Richmond’s Activation Capital has unveiled 10 startups that will participate in its inaugural Frontier BioHealth program, which is aimed at advancing life sciences companies focused on pharma, biotech, medical devices and other health-focused consumer products.
The program will offer highly specialized training, targeted mentorship and relationship building and will run for four months with a focus on bringing research-intense medical products and companies to market.
Participating companies do not receive funding with their admission, so organizers are not calling the program an accelerator — though much of its work is similar to such programs. Participants do have their travel to Richmond covered by the program.
The participating companies include:
- Atticus — A Greenville, South Carolina company that has developed a unique, sustained-release system for delivering therapeutics directly to the skin.
- GenAssist — This St. Louis-based startup created MyoMatrix, a patented biomaterial that regrows muscle lost to disease or traumatic injury.
- Gisens Biotech — This Berkeley, California, startup has developed a saliva test that allows patients with kidney disease to monitor their health.
- KeviRx — This Charlottesville startup has developed novel small molecule drugs to treat acute lung injuries.
- Light Switch Bio — Based in Richmond, this startup is developing a drug-delivery system that uses lasers to activate drugs only where they’re needed in the body.
- Oncoustics — This Toronto company creates AI solutions for noninvasive diagnostics and treatment monitoring of diseases.
- OrthroPreserve — This Atlanta company has developed a meniscus replacement implant.
- Pele Therapeutics — This startup offers gene and protein therapy to treat people with debilitating metabolic and fibrotic diseases. Its principals are based in Tampa and Norfolk.
- Rapid Forensic Cell Typing — This Richmond company provides law enforcement and crime labs with a software-as-a-service platform that offers rapid identification and prioritization of forensic evidence.
- Vizma Life Sciences — Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, this startup is behind a device that enables MRI scanners to visualize treatment responses in days rather than months.
The 10 participants were narrowed down from 150 applications and chosen “based on their growth potential, technology fit, team strength and investor readiness,” Activation Capital said.
"We are excited to see how these talented startups will leverage our resources and mentorship to make a significant impact in their fields,” Jim Pannucci, Activation’s vice president of entrepreneurship, said in a statement. “This program not only supports these innovative companies but also strengthens the Richmond entrepreneurial ecosystem, making it a thriving hub for future growth and success."
Pannucci will oversee Frontier BioHealth, while Jackie Mejia is the program’s managing director. The program is funded in part through a grant from the Small Business Administration and includes partnerships with gener8tor, FedTech, and Fat Robin Consulting.
Activation Capital is an independent authority of Virginia that promotes research, commercialization and innovation ecosystem development in the Richmond region.
