mission-critical applications and include national and international enterprises across numerous industries, such as technology, Internet content providers, media, communications, cloud-based, healthcare and financial services. The Company's 11 data centers are located in four major U.S. markets, which total 2.75 million gross square feet and 240 megawatts of available critical load to power the servers and computing equipment of its customers. DuPont Fabros Technology is a real estate investment trust (REIT) headquartered in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.dft.com

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SOURCE DuPont Fabros Technology Inc.