7 Startups Join VelocityTX Inaugural Bioscience Accelerator Cohort

VelocityTX announced the bioscience startups that will participate in its inaugural BioGlobal Accelerator. A selection panel chose seven international and local early-stage bioscience companies from over 140 applicants to participate in the 16-week accelerator program.

VelocityTX, a subsidiary of the Texas Research & Technology Foundation (TRTF), strives to support the development of early-stage life science and technology companies in San Antonio. The new BioGlobal Accelerator is designed to help local, national, and international companies with innovative, scalable business ideas accelerate the launch of their business, VelocityTX vice president for global development David Fonseca said.

The program will run from July to October 2021. A panel of local industry experts from bioscience and healthcare sectors will facilitate the 21 planned modules over four months. The curriculum plan includes concept and ideation, legal, regulatory, quality and clinical, design and development, sales, business, and special topics. All accelerator advisors are certified in the GrowthWheel methodology. 

To qualify, companies must be developing a medical device or biotech application, already be incorporated in the U.S., have at least two members, and show traction in the form of intellectual property, proof-of-concept testing or prototype, and investors. Once a participant completes the accelerator program, the startup can either pay a program fee or sign a SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity).

The BioGlobal Accelerator culminates with a final public event for the founders to pitch their venture to an audience of angel investors and industry experts. One company will win the grand prize of $25,000 as investment capital to grow their company.

The 2021 cohort includes two San Antonio-based companies and three international startups:

• Actipulse Neuroscience is a Mexican revenue-stage medical technology company specializing in non-invasive brain stimulation technologies. Actipulse has offices in Cambridge, MA, Mexico City, Mexico, and Santiago de Chile, Chile.
• Alt-Bionics is a medical device company that aims to tackle high-cost prosthetics by delivering affordable alternatives to the prosthetic market. The San Antonio-based startup is applying advanced, low-cost technology to medical devices for bionics similar in both form and function to higher-priced devices.
• Bioxiplasis a Chilean company that manufactures and commercializes biodegradable personal disposable equipment, compostable and biodegradable plastic bags, and a new patented line of anti-viral (SARS COV2) material.
• Eisana is an oncology solution company based in Houston providing products to solve the unmet needs resulting from cancer treatment. While cancer survival continues to improve, side effects remain significant in reducing the quality of life and healthcare cost.
• Neurognos is another Chilean startup. They’re developing a noninvasive diagnostic strategy for early Alzheimer’s screening that uses cutting-edge microRNA molecules coupled with machine learning technology.
• Olifant Medical Inc. is a San Antonio startup commercializing novel medical device solutions for healthcare workers’ technical challenges, creating better patient-provider experiences, leading to better outcomes for patients, and saving lives.
• Tummi is based in Brazil. The application records and organizes the patient’s day-to-day events and provides real-time reports to clinics and doctors to improve patient quality of life.

“We are offering accelerator participants a balance between the more technical bioscience advisors and mentors experienced in commercialization,” Fonseca said. “By graduation, these companies will be in a position to raise significant capital and start hiring and boosting our Alamo City economy.”

The featured image is of a row of microscopes in a lab—photo by Ousa Chea on Unsplash.