The Virginia Catalyst announced today that it is accepting letters of intent (LOI) for Grant Round 19 to fund the development and commercialization of life science projects that address major unmet needs for improving human health and advance Virginia’s economy.
“We at the Virginia Catalyst are pleased to provide funding in support of the Governor’s Lab-to-Launch initiative,” said Mike Grisham, CEO of Virginia Catalyst. “Collaboration between our research universities and industry drives innovations that contribute to economic development in the Commonwealth.”
We encourage those of you with innovative ideas in life sciences to reach out to colleagues and other professionals to create a high-performing team. World-class research, entrepreneurial management, and capital can achieve great things together. You have several months to get a team together and submit an LOI by January 16. We award non-dilutive grants of $200k to $800k, plus we provide great contacts with other sources of capital and strategic partnerships.
Letters of Intent (LOI) must be received by January 16, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Projects that meet funding criteria will be invited to submit a full application by March 20, 2026. Applications will be reviewed and scored by an independent review team of scientists, venture capitalists, and CEOs of Virginia-based life science companies. The top eight applicant teams will be invited to present their proposal in April, and awards will be announced in May 2026. The LOI submission form, along with funding criteria and frequently asked questions, are available on the Virginia Catalyst website (www.virginiacatalyst.org/apply.html).
We encourage all interested applicant teams to view our webinar that was co-hosted by Virginia Catalyst and Virginia Bio. This webinar featured an expert panel, facilitated by Mike Grisham, CEO of Virginia Catalyst, to share what it takes to score highly, get funding, and position your company and research university for significant follow-on funding from large corporations, venture capitalists, DARPA, NIH, and philanthropic foundations. This webinar can be viewed, and the slides downloaded, on the home page of Virginia Catalyst at: https://www.virginiacatalyst.org/
Cumulatively, through the first 18 funding rounds, Virginia Catalyst has dedicated a total of over $38 million for 72 collaborative projects. Together, these projects have created over 450 new jobs and have attracted nearly $900 million of investment capital from venture capital, private equity, corporations, and government agencies including DARPA, NIH, and NSF, as well as through acquisitions.