Deborah Hemingway, PhD

Grant revenue is not revenue. I'm all for non-dilutive funding, if and only if the SBIR/STTR-funded project accelerates your strategy with development of a product that will be sold (so science fair projects). However... *grant revenue is not validation dollars on the top line.* What you have shown is an ability to write grants, the basis for the research that led to the startup (in the case of academic spin-outs) in the first place. What you have not shown is 💸 the desire for customers to purchase your product(s) ➡ an ability to articulate a go-to-market plan, or 🔐 a down in the trenches understanding of product-market fit. Startups are a game of the quick and dead -- take the time and money you would spend writing these grants early in the life of your company and hit the road, listen to your customers, learn where and how your products fit, and start selling. Your P&L shows me your real progress there -- As an investor and advisor, I would rather see $10,000 in revenue from sales from a handful of customers in 2 quarters than a X% chance you get a $1M grant in 9 months.

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America’s Seed Fund, powered by the U.S. National Science Foundation, focuses on transforming scientific and engineering discoveries into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Each year, we award $200+ million in research and development (R&D) funding to about 400 startups across the United States. We invite you to attend a virtual question and answer session titled Office Hours: Intro to America’s Seed Fund at NSF: Thursday, Jan. 16, 2-3 p.m. EST In this session, an NSF Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program director will answer questions about how to get started, the basics of eligibility, and what we look for when we review Project Pitches. REGISTER Before joining the webinar, we recommend that you: Visit the How It Works section to learn more about America's Seed Fund, powered by NSF, and the Project Pitch submission process Watch a recording of Introduction to America's Seed Fund, powered by NSF We invite you to share the Zoom link with colleagues you think may be interested in attending the webinar. Thank you, America's Seed Fund, powered by NSF, staff About America's Seed Fund powered by NSF America’s Seed Fund powered by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) awards more than $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across virtually every discipline of science and technology can receive up to $2 million in non-dilutive funds to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. About NSF TIP The NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) engages all Americans in accelerating critical and emerging technologies to advance U.S. competitiveness. The directorate partners across sectors to advance three primary focus areas – accelerating technology, fostering innovation and economic growth, and preparing the American workforce for better-quality, higher-wage jobs. For more information about NSF TIP, visit new.nsf.gov/tip/latest.

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I'm so excited to continue supporting Prolific Machines, Inc., and the incredible Deniz Kent, PhD ,Max Huisman, and Declan Jones. Today's cellular biology processes are incredibly expensive, inefficient, imprecise, and sometimes purely ineffective. These processes are used from everything from making antibodies to treat diseases, to fermentation used to make high-value nutritional proteins in baby formula, to whole cuts of cultured meat. Prolific has developed a biology platform that leverages light to guide cell behavior and optimize performance over time using AI. By combining light, bioengineering, hardware, and AI in fundamentally new ways, Prolific can help pharmaceutical, nutritional, and therapeutics companies get to market faster, less expensively, and more efficiently — ultimately in hopes of helping improve outcomes — a mission any of us can get behind. Mark Cuban Peter T. Frederick Blackford Cooper Rinzler David Adelman Darco Capital Breakthrough Energy Michael Schulson Kevin Love Tobias Harris Breyer Capital Charles Besser Brennan Besser Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants https://lnkd.in/ea2TqdQk

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Join A Growing Community of World-Class Entrepreneurs. Biotech Labs. Tech Workspaces. Medical Offices. At Colorado Health & Tech Centers (CHTC), we are a premier hub for a diverse array of companies specializing in health and technology, allowing you to expand your network and spur your innovation. Join the world-class CHTC network and discover the power of collaboration in the life science and biotechnology sector. https://coloradohtc.com/ #Denverrealestate, #biotechnology, #Pharmaceutical, #biotech, #pharma, #innovation, #tech, #Technology, #CBSA, #CoBioscience, #cro , #cdmo , #laboratory,  #relocationspecialist, #Medicaldevice, #entrepreneurship, #startups, #culture, #HR, #partnerships, #LetsWork, #Whatinspiresme, #Productivity, #socialentrepreneurship, Babak Kia, Thomas Malcolm, Danny D. Martinez

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✨ Breaking: Halogen Ventures Announces New Fund.- Halogen Ventures Halogen Ventures focuses on early-stage consumer technology startups with at least one woman on the founding team. The fund announced a $10 million investment to support female founders in Alabama. https://halogenvc.com/ Please share to let other #Founders know For the ❤️ of Startups #Fusion42 #Startups #Venturecapital

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We end every episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast by asking if there’s anyone our guest would like to thank. Without fail, they thank their families – Mom, Dad, grandparents, spouses, partners. Often, there are shoutouts to early mentors, advisors, or colleagues as well. What all those people have in common, is that they’re the ones who believed in them and bet on them early. Whether it was family support during their formative years... Extraordinarily patient spouses/partners... Professors who said “Sure, come join my lab,” before they really knew a bunsen burner from a beaker… What we seem to attract in the life sciences, is a ton of good will, gratitude, and a willingness to pay it forward. I might be biased, but it always feels to me like we might have even more of that than any other industry. Maybe it’s the mission-minded nature of the life sciences. Maybe it’s something else. But it’s clear we’re extraordinarily lucky to have people willing to bet on us early and often. As far as pattern recognition goes, it’s one I’m happy to see again and again. #biotechnology #lifesciences #thebiotechstartupspodcast

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🔬 Just Released: OniX OnPoint Issue #13 Exciting advancements in FXR (Farnesoid X Receptor) science and innovation are the focus of our latest OniX OnPoint newsletter! This issue highlights how leading institutions and biotech startups are using FXR to drive breakthroughs in metabolic and liver disease treatments, with projects spanning novel FXR ligands, drug safety improvements, and immunotherapy applications. Key funding updates include investments in cutting-edge therapeutics targeting obesity, diabetes, and inflammatory diseases. Dive in to discover how FXR research is shaping the future of biotech solutions for complex health conditions. Our comprehensive analysis covers everything from technology transfer and sponsored projects to startup innovations and the latest research breakthroughs. Want More? Join Our Community! https://lnkd.in/edUVWht9 See also our OniX OnPoint for LinkedIn Daily summary of notable research journal publications and some news https://lnkd.in/eKbfRXnW #biotech #innovation #FXR #OniXOnPoint

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AI and Med Tech in Focus   AI System Developed to Identify Pathology in Tissues Engineers at Washington State University have developed an AI tool that uses images of human and animal tissue to detect abnormalities faster and more accurately than people. The AI algorithm was trained using images from past studies that involved kidney, testes, ovarian, prostate, breast and lymph node abnormalities. The new model detected disease in minutes—current processes take humans several hours and require specialized teams to check each other’s work. It was also found to be more accurate, sometimes detecting instances that humans had missed. The engineers designed the system to handle the processing load of the high-resolution gigapixel images by breaking them down into smaller tiles but still retaining the overall context of the tissue sample—akin to the zoom feature on a microscope or phone camera. Aside from getting diagnostic results more accurately and quickly, the new system also shows promise in epigenetics (the study of molecular processes that change gene behavior without changing underlying DNA). Epigenetic researchers can perform analyses and get results that used to take a year or more in just a couple of weeks. VC Investors are always adjusting their "Play Book" with a variety of options for investing. Mikal Ventures is one of those alternatives, offering curated solutions to real world problems. Reach out if you have questions on how we can be of assistance and bookmark https://mikalventures.com/ for additional insights and information.

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It’s hard not to get fired up when you’re around some strong Zero-to-One energy. And seeing biotech communities that are in serious build-mode as up-and-coming hot beds? The Excedr team is here for it. Connor Jackson and Kevin Reed Jr. recently got back from a Nucleate x Nucleate Florida event (👋 Natalie Ricciardi Tiffany Leesang Olivia Bosquet Libia F. Scheller, PhD, MBA Gabbie McWilliams Leonor Teles), where that’s the whole vibe around the biotech and life sciences community. There’s so much incredible research coming out of the University of Florida, University of Miami, and others… And there’s a palpable energy to the groundswell that’s coming to support those researchers who transition from academia to entrepreneurship. I will never get tired of this. We didn’t have this 12-13 years ago. And even 5 years ago, the landscape for emerging founders was SO different. The fact that we’re truly just at the beginning of seeing the biotech startup infrastructure emerge …. I cannot WAIT to see what the next 8-10 years hold. In our lifetime, I think we’ll see a major democratization of the geography factor in biotech. One less barrier to doing great science with great people. Keep. It. Coming. #biotechnology #startups #founders #lifesciences

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How are the increased levels of venture capital and federal funding impacting the biotech industry, and what specific areas of research and... #venturecapital #veteranventures

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This is exciting! Prolific Machines, Inc. based in Emeryville, California, has raised $55 million in a Series B round led by Ki Tua Fund. The company, founded in 2020 by Deniz Kent, PhD, Max Huisman, and Declan Jones, focuses on using light to optimize cell growth for producing proteins used in food and medicine. Traditional methods of growing cells involve expensive and hard-to-control molecular processes. Prolific Machines believes light offers a cheaper and more precise alternative. Their bioreactors use light to direct cell growth, potentially reducing costs and improving consistency. The new funding will help Prolific Machines commercialize their technology and acquire customers. The company is already engaging with commercial partners and aims to make their bioreactors available for producing high-value bioproducts like nutritional proteins and antibodies. What do you think? https://lnkd.in/dkSbZ_wQ

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One of my favorite parts in my conversation with bit.bio CEO, Mark Kotter, is how we keep coming back to First Principles, and this idea of letting things be simple. From finding a high-level sense of purpose at a time when he felt quite lost… To showing up at a Professor’s lab and saying “I’d like to work with you and do some research”... Mark finds a way to simplify the things so many of us over-think. And while it’s worth noting that “simple” doesn’t necessarily mean “easy” – taking Mark’s lead and letting First Principles guide your approach is surely easier than trying to plot the details before you know the goal. It was such a profound conversation, wrapped in the stories of his early schooling and career… I hope it gives you as many “aha” moments as it did for me. Additional topics discussed: – Finding a “hack” for his dyslexia in the simple act of asking “how” or “why” something worked – Landing a research position at University of Cambridge through a mix of luck, networking, and simply asking for the opportunity – Joining Professor Blakemore's lab at vet school, the value of immediate feedback loops and rigorous training, and the unique research opportunities in the early days of stem cell work – First principles, letting purpose guide the big decisions, and letting the details fill themselves in along the way Apple Podcasts & Spotify links in the comments below! 👇🏽 #biotechnology #lifesciences #podcast

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Each month, America's Seed Fund powered by the U.S. National Science Foundation shares exciting news stories from NSF-funded startups. Below find August 2024 news highlights from a few companies formerly and currently funded by the NSF Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program: Nth Cycle Recycling company Nth Cycle (NSF-2112301) develops a low-cost process to recycle and refine lithium-ion batteries from out of service electric vehicles and consumer electronics. The company recently opened a new cobalt and nickel recycling refinery in Fairfield, Ohio. Article via WCBD News 2 JuneBrain To improve remote monitoring of neurological and retinal diseases, JuneBrain (NSF-2053315) develops medical imaging devices and artificial intelligence-powered software. Its automated, high-speed retinal imaging system helps monitor patients at home or in clinical settings. Article via BioBuzz HeroWear HeroWear (NSF-2139480) designs lift-assist exosuits to reduce back strain by helping workers lift heavy objects. Recent data collected over 280,000 hours of work found that individuals wearing the exosuits reported zero bank injuries, a 25% percent decrease in work-related bodily discomfort, and a 20% reduction in work-related fatigue, according to HeroWear. Article via Modern Materials Handling Grain Weevil On a mission to reduce grain bin accidents and entrapments, Nebraska-based and family-owned company Grain Weevil (NSF-2321441) uses robots with augers that can level grain, break up crusts, perform inspections, and conduct other tasks to keep farmers safe. Article via Rural Radio Network Electroninks Texas-based Electroninks (NSF-1534755) manufactures cost-effective, highly conductive, and sustainable metal complex inks for printed electronics, including medical devices and semiconductors. The company recently launched new copper ink for advanced packaging for semiconductor manufacturing and other use cases. Article via AZoMaterials Bloomlife To ease anxiety during pregnancy, Bloomlife (NSF-1843361) develops a wearable that remotely monitors both maternal and fetal heart rates in home and clinical settings. The wearable device can also track contractions in real time to improve maternal health outcomes. Bloomlife recently raised $12.2M. Article via Femtech Insider Aventusoft Aventusoft (NSF-1456401) develops medical devices to improve early detection and monitoring of heart disease. The company’s product “Hemotag” is designed to help doctors avoid invasive procedures when evaluating a patient. The device provides non-invasive, 30-second measurements to assess structural heart health. Article via Refresh Miami Atom Computing Atom Computing (NSF-1951188) is partnering with Microsoft to build a new generation of quantum hardware. Atom Computing’s neutral atom technology will integrate with Microsoft’s Azure Quantum platform to develop fault-tolerant quantum supercomputers. Article via The Quantum Insider

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"The idea is less important than your ability to execute on it in a professional manner."   In Part 2 of my conversation with Michael Chen, CEO of Nuclera on The Biotech Startups Podcast, we dive deep into the critical importance of execution over ideation in biotech entrepreneurship. In this episode, we explore some fascinating insights about building a successful biotech company:   – The stark difference between academic research and startup timelines, and why having finite resources creates better outcomes ⏱️ – How pharma partnerships work and navigating the complex multi-stakeholder environment of large organizations 💼 – The journey of pivoting from DNA synthesis to protein production, and how market realities shape business decisions 🧬 – Finding the right business model and the importance of identifying customers who are willing to invest their time 🔍 – Building value through strategic partnerships and understanding the true meaning of "go-to-market" strategy 🤝 This episode is jam packed with practical wisdom for anyone looking to bridge the gap between scientific innovation and commercial success! Michael gives special thanks to his parents for shaping who he is today, his co-founders for their dedication and perseverance, and all of Nuclera's investors and customers who are working tirelessly to add value to society. Apple Podcasts & Spotify links in the comments below! 👇🏽   #biotechnology #lifesciences #podcast

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The Silent Tutors: How LLMs Are Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Cell Therapy Manufacturing

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Anne Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe, has announced plans to take the genetic testing company private. This strategic move aims to provide more flexibility in navigating regulatory challenges and to accelerate growth opportunities. The decision follows a trend of health tech companies seeking private ownership to focus on long-term objectives. Wojcicki highlighted the importance of this shift to maintain the company's commitment to innovation and customer-centric services. Taking 23andMe private reflects a bold step towards enhancing its position in the rapidly evolving genomics industry. Read more about this exciting development here: https://lnkd.in/gdrC3a64 #genomics #IPO #privatisation #23andMe

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"I think one piece of advice is to find mentors who can help keep you on track and also give you support on those difficult days, but also serve as a way to have an example of how things can be and keep that in mind." In Part 2 of The Biotech Startups Podcast, I'm joined by Barry Ticho MD, PhD, Founder of Verve Therapeutics and Chief Medical Officer at Stoke Therapeutics, who shares invaluable insights about the importance of mentorship and guidance in navigating the complex landscape of biotech leadership. In this episode, we deep dive into: – The critical role of mentorship in career development and personal growth 🌟 – Building and leading successful clinical development programs 👨‍⚕️👩‍⚕️🩺 – Creating meaningful relationships within the biotech ecosystem 🤝🏼 – Strategies for overcoming challenges in drug development 💡 – The importance of maintaining focus on patient outcomes while driving innovation 🎯 Barry provides a wealth of knowledge for anyone looking to understand the intersection of scientific/clinical leadership and career development in biotech. An absolute Masterclass. Apple Podcasts & Spotify links in the comments below!👇🏽 #biotechnology #lifesciences #podcast

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We're so excited to welcome Caladan Bio to Wireframe Ventures' portfolio and celebrate the launch of their first product, The Caladan 250! As biotech and life sciences investors, we've witnessed an explosion of companies building with novel gene sequencing and editing toolsets and the impact they've had on drug discovery and drug development over the last couple of decades. It's been clear that these same tools would transform the way we manufacture a wide range of products from materials to fuel to chemicals and even food. However, the scale up of synbio companies outside of life sciences has been limited by the available infrastructure -- built for companies with entirely different cost structures. Industrial biotech companies creating animal-free food and materials, next-gen specialty chemicals, and fossil fuel alternatives can only break out if they can meet cost parity with incumbent products. Caladan offers the tools to increase experimentation throughput while enhancing data availability and quality, allowing these companies to leverage modern AI and ML tools, all at half the cost of the industry standard. We're thrilled to partner with Michael Kobida and Rob Jauquet on this seed round, and invest alongside Twelve Below, Collaborative Fund, and Lerer Hippeau!

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