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I need a list of the top biotech incubator programs in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Hello and thank you for asking Wonder for a list of the top 10 biotech incubator programs in San Francisco Bay Area. The short version is that I found 10 biotech incubators similar to Indiebio as requested, listed their resources, ecosystem provided with a brief background for each of them. I have also given a short description of the current life science startup environment. Below you will find a deep dive of my findings.
METHODOLOGY
To find the top 10 incubators in San Francisco Bay area, I first gathered all the incubator companies or programs located in SF through various articles and websites. Then I did a deep dive research into their features, funding, companies currently supported, number of successful life science firms or products incubated so far, etc. by visiting their websites. I have listed below only those incubators which are similar to Indiebio, they are not just a rented lab space but offers both wetlab and funding support. I did not find any reports that ranked these programs explicitly, so I have tried to rank them below based on the number of startup companies they have invested or supported since inception, wherever data available. The ranking of the incubator lies in providing complete support and state of the art facilities to make every startup successful.
LIFE SCIENCE STARTUP ENVIRONMENT
After the tech giants from the Silicon valley, its the biotech firms competing to the top. Biotech accelerators like Indiebio backed by SOS ventures, are Cconfident that they’re helping to shape the next billion-dollar biotech innovation and solve intractable problems using biology. "Bay Area and Silicon Valley ranked as No. 1 metropolitan region for biotech funding in the second quarter of 2015, followed by Boston, Seattle, New York and Philadelphia."
The Mission bay area in San Francisco is a unique space for life science growth and collaboration, it is called as the biotech hub and hosts more than 60 life science firms. Since 2006, Mission Bay has nurtured hundreds of life science or biotechnology startups, most of them as a result from the incubator programs that vary widely in size, duration, scientific focus and financial investment. The advantage is that the businesses that go through incubators have a higher success rate. But the rising concern is that the Mission bay does not have enough room for the growing life science startups who want to move to their own offices from the incubator labs.
INDIEBIO INCUBATOR PROFILE
(Founded in 2014) Incubator and Accelerator
Total Companies invested: 53
Seed Investment: $250K for each startup. Four month program.
Space: 14,655-square-foot
Investment partner: SOS Ventures
Features: funding, lab and co-working space, dedicated mentorship, IndieBio alumni, investors, biotech entrepreneurs, investors, press, corporate partners, and more.
Applications: Synthetic biology startups
Founding partner: Johnson & Johnson Innovation
Space: 24,000-square-foot
Seed Investment: $200K for each startup
QB3 created two incubators that allow startups access to rental laboratory space close to UC faculty. These incubators, the QB3 Garage@UCSF and the QB3 Garage@Berkeley, are the biotech equivalent of garages.
Total Companies invested: 60+
Space: 4000 square feet
Seed Investment: $250K for each startup
Applications: mental health, smoking cessation, hospital and payer administration, and diabetes.
Features: strategic and operational support, co-working space, and access to a top-tier network of partners, academic medical centers, and clinicians.
A research-based biotech firm, uses its expertise CTGF and HIF biology to discover, develop, and commercialise novel therapeutics. The startup space was created through a partnership with QB3, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the San Francisco Center for Economic Development.
Total companies invested: 22+
Space: 21000 square feet
Features: Access via contract to scientific core facilities at UCSF, Gladstone Institute, or UC Berkeley. Companies are also encouraged to attend regular seminars and networking/social events held in the building and elsewhere on campus.
Space: 12,000 square feet
Resident Companies: 18
Part of QB3@953 building, one of five incubator sites of the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3).
Features: Access to QB3’s resources, which include legal and business advisors, assistance in grant writing for federal Small Business Innovation Research funds, and access to high-end equipment and technology in University of California, San Francisco facilities.
Resident Companies: 4
Total Companies invested: 12
Seed Investment: access to $40 Million. Six month funding cycle.
Space: 97,000-square-foot
Features: extensive mentorship, financial support, and access to sequencing systems, reagents, and lab space. World's first Genomics accelerator.
Applications: genomics, including therapeutics, diagnostics, agriculture, synthetic biology, forensics, and direct-to-consumer applications. Launch-ready DNA-sequencing products.
Total Companies invested: 8
Seed Investment: access to $250 Million
Features: Ideas generated within Theranova only, provides mentorship and funding support.
Application: sandbox incubator and capital technology developer for medical devices - sepsis detection and treatment technology.
First technology incubator in the University of California.
Resident Companies: 5
Size: 2,500 square feet
Investments: access to Mission Bay Capital funds
Features: wet laboratory space, multi-function rooms, UC researchers for collaborations.
Size: 5,000 square feet
Resident companies: 8
Total Companies invested: 13
Features: plug and play operations, laboratory space, equipment, and management for virtual and early-stage life science companies.
Applications: molecular diagnostics, biotechnology tools, bioanalytical services, early-stage therapeutics, and stem cell companies.
Size: 6,000 square feet
Resident companies: 5
Total companies invested: 60+
Applications: Startup life-science companies whose technology platforms, drug targets or drug candidates may align with Bayer’s interests.
Features: Basic equipments, Environmental Health & Safety and Biosafety licenses, and access to nearby UCSF core services such as imaging, bioinformatics, and proteomics. Partnering with Bayer can also provide access to the global expertise and equipment of Bayer’s research network.
Location: California
One of the nation’s first start-up accelerators
Investment: CONNECT’s annual budget is approximately $3 million.
Applications: Innovative hi tech and life sciences products. Southern California biopharmas and other life sciences and technology companies.
Features: assesses the innovation, coaches the innovators, provide mentoring and educational programming. Provides business model and develops commercialisation strategy. Can participate in the Springboard Capital Competition to become Connect portfolio companies.
SUMMARY
To wrap it up, I found 10 top biotech incubator programs in San Francisco Bay area that provide resources, lab space, support system, seed funding and necessary guidance for the emerging life science startups to get them market ready. "When asked what they valued most in an incubator, the founders answered: access to scientific equipment, and being around other entrepreneurs." Incubators are becoming the necessity for life science innovation and product success. Hope this list helps with your research.
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