Congratulations to VIR Biotechnology on their Graduation from OBI!
VIR Biotechnology graduated from the OBI February 28, 2022, after joining the incubator in 2015 as TomegaVax, an OHSU spinoff that is pursuing an HIV vaccine. VIR Biotechnology has had many successes throughout their time at the Oregon Bioscience Incubator, including initiating their Phase 1 clinical trial of VIR-1111, an investigational human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) T cell vaccine.
Upon graduation, VIR Biotechnology has relocated their lab and office from OTRADI’s incubator in the Willamette Wharf building on Portland’s South Waterfront, to the Riverside Centre business park just down the street from the incubator.
OTRADI Board of Directors Welcomes Carl Anderson
Carl Anderson was recently elected to OBI/OTRADI’s Board of Directors. Carl has retired from a more than three-decades long career as an Occupational Medicine physician, most recently at Northwest Permanente.
Carl brings a decade of private equity investing experience with minority owned Midwest manufacturer, TAG-Holding LLC. He is also a Venture Partner with Oregon Venture Fund. In addition, he sits on the OHSU-PSU Philanthropic Advisory Board as well as the Alumni Council of National Medical Fellowships; a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the number of minority healthcare professionals.
The Oregon Translational Research and Development Institute’s (OTRADI) mission is dedicated to transforming scientific research developed in the state of Oregon’s research laboratories into commercial ventures.
Major Win for HTI!
Health Technology Innovations, Inc. was awarded a $1M SBIR Phase II grant from the National Science Foundation to commercialize CryoDiscovery ™, a Cryo-EM Automation and Intelligence Platform for Drug Discovery.
HTI has made great progress developing a prototype during Phase I and will be using this Phase II award, along with revenue from its growing cryo-EM services business, to fund its next stage of growth. HTI is hiring AI/ML software development engineers, interns & postdocs. For more information on these job openings, please inquire with VP Research & Development kumar@hti.ai.
More OBI Client Company Wins
- We sent our first Gazelles to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
- This month we’re scheduled to ship commercially to Bahrein, Oman, Kuwait and Algeria, and we are already selling to Lebanon and UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi).
- We’ve partnered with distributors in Savona, Italy, our first European location.
- Umut Gurkan, our Chief Scientist for Sickle Cell Disease, based at Case Western in Ohio, was elected into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s College of Fellows for his continuing achievements in medical and biological engineering.
- Patti White, Co-founder and CEO, recently participated as a presenter in an Angel Oregon Bio educational seminar and will be a featured panelist at OBI’s upcoming Lunch & Learn on Women in Leadership.
- Founder and CEO Emmanuel Akporiaye, PhD, recently presented at an Angel Oregon Bio educational seminar.
- Their ongoing clinical trial for the study of Alpha-TEA and trastuzumab for the treatment of refractory HER2+ metastatic breast cancer continues at the University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.
- We were selected for the inaugural class of Series P– a collaboration accelerator sponsored by Procter & Gamble Ventures and Plug and Play
- We participated on a FemTech panel along with Convey Capital hosted by Stanford Biodesign
- Holly graduated from the Ferolyn Fellowship program
- CEO Holly Rockweiler was a presenter at a recent Angel Oregon Bio educational seminar.
- Caregiven was 1 of 4 finalists from the Australian round of the Zurich Innovation Championship. Selected from an applicant pool of over 90 insuretech solutions, Caregiven presented to Zurich’s Australian executive team including the global head of their LifeWell initiative.
- The Zurich Innovation Championship is a worldwide challenge sponsored by the Zurich Insurance Group, one of the top insurance companies in the world, focused on identifying new and innovative solutions that meet the changing needs of their customers and help the industry face the future in an efficient and sustainable way. Selection of Caregiven as a country finalist was further recognition of the importance of recognizing the caregiver market and serving the unique needs of those needing care and those providing it.
- We also surpassed 1,000 sign-ups in mid-February – that’s over one thousand families going through a caregiving event globally who are benefitting from our product.
- Founder and CEO Candice Smith was a featured panelist at OBI’s February Lunch & Learn on How Accelerators Can Help Boost Your Startup.
- Rewire Neuro was a finalist in Pitch Oregon by TiE Oregon, in the Life Science category.
- John Harkness, President and CEO, was a presenter in this week’s Angel Oregon Bio educational seminar.
- David Farrell, Founder and CSO participated as a featured panelist at OBI’s February Lunch & Learn on How Accelerators Can Help Boost Your Startup.
- Gamma Diagnostics recently participated in the Expert Dojo international accelerator program.
PDX Pharmaceuticals has Joined OBI
Please give a warm welcome to OBI’s newest residential company, PDX Pharmaceuticals.
PDX Pharmaceuticals is an IND-enabling stage biopharmaceutical company bringing complementary biological pathways together to achieve synergistic clinical benefits. Their patented mesoporous silica-based nanoparticle platform (Pdx-NP) has been optimized to co-deliver multiple classes of therapeutics (e.g., siRNA, small molecule drugs, antibodies, immunostimulants) to ensure that they reach the target cells at the same time to fully realize their synergy. It can deliver cargos to both cancer and immune cells. Their current focus is to generate effective anti-tumor immune response through profound CD8+ anti-tumor T cell production.
We are delighted to have you onboard!
Gearing up for Summer-Fall 2022
Mentoring Program
Mentor and mentee applications will open on April 1 for this structured, 6-month mentoring program, so save the date for your opportunity to get involved!
Would You Like to be a Mentor?
If you have experience working with startups in the bioscience or digital health industry, consider applying to become a mentor. Benefits of mentoring include:
- Free mentor training
- Exclusive access to handpicked startups
- Exclusive network of mentors
- Give back to your community
- OBI highlights its mentors in the monthly newsletter
Growing Your Business? Become a Mentee!
We are looking for entrepreneurs who are already in business but would like guidance, accountability, and support from a mentor to help set and reach business goals. Benefits and time commitments for mentees include:
- Mentoring helps you grow your business! A recent survey from Kabbage found that 92% of businesses who have a mentor say mentoring has directly impacted their business growth and survival
- Mentee meets with mentor 2 hours a month for 6 months
- Mentee checks in with OBI once per month and completes a survey at the end of the program
Applications will be accepted from April 1-30.
For more important dates, details, and a link to the applications, visit www.otradi.org/mentoring.
Angel Investors Participate in AOBIO
Calling all angel investors and the investor-curious! Angel Oregon Life & Bioscience (AOBIO) is an education and investment program designed to grow investment in local bio startups while helping new investors learn the sector. Units in a pooled investment fund start at $5K/each, and include the opportunity to join the startup education series, participate in due diligence, learn the ropes from experienced bioscience angel investors, get exposed to cutting edge innovation, and get networked in the bioscience entrepreneurial community. Investor commit date is March 18. More information here.
Your Input Needed on OBI’s
Bioscience Ecosystem Inventory Survey
The Oregon Bioscience Incubator (OBI) is the state’s first and only bioscience-focused incubator. The multi-client company bioscience complex provides startups and scientists access to entrepreneurial mentoring, state-of-the-art bioscience facilities, meeting space, and shared equipment. While OBI currently provides free resources to the full community, we understand there are still some unmet needs and would like to learn more about how OBI can help fill resource gaps.
If you haven’t already, please take 15 minutes to fill out this survey to help assess the needs of the community by identifying additional resources needed. Thank you!
Applications Accepted for MedX @Düsseldorf
Compete now for a free both at MEDICA’s Start-up Park! You target the global market, you believe in the success of your product and you are ready for the next big step towards internationalization. Your focus is now on networking and gaining visibility, and you are looking for the best way to connect with important partners. The Office of Economic Development Düsseldorf can offer you that unique opportunity with a booth at MEDICA’s Start-Up Park.
Applications accepted if your startup…
- offers an innovative product/ service in digital health
- is not registered in Germany
- has 1–20 employees
- has been launched after 2017
- has an annual turnover of 0–3 M Euro
Apply at MedX @Düsseldorf until 30th June 2022 to get selected for a pitch competition in order to compete for a spot at the global meeting point for digital pioneers – the Start-up Park. We will inform you by 8th July 2022 if you were chosen for a digital pitch competition in front of a jury. See this link for more details!
Life Science Innovation Northwest 2022
Life Science Innovation Northwest (LSINW) is the Pacific Northwest’s largest annual life science conference. This one-and-a-half day event held April 20-21 at the Washington State Convention Center will bring together investors, public and private life science organizations, research institutions, scientists, entrepreneurs, and the global health community to discuss and feature some of the most compelling life science breakthroughs of our time.
Apply to present at the Life Science Innovation Northwest 2022. Fast pitch, poster presentations, and, new this year, device showcase opportunities. Deadline to apply is March 15. More information here.
Breakout Ventures
Breakout Ventures is a new venture fund in San Francisco that is funding seed and Series A stage bioscience startups. Read about them here.
Would you like to introduce your company to Breakout Ventures? They are taking direct submissions here.
Events
Join Us For These Upcoming OBI Events
Virtual Lunch & Learn Panel
Women in Leadership: Mind the Gap
March 15, 2022
12:00-1:00 PM
Register now!
Other Great Community Events
TiE Westside Pitch Competition 2022
March 10, 2022
4:00-7:00 PM
Hillsboro Cultural Arts Center
527 E Main St., Hillsboro
Ticket information
Science Talk ’22
March 23-25, 2022
Starts 9:00 AM
Tiffany Center and online
Get tickets here
TECHLANDIA Smart + Connected Series
Starts March 28, 2022
12:30-2:00 PM
Register here