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The University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI) which serves as the science and technology startup incubator network of Tech Parks Arizona, is pleased to announce that three current UACI startups and one alum obtained four of six available opportunities statewide to participate in the exclusive Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program. Participation in the program opens doors to a wide range of resources, significantly accelerating the growth and development of the startups along their entrepreneurial journey.
The program provides $30,000 in non-dilutive funding support for up to six startups and a professionally developed yearlong plan specific to the individual companies’ needs that helps them advance to commercialization and become investor-ready. Participants will gain access to an exclusive network, enabling interactions with key leaders in the state's bioscience, academic, and policy sectors. Entrance into the program includes one-year memberships to both Arizona's Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee and the Arizona Bioindustry Association.
The selection of the following bioscience companies residing at UACI is a validation of the startups’ potential. The competitive process evaluated the quality of its innovations and business model and recognized the feasibility of its ventures.
Winning UACI startups include:
BioBolt Medical Corporation has developed surgical-stapler technology to allow surgeons to perform procedures with greater speed, efficiency, and precision. The patented deployment system is designed to work for all mesh types, enabling surgeons to utilize biologic meshes more often and improve patient outcomes.
Macula Vision Systems is developing a technology to fully automate clinical laboratory analysis and AI-based interpretation. The technology is being designed to address the critical labor shortages in medical test labs, testing costs, and availability of timely clinical information in the well-established bioscience-focused incubator, UACI at Oro Valley.
Metfora is developing a blood test to differentially diagnose four lung diseases from a single blood draw. The diseases include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, and asthma. Founded to commercialize technology developed in the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, Metfora was spun out through Tech Launch Arizona, the university’s commercialization arm.
Precision Epigenomics Inc., a molecular diagnostic company that features liquid biopsy tests based on research developed at the University of Arizona, has developed a multi-cancer detection test called EPISEEK™ . This approach directly identifies cancer-specific methylation regions within the human genome. The technology was originally invented based on research from the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, the UA Cancer Center and the BIO5 Institute, and was also commercialized through Tech Launch Arizona. After commercializing their groundbreaking technology, Precision Epigenomics joined UACI to launch their business through the Sponsored Launch program fueled by the Town of Sahuarita and Freeport McMoRan, completing the program and proudly standing as an esteemed alum of UACI.
"We are honored to be recognized by the Flinn Foundation for our innovative approach to earlier cancer detection and to have the opportunity to work with the AZ Bioscience Roadmap team. The currently recommended conventional screening methods for cancer underperform and they do not detect most cancer types that are killing people," said Mark Nelson, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Precision Epigenomics. "Our goal is to change the way cancers are detected."
The Flinn Foundation launched the Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program to foster bioscience founders in developing their early-stage companies into successful and sustainable businesses to establish a critical mass of bioscience entrepreneurs and new enterprises across Arizona. Since 2014, the Flinn Foundation has selected 66 Arizona bioscience companies and offered nearly $2 million in funding
through a competitive process. UACI, with its steadfast focus on nurturing science and tech startups, consistently has companies accepted into the Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurial Program annually which is a testament to the credibility and potential of these innovative ventures.
UACI, the University of Arizona’s startup incubator network, works with scalable science and technology ventures providing the people, programming and place needed to successfully launch and scale a business. The incubation program also provides its startups with office, laboratory space and assistance through a 28-point roadmap. Since the program was developed, nine other UACI startups have been selected for the Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship program. UACI is a critical component of Arizona’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and is helping to pave the way for budding bioscience ventures. UACI’s laboratory space gives companies an environment for product development, with a flexible, customizable, supported structure.
About the University of Arizona Center for Innovation
The University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI) is a startup incubator network with outposts across the Southern Arizona region. For two decades, the program has directly served over 300 companies, impacting thousands of entrepreneurs who have attracted $105.8M in external capital. This is done by providing access to people, programming, and places that help entrepreneurs take their companies from idea to market. With the mission to fuel the Arizona economy, UACI works to help scale science and tech-based startups under the scope of Tech Parks Arizona creating university-based economic impact.
About Tech Parks Arizona
Tech Parks Arizona creates the interactive ground that generates, attracts and retains technology companies and talent in alignment with the research and land-grant mission of the University of Arizona. Tech Parks Arizona directs the UA Tech Park, the UA Tech Park at The Bridges and the University of Arizona Center for Innovation startup incubator network. 2024 marks a 30-year milestone for UA Tech Park in advancing technology, economic prosperity, and community development. As a major employment hub, with 100+ companies and 6,000 knowledge workers, the UA Tech Park contributes $2 billion in economic impact annually to the region. Through purpose-built environments that create Technology’s Best Address and shape the future, Tech Parks Arizona supports companies of all sizes from startups to tech giants and facilitating university-industry interaction at the speed of business.