OTRADI is Granted $2.5M from Business Oregon as a Center of Innovation Excellence
Centers of Innovation Excellence (CIEs) are a key strategy of Business Oregon’s 10-Year Innovation Plan, and OTRADI has been working diligently over the past two years to transition from the now-dissolved Signature Research Center program into to this new CIE program.
OTRADI was created to help startup companies and researchers in Oregon find funding partners with the goal of attracting, growing, and keeping bioscience companies and jobs in Oregon. In addition to providing incubation for fledgling bioscience companies, OTRADI operates the Oregon Bioscience Incubator (“OBI”) which has also developed a collection of programs that provide essential entrepreneurial education, mentorship, and networking opportunities for both OBI client companies and other bioscience and digital health entrepreneurs across the state of Oregon. These programs target the specialized needs of entrepreneurs working across a range of bioscience fields including therapeutics, diagnostics, devices, digital health, health IT, and wearables technologies.
In the 2023 – 2025 biennium, OTRADI will continue to operate the OBI as a Bioscience Center of Innovation Excellence. We are grateful to Business Oregon and the Oregon Innovation Council for supporting the bioscience sector and OTRADI as a new Center of Innovation Excellence. This Project was funded in part by the Oregon State Lottery and administered by the Oregon Business Development Department.
OBI Startup Spotlight Expo
Join us for an evening of innovation and discovery at our inaugural OBI Startup Spotlight Expo! Explore the latest advancements in biotech and life sciences as we showcase the cutting-edge work of OBI’s talented resident company startups.
Enjoy refreshments while mingling with industry leaders, investors, and legislators. The event will take place in our beautiful new event center, providing the perfect backdrop for networking and learning about the future of biotech.
Don’t miss this opportunity to be inspired and connect with the leaders shaping tomorrow’s world. Get your tickets now.
If your company would like to help support this event, please view available sponsorship opportunities.
OBI Client Company Wins
- In February, Veana closed on an additional $400,000 tranche in our Seed 2A Round.
- We also hired Dr. Patricia Beckmann as the new CEO, Dr. Emmanuel Akporiaye will remain with Veana as CSO, appointed Dr. Sandy Shotwell as Board Chair and attracted a new seasoned biotech Board member (Stephen Malaska, J.D., General Counsel at Karius).
- In January we also expanded our clinical trial from U. Washington/FHCRC to now include Providence Cancer Center, Portland, too. We also enrolled our first Oregon patient in the trial.
- Grants received: Working on an SBIR for spatial biology. We are also focused on applying for state funded grants.
- New hires: Retained a consultant (Eric Breuning, Ph.D.) to drive our effort in applying for government grants.
- New board members: We are excited to have Dr. Carlo Bifulco, Chief Medical Officer @ Providence Genomics, Translational Molecular Pathology, joining our Scientific Advisory Board.
- Recent contracts and partnerships: Sirona is the process of signing a master collaboration agreement with Providence Clinical Research to advance the Sirona cutting-edge technologies which allow us to provide insights and analytical capabilities that were previously unimaginable, offering our clients a comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions within the tumor microenvironment and the immune system.
- Velanidi was recently awarded two patents:
- Patent 1: Molecular wire for detecting biological or chemical entities or events
- Patent 2: System, apparatus and method for sensing, detecting and effecting in a micro-to-nano environment
- Progress on India’s National Health Mission to eliminate sickle cell disease: Hemex has made significant progress since winning its first tender in the Indian state of Odisha. Gazelle has been deployed across 20 districts, involving 520 sites in the state. We’ve successfully trained over 700 doctors and technicians.
- Establishment of the Coimbatore Design Center (CDC): Hemex has opened a new engineering design center, the Coimbatore Design Center, in Coimbatore, India. The CDC is now fully operational with a leadership team in place.
- Hemex awarded a Phase I grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: Hemex Health Inc. has been awarded a Phase I grant to support the development of a 2-minute test for hemoglobinopathies and a test for oxygen affinity.
- Dr. Sulatha Dwarakanath Appointed as VP of Assay Development: With over 25 years of experience in the biotech and diagnostics industry, Dr. Sulatha Dwarakanath joins Hemex and will help speed up assay development, focused on tests that cater to the needs of our growing market.
- CryoFast™ update and demo to two leading Cryo-EM scope vendors received strong endorsement. GTM (go-to-market) and business planning underway. CryoFast data collection architecture uses deep learning to fully automate Cryo-EM data collection and processing workflow to improve the throughput, accuracy, and cost of structure determination.
- CryoFast will be presented at the April NIH by invitation only event.
- HTI is confirmed to attend the June BIO2024 conference in Oregon Bioscience Association’s Oregon Pavilion.
- Our early launch continues as United Medical Doctors becomes our first, in the state of California, to adopt the EVS at two of their centers. We are honored to be on this journey with such a passionate team; they are dedicated to expanding EUS access with a more affordable EUS system for their patients across several SoCal communities.
- Awarded a Business Oregon matching grant to focus on market expansion for their AI-powered biomedical image processing technology. Read the Business Oregon press release.
Learn more about OBI’s 32 startups by visiting our website!
Angel Oregon Life & Bioscience Program
Back for its third year, Oregon Entrepreneurs Network‘s Angel Oregon Life & Bioscience (AOBIO) presents its education and investment program for life and bioscience startups. OBI is a proud partner of this program, which combines:
- 3-week educational series focused on investment readiness for bio startups
- Live pitch practice
- Investment mixer
- Equity investment opportunity
The format has changed slightly from past years, with an even stronger focus on investment readiness.
Registration is open and the first session is March 21 at 8:30 a.m. Don’t miss it!
University Summer Investment Opportunity 2024
Oregon State University, Oregon Health Sciences University, University of Oregon, and Portland State University are excited to announce the University Summer Investment Opportunity 2024!
This opportunity is open to OSU, OHSU, UO, and PSU affiliated companies, defined as:
- Graduates of one of the above university’s accelerator program.
- Companies with intellectual property owned by one of the universities.
Successful applicants will go through a due diligence process and finalists will make a public presentation to the assembled group of investors. Investors will make their own investment decisions and may join with others to pool an investment.
Potential investments are estimated to be in the $25,000 – $250,000 range. Learn more and apply by May 10, 2024.
Pitch Opportunities
Pitch Oregon in 2024 comprises of three distinct pitch competitions, each tailored to cater to the unique needs and challenges faced by entrepreneurs in Washington, Multnomah, Clackamas, and Clark counties. In addition to mentorship, and networking opportunities, entrepreneurs participating in Pitch Oregon can expect equity investments, cash prizes, and access to service providers to support their specific needs.
Entrepreneurs and investors interested in participating in Pitch Oregon can find more information, including eligibility criteria and competition details, on the Pitch Oregon website.
Startup Founders! Are you ready to take your startup to the next level? Pegasus Angel Accelerator is thrilled to announce the Lightning Round Pitch Competition. This hybrid event is your chance to win a $500,000 partner package, secure significant funding, and pitch at our investor-only event!
Don’t miss this unparalleled opportunity to accelerate your startup’s growth in 2024. Apply now and show us what makes your startup stand out!
Do you have pitch opportunities or other events to share with our
newsletter subscribers and on our events calendar?
Submit them here!
Science Talk ’24
Registration is now open for Science Talk ‘24, the annual conference of the Association of Science Communicators. At ASC, we believe that science is a human right. Connecting the multifaceted world of science communicators is critical for building a strong and knowledgeable society.
SCIENCE TALK ’24 is taking place as a hybrid conference April 11-12 in person in Portland, Oregon, and with real-time online participation. Conference registration is now open! We are also accepting abstracts for the poster/art session.
The conference theme for 2024 is Opening Doors, which invites a diverse and inclusive community of science communicators to expand their communication potential and impact the world. We look forward to seeing you at Science Talk ’24.
Upcoming Events
TiE Oregon: Panel at the Pub
Funding Stages and Options for Startups
March 12, 2024 | 5:00 p.m.
Golden Valley Brewery, Beaverton
Registration
USPTO Women Entrepreneur
Mentoring Program Webinar
March 13, 2024 | 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Virtual
Free to Attend – Registration
OEN March Pubtalk:
The FoundHER Panel
March 13, 2024 | 5:00-7:30 p.m.
Trova Trip, Portland
Get Tickets
OBI Virtual Lunch & Learn:
Oregon Entrepreneurial Resources Panel
April 3, 2024 | 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Virtual
Free to Attend – Registration
ITHS Biomedical Innovation Fireside Chat Series
April 4, April 18, and May 2 | 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Virtual
Free to Attend – Registration
Angel Oregon Life & Bioscience
Investment-readiness Education Series
March 21, April 4, April 11, 2024 | 8:30-10:00 a.m.
Virtual
Registration
OBI Startup Spotlight Expo
September 12, 2024 | 5:00-8:00 p.m.
OBI Event Space, Portland
Tickets on Sale Now