In celebration of the three-year anniversary of JLABS @ Washington, DC (JLABS DC), it’s great timing to highlight recent accomplishments and milestones reached by incubating and regional companies. Additionally, JLABS DC is excited to share new access to specialized lab equipment to support more innovators within the region.
Since the start of 2024, there has been continued success for incubating companies that reside at JLABS DC. Examples with recent funding announcements include Nanochon, raising $4 million in a Series Seed Prime, Acclinate closing $7 million in a Series A round, and Tiny Cargo securing investment from Virginia Ventures Partners.
With pre-seed and seed venture funding still challenging to obtain, securing grants and forging strategic partnerships are crucial for early-stage companies to advance their research and development efforts. KeViRx, was awarded a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, while SecondWave Systems secured $3 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), in partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Neuroene Therapeutics was also recognized as an awardee of the BLUE KNIGHT™ Resident QuickFire Challenge: Partnering for Preparedness.
On the strategic partnering side, VerImmune announced a research collaboration with A*STAR’s Bioprocessing Technology Institute, while Astek Diagnostics formed a partnership with local MedStar Health. Additionally, Mobius Scientific was recognized by four separate pitch and award programs, including as a recipient of a Johnson & Johnson Innovation QuickFire Challenge award. These highlights showcase some of the promising companies to watch moving forward.
In its three years, JLABS DC has supported over 55 early-stage companies, which collectively raised over $600 million. JLABS operates under a no-strings-attached model, allowing companies to partner freely. Resident companies and ecosystem partners recently gathered to celebrate this milestone. A short video to commemorate the moment can be viewed here.
“I am extremely proud of what we have done over the past three years to support our innovators, in providing resources and networks to accelerate their science and technology, as well as enhance the region’s burgeoning life science ecosystem,” said Sally Allain, Head, JLABS @ Washington, DC.
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