The Colorado Life Sciences Incubation Program

New Program for Colorado-Based Startups

The Colorado Life Sciences Incubation Program offers startups who are developing or commercializing technologies, products, devices, and life-saving breakthroughs the combined expertise and insights of Innosphere, Colorado BioScience Association, and Colorado BioScience Institute.

The year-long program focuses on startup founders who are developing or commercializing technologies, products, devices, and other life-saving breakthroughs.

Focused on Incubation, Collaboration and Education   

The one-year program gives participants access to:

• Innosphere’s leading incubation program for entrepreneurs
• CBSA’s resources and programming, which are designed to build a collaborative environment and supportive business climate for life sciences innovation
• The Institute’s expertise in life sciences-specific educational programs.

Designed for Life Sciences Startup Founders:

The program is designed for technical founders, startups from federal labs, university startups, and physician-entrepreneurs who are:

• Seed and Pre-Seed Companies
• Located in Colorado
• Launching a medical device, digital health, diagnostic, biotech, or pharmaceutical company
• Looking for expert help in driving their life sciences innovation to market.
• Seeking to be a part of a collaborative environment and supportive business climate for life sciences innovation

APPLICATION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MARCH 17- CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Program total cost for Colorado-based participants: $5,000, invoiced quarterly.

 

In 2023, 50% of the program’s total cost of $10,000 is subsidized by an Advanced Industries Business Accelerator Grant from Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

 

Learn more or contact Kevin Noble, Life Sciences Program Director at Innosphere Ventures.

THE COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM OFFERS PARTICIPANTS ACCESS TO: 

• Innosphere’s year-long leading incubation program for entrepreneurs
• which includes personalized support from a dedicated Client Director, who brings an outstanding track record of startup and new product success.
• Membership in Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) for one year, with access to resources and more than 30 Education + Networking opportunities each year, such as: Colorado Life Sciences Innovation Forum, USPTO Roundtable and Bio Boot Camp.
• Colorado BioScience Institute’s expertise in programs that advance careers for life sciences professionals in our community, including fully-funded participation in The Institute’s Foundations of Leadership program.

THE IMMEDIATE WHAT YOU GET:

• A comprehensive incubation program that kicks off with a cohort-based model
• Twelve full months of support
• Discounted program thanks to Advanced Industries Business Accelerator Grant from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT)
• A dedicated Innosphere Ventures Client Director

LIFE SCIENCE SECTORS: 

• Medical device
• Digital Health
• Diagnostic
• Biotech
• Pharmaceutical

APPLY TODAY:

• The application process is designed to be fast and easy. Please visit innosphereventures.org/apply and click APPLY to download the application! 

WHY JOIN!? 

• Life sciences leaders from Colorado’s best-known companies, institutions, and organizations have advanced their careers and expanded their networks through the Colorado BioScience Institute’s executive leadership programs.  
• From concept to commercialization, member companies of the Colorado BioScience Association are the ones in the driver’s seat of global health innovations and products that improve and save lives. 
• Our advisors work hard to turn technologies into startups, and turn those startups into viable businesses. 
• Innosphere’s commercialization program for entrepreneurs has been accelerating the success of startups for decades, and has a history of supporting companies such as BioLoomics reach their business milestones.  Innosphere has also supported and invested into life sciences companies such as: 
  • • Aspero Medical, a company with a differentiated medical product for use in endoscopy procedures using technology developed at the University of Colorado.  
    • GelSana Therapeutics, a startup company developing novel hydrogels that improve wound healing for diabetic ulcers and other wounds.  
    • Epic River, a company automating the loan closing process to address the problematic trend in the healthcare industry of non-payment on patient bills. 

WHY TRUST THIS COMPREHENSIVE LIFE SCIENCES INCUBATION PROGRAM?

The program is unique in its ability to drive success through collaboration, customization, and community.

• Collaboration – The combined experience and expertise of three Colorado organizations with a legacy of driving bioscience advanced industry startup success.
• Customization – Custom designed support to deliver encouragement, inspiration, and motivation to drive the achievement of your critical milestones.
• Community – Committed peer relationships providing mutual benefit, exchange of ideas, psychological support, learnings, and relationships.
• Life sciences leaders from Colorado’s best-known companies, institutions, and organizations have advanced their careers and expanded their networks through the Colorado BioScience Institute’s Foundations of Leadership program.
• From concept to commercialization, member companies of the Colorado BioScience Association are the ones in the driver’s seat of global health innovations and products that improve and save lives.
• Innosphere Ventures has been supporting startups for 25 years by creating long-term, regional economic impact by offering our clients access to a broad network of specialized resources.

 

Our advisors work hard to turn technologies into startups and turn those startups into viable businesses. Success stories include:

• Vitro3D
  • Vitro3D is revolutionizing 3D printing for the life sciences industry by bringing volumetric 3D printers to the patient point of care. Our 3D-printing method delivers products that are better suited to the needs of the life sciences industry than existing 3D-printing methods. It is also more sustainable and 100x faster. Our initial target market is teeth aligners for the dental industry. Our technology will enable orthodontic aligners to be printed at the point of care and so delivered to patients that day versus waiting several weeks. Additional markets include implants and organoids.
    Industry Segment: Biotechnology | Boulder | Camila Uzcategui, CEO | Founded 2017 | com
  • 2022 Program Success Story: Vitro3D closed an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round and was named to Colorado Inno’s Top Companies to Watch list
• RedDrop Dx
  • RedDrop Dx is a developer of low cost, pain-free blood collection, dispensing, and transportation devices that may be used in Point of Care, Home Health, and remote collection situations. The company believes in a new approach to healthcare, where quick and accurate diagnostics tests will be run wherever they are needed, without compromise.
    Industry Segment: Biotechnology | Fort Collins | Kris Buchanan, Dirk van den Boom | Founded 2019 | reddropdx.com
  • 2022 Program Success Story: RedDrop DX closed a pre-seed funding round in January 2023.
• DenTriage 
  • DenTriage^TMis a comprehensive mobile and web-based platform that provides a convenient way for patients to receive timely care for urgent dental issues using state-of-the-art Tele-Dentistry capabilities. DenTriage enables consumers to get urgent dental consults promptly, find dentists quickly, and make appointments easily. DenTriage will improve ease of access to dental care, decrease dental-related ER visits, and reduce the overall cost of dental care. Industry Segment: Oral Health / Teledentistry | Aurora | Dr. Mehul V. Gandhi, M.D. MBA, CEO | Founded 2017 | dentriage.com
  • DenTriage was a winner in the 2022 Prime Health Innovation Challenge receiving funding and a pilot opportunity with a premier Colorado health institution.
• Steri03
  • SteriO3 provides an innovative solution to the need for surgical instrumentation sterilization in austere field-based environments. The company’s rugged ozone sterilization system the ROSS M1 is a portable, rapid, and easy-to-use system designed specifically to meet the challenges presented when dealing with surgery in conflict zones, after natural disasters or in remote field-based locations. The Broomfield, Colorado-based company was formed in 2017 to commercialize the device by its founder and President Steve Hughes and is pleased to be collaborating with both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force.
    Industry Segment: Medical Device | Broomfield | Steve Hughes, President | Founded 2017 | sterio3.com
  • 2022 Program Success Story: Steri03 is pursing federal SBIR grants.

WHAT FOUNDERS AND COMPANIES GET SUPPORT ON: 

• Creating relevant strategies specific for successful life sciences product commercialization, with a focus on creating value, including enhancing the business model, bolstering competitive advantage and building a strong pitch deck for investors.
• Understanding key business principles and processes
• Developing a strong investor pitch and deck and orienting achievements to investor and buyer needs
• Defining a clear development timeline and articulating time-based KPIs to drive velocity to market
• Refining communications strategy for greater impact
• Managing a board of directors, including how to run effective board meetings
• Enhancing and communicating the company’s business model
• Building a deep network of life sciences leaders through the cohort-based model and networking events
• Connecting companies to corporate partners, investors, and advisors who are experienced in working in life sciences industries
• Gaining visibility and investor recognition and engaging partners to maximize accomplishments

WHAT YOU’LL GET THROUGH INNOSPHERE’S WORKSHOP SESSIONS: 

• Life sciences-specialized content to help founders determine the best path to market.
• One-on-one support in a cohort setting with like-companies, fellow entrepreneurs, and thought leaders.
• Valuable skills on how to build a successful enterprise, including: how to raise capital, acquire customers, build talented teams, accelerate top line revenue growth, plan exit strategies, and build enterprise value.
• A proven framework for building your business: Customer Acquisition, Market Sizing and IP Strategy, Capital Acquisition and Exit, Leading Your Team.
• A dedicated client manager who will work right next to you as you tackle all business aspects of commercializing your product.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MARCH 17 – CLICK HERE TO APPLY

WHEN IS IT?

The first 3 months: The program initially begins with live, online workshops in April, May, and June 2023. Between sessions, you will work individually with your client success manager on homework and business milestones.

TESTIMONIALS:

“My Innosphere advisors knew exactly what was required to transfer and commercialize technology form the university setting.” —Mark Rentschler, CTO, Aspero Medical

“Epic River built a business providing software solutions to reduce transaction costs in the highly regulated banking industry. We joined Innosphere’s program when we decided to take our technology and apply it to another regulated space, healthcare, to lower the cost of managing patient healthcare loans. In 2019, Epic River closed a $1.75 million seed round led by Innosphere Fund.” —Jeff Grobaski, CEO, Epic River

“When you start a company, there are so many unknown variables – and it’s not that you just have questions, you don’t even know who to ask the questions to. Innosphere has been great at providing the mentorship I needed and connecting me with people I needed to speak with to take my product to market. The network and support here are better than any other accelerator I’ve heard of – and I’ve talked to medical device companies and other startups across the country.” —Jamie Haggard, CEO and Co-Founder, Green Sun Medical