VIPC Regional Innovation Fund Grant Awarded to Charlottesville BioHub to Strengthen the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in the Charlottesville Region

Funding will further Charlottesville BioHub’s goals to advance entrepreneurship in the area’s biotechnology sector and support tech and other innovation-led sectors with resourcing and connection

Charlottesville, Virginia – Charlottesville BioHub, an industry-led 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening Charlottesville’s biotechnology industry sector, today announced that it has received a $200,000 grant from the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation’s (VIPC) Regional Innovation Fund (RIF), an administered state-funded program that provides competitive grants to leading Virginia-based organizations that support entrepreneurship. Charlottesville BioHub is at the center of a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Charlottesville region, with many partners across economic development, industry, and academia.

Charlottesville BioHub’s Project InnoVAte aims to broaden the region’s network capital and connect high-growth, scalable startups in biotech, tech, and other innovation-led sectors to relevant programming and resourcing within the ecosystem.

“We are pleased to provide a Regional Innovation Fund grant to Charlottesville BioHub to support its efforts to strengthen Central Virginia’s biotechnology industry through engagement, resourcing, and education,” said Conaway Haskins, Vice President for Entrepreneurial Ecosystems at the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation. “The organization aims to double the size of the industry in its geographic footprint by 2030 by creating value and reducing barriers for companies to thrive and grow within the region. Over the past five years, Charlottesville BioHub has emerged as a linchpin to growing the region’s biotech and life sciences sector and it is serving as a model for other regional biotech hub efforts across Virginia.”

Project InnoVAte includes three initiatives:
• InnoVAte: An expanded Entrepreneurship-in-Residence (EIR) program will support company commercialization and business operations through education and advising for early-stage ventures.
• ActiVAte: Curated high-quality programming for entrepreneurs, ecosystem partners, students, and community members.
• CultiVAte: Ecosystem leader engagement and ecosystem network development to roadmap the region’s future.

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