Activation Capital, an innovation ecosystem development organization, has announced the selection of 10 fast-growing startups from across the country for the inaugural Frontier BioHealth program, which commenced with an in-person gathering on August 8-9, 2024. Each company will benefit from highly specialized training, targeted mentorship, and extensive relationship-building opportunities to accelerate its growth in the life sciences and healthtech sectors.
Frontier BioHealth by Activation Capital is an educational and support program designed to provide highly specialized training, targeted mentorship, and relationship building to help scale pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and health-focused consumer products companies. As an independent nonprofit corporation operating on behalf of the Virginia Research Biotechnology Partnership Authority, Activation Capital is committed to advancing life sciences and other cutting-edge technologies through scientific research, commercialization, and ecosystem development.
The innovative startups selected for Frontier BioHealth are:
Atticus has developed a unique, sustained-release system for delivering therapeutics directly to the skin.
GenAssist has created MyoMatrix, a patented biomaterial that regrows muscle lost to disease or traumatic injury.
Gisens Biotech‘s saliva test allows patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to monitor their health from the comfort of their home and receive personalized and timely care.
KeViRx is transforming acute lung injury patient care through the development of novel small molecule drugs.
Light Switch Bio is developing an approach for laser-targeted drug delivery to avoid side effects by using lasers to activate drugs only where they’re needed in the body.
Oncoustics creates advanced AI solutions for low cost, non-invasive surveillance, diagnostics, and treatment monitoring of diseases with high unmet clinical need.
OrthoPreserve‘s meniscus replacement implant improves quality of life for people with knee injuries involving the meniscus.
Pele Therapeutics is powering the patient in vivo protein therapy revolution to treat devastating and debilitating metabolic and fibrotic diseases with safer, effective, and affordable gene/protein therapy.
Rapid Forensic Cell Typing (RFCT) is revolutionizing criminal investigations by providing law enforcement and crime labs with a powerful SaaS platform that enables rapid identification and prioritization of forensic evidence.
Vizma Life Sciences‘ device enables MRI scanners to directly visualize treatment response in days, rather than months.
“Frontier BioHealth embodies Activation Capital’s commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the life sciences,” said Jim Pannucci, Vice President of Entrepreneurship at Activation Capital. “We are excited to see how these talented startups will leverage our resources and mentorship to make a significant impact in their fields. This program not only supports these innovative companies but also strengthens the Richmond entrepreneurial ecosystem, making it a thriving hub for future growth and success.”
Funded (in part) through a grant with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the program offers access to a wide variety of resources from Activation Capital and its national-level partnerships with gener8tor, FedTech, and Fat Robin Consulting. Participants will benefit from tailored educational programming, expert coaching from global thought leaders and serial biomedical entrepreneurs, investor access, corporate partnerships, and fully funded travel to Richmond, VA.
The team received 150 global applications and conducted a thorough review process. Each written application was meticulously evaluated for program applicability and technology feasibility, leading to 75 companies being invited to the first round of interviews. This stage focused on assessing openness, commitment, and readiness, resulting in 30 companies advancing to the second round of interviews. From there, the selection was narrowed down to the 10 companies listed above who received an offer to join the program. The success of the review process was bolstered by the participation of multiple reviewers from Frontier BioHealth’s partner organizations (Activation Capital, gener8tor, FedTech and Fat Robin Consulting) and external industry experts, including seasoned investors, government agencies, and medical device companies. The final 10 companies were chosen based on their growth potential, technology fit, team strength, and investor readiness.
“The 2024 cohort features some of the most passionate and talented founders and innovative technologies in life sciences today,” said Jackie Mejia, Managing Director of Frontier BioHealth. “These startups have immense potential to scale and succeed, significantly impacting the life sciences and healthtech industries. We are excited to support their growth and see how the Richmond ecosystem can foster their development.”
At the end of the Frontier BioHealth program, the startup founders will pitch their companies to investors, community partners and the public at the Final Showcase event in Richmond, VA on November 20, 2024 (https://bit.ly/FBH2024Showcase).
To learn more about Frontier BioHealth, apply for future programs, or explore mentorship and other involvement opportunities, visit the Frontier BioHealth website (frontierbiohealth.com) or contact Managing Director Jackie Mejia at jackie@gener8tor.com.
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