Grenova, a Richmond startup that saw business take off during Covid-19, is expanding to a larger facility in Scott’s Addition.
The company plans to invest $10.6 million and add 250 new jobs over the next three years, significant growth for a company that currently has about 60 employees.
A 2020 Richmond Inno on Fire winner, Grenova manufactures technology that washes and sterilizes pipette tips, allowing the devices used in diagnostic testing to be reused, rather than thrown away.
In late April, Gov. Ralph Northam visited Grenova’s future location, at 1900 Ellen Road, to show his support.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this homegrown sustainable biotech firm expanding and adding to its workforce in Richmond,” Northam said in a statement. “It is remarkable to see Virginia’s innovative life sciences businesses quickly adapt and respond to critical needs as we fight this pandemic.”
He added, “Grenova is an emerging industry leader that has achieved exponential growth in a short time, and I applaud the company for leveraging its technology and expertise to address a global shortage and reduce environmental waste.”
For Grenova founder and CEO Ali Safavi, recognition from the governor and other local and regional leaders “motivates us to continue our growth.”
Founded in 2014, Grenova’s message to the life sciences industry has long been that its TipNovus technology offers a “more sustainable model,” cutting consumable costs by up to 96%, Safavi said.
The Covid-19 pandemic, and the supply chain shortages it caused as a result, gave Grenova’s pitch serious traction.
“It really helped us to get our product into the market much faster and get it established much quicker,” he said.
So much so, Safavi said, that his company has quadrupled in size, outgrowing its current Manchester location. He chose Scott’s Addition as Grenova’s new headquarters for the location and amenities, features that he hopes will attract the diverse talent that he sees as key to the startup’s success.
“It seems like a very ideal location to bring talent and be a common ground that everybody will not only come to work, but also be able to enjoy the amenities around it,” he said.
Grenova plans to move into its new location in July, becoming the latest startup to call the fast-growing neighborhood home. Babylon Micro-Farms announced its move from Charlottesville to Scott’s Addition earlier this year, and ELYA, a contactless food service, has also found recent success in the area.
Safavi, who years ago chose to leave North Carolina to start his business in Richmond, said the city has been an ideal place for Grenova to grow. He plans to commission murals inside his new building by local artists to reflect his gratitude.
“I just hope that the startup community and the momentum that Richmond has started for innovation and supporting the startups, I hope it continues on,” he said.
