Bioscience Industry Sets Local Startups Up for Success by Sponsoring Business Incubation Program Through University of Arizona Center for Innovation

The University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI) is pleased to announce the “UACI Sponsored Launch Fueled by BIOSA” competition. One biotech startup company will receive a sponsored year’s admission at the brand-new biotech incubator UACI at Oro Valley. Included with entrance into the program and space at the new location, the startup will also be awarded a cash prize of $5,000. The total package value is $15,000 and funded by BIOSA.

 

“BIOSA’s mission to support our life science industry includes growing the sector through innovation, entrepreneurs and startups. We recognize this support is critical for early-stage companies working to take scientific breakthroughs to market. Start-up companies are at the forefront of advancing viable solutions to world problems and can be fast-tracked via critical startup support,” said Nina Ossanna chair of BIOSA. 

 

The University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI) has teamed up with BIOSA to sponsor one promising startup team with resources, facilities, services and expert guidance to grow their businesses. The twelve-month program will also foster networking opportunities for its participants.
UACI seeks collaborations with other regional organizations such as BIOSA in alignment with its mission to serve as the business incubator that fuels Arizona’s economy through startup support.

 

The enhanced program will offer customized business support to ensure the winning startup team has a successful business launch through a structured business development program. The incubator helps entrepreneurs develop a business plan, identify target markets, refine their prototype, prepare a business pitch presentation, secure investment and successfully launch into the market. UACI provides dedicated space for startups where they can work alongside other entrepreneurs in a fast-paced environment.

 

Application submissions open on September 17 and close on October 14. After a review and interview process, the winning team will be announced on November 2. The team will then participate in the incubator program for one full year. Applicants must meet certain qualifications that include a startup team focused on providing an innovative solution to a significant life science challenge, the pursuit of a scalable business model, a minimum two-person team with a commitment to commercializing their innovation, a demonstrated need for incubation services and a desire to make a significant difference in the local and global community through innovation. The winning startup team will be immersed in the UACI incubation program supported by BIOSA’s generous sponsorship contribution.

 

For more information and to apply, visit https://techparks.arizona.edu/uaci-sponsored-launch-program-fueled-biosa

 

BIOSA has been committed to building an incubator specifically focused on bioscience for nearly a decade. With support from BIOSA and several others, a new incubator, UACI at Oro Valley, is opening this fall and will provide space and commercialization programs for nascent life science businesses to conduct research and product development. This incubator will offer world-class laboratories, shared equipment and a customized business development curriculum led by UACI. This new facility will fill a gap in the entrepreneurial ecosystem directly related to supporting scientific research discoveries and translating them into marketable technologies. Educational programs will enable hands-on support during the critical early phase of product development and include direct interaction with experts who have experience in the successful progression of biomedical products. The life science incubator will be built near the Ventana Roche Tissue Diagnostics headquarters in Innovation Park as part of a larger effort to grow the bioindustry within the Town of Oro Valley.

 

As a region, Oro Valley has experienced a growing bioindustry and a recently increased interest in entrepreneurship around this field. This ecosystem is ripe with innovations as well as promising connections for startup ventures. The Town of Oro Valley has steadily grown its bioscience community with the Ventana Roche Tissue Diagnostics headquarters in Innovation Park.

About the UA Center for Innovation

 

The University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI) is a startup incubator network with outposts across the Southern Arizona region and a mission to grow scalable science and technology startup ventures that fuel the Arizona economy. For nearly two decades, the program has directly served over 140 companies and impacted thousands of entrepreneurs. This is done through providing access to people, programming and places that help entrepreneurs take their companies from idea to market. Startups go through a structured program that takes them through a continuum of education provided by mentors, advisors, and community collaborators. UACI also provides access to service providers, industry cluster groups, interns and connections to potential customers and strategic partners. Entrepreneurs utilize various physical spaces that include offices, wet and dry labs, meeting rooms a prototyping center, collaboration areas and the infrastructure to support these spaces. The UACI is part of Tech Parks Arizona, which brings together university, industry, and community, creating “interactive ground” to advance technology innovation.

 

About BIOSA
The Bioindustry Organization of Southern Arizona (BIOSA) is a non-profit trade association that supports the creation, operation and expansion of life science enterprises as well as the commercialization of higher education and research institute-based technologies in Southern Arizona.