TRTF Archives - StartupsSanAntonio.com

VelocityTX to Build Lab Spaces for Biomedical Startups

23Sep

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

VelocityTX to Build Lab Spaces for Biomedical Startups

Biomedical professionals aspiring to develop a new medical device or biotech innovation will soon have access to a resource critical for early-stage bioscience product development. A new research and development-focused laboratory space named Co-Labs broke ground Friday morning in San Antonio’s Eastside.The Texas Research & Technology Foundation (TRTF) and its nonprofit subsidiary VelocityTX have been working with community leaders to plan, develop, and supply Co-Labs with the right resources to support aspiring biomedical entrepreneurs and researchers.The U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration awarded $4 million in federal funding to TRTF for constructing and operating six fully-equipped bioscience laboratories. The 5,000-square-foot state-of-the-art l...

Healthtech Startup Thummi Wins $25,000 at VelocityTX Demo Day

5Nov

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

Articles, Featured

Healthtech Startup Thummi Wins $25,000 at VelocityTX Demo Day

Thummi, a healthtech startup originally from Brazil, won the $25,000 prize at the VelocityTX Demo Day pitch competition Thursday.Since summer, six early-stage bioscience companies from Texas, Brazil, and Chile have participated in VelocityTX's 16-week BioGlobal Accelerator program. VelocityTX is an innovation center that runs an accelerator program designed to help startups in the medical devices, biotech, and healthcare technology spaces.The founders pitched to five judges and a Tobin Center audience Thursday evening. Mentors, judges, and audience members voted for the six teams using an app. VelocityTX provided the $25,000 in equity-free funding.Thummi's founder and CEO Dr. Alessandra Morelle became an oncologist after her tuberculosis diagnosis at the age of 13. She experien...

7 Startups Join VelocityTX Inaugural Bioscience Accelerator Cohort

26May

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

Articles, Featured

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 bios...

VelocityTX Launches Bioscience Accelerator Program, Co-Working Space

2Sep

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

Articles, Featured

VelocityTX Launches Bioscience Accelerator Program, Co-Working Space

The innovation hub taking root on San Antonio's Eastside has launched an accelerator program for bioscience startups. VelocityTX is accepting applications for its new BioGlobal Accelerator, a 16-week accelerator program for early-stage bioscience companies.VelocityTX's mission is to support the development of more early-stage life science and technology companies in San Antonio. Its BioGlobal Accelerator is designed to help local, national, and international companies with innovative, scalable business ideas accelerate the launch of their business.The program will run from February to June 2021. A panel of 42 local industry experts from bioscience and healthcare sectors will facilitate the 21 planned modules over four months. The curriculum plan includes modules spanning concept an...

BioBridge Global To Scale Biomanufacturing at Merchants Ice Complex

19Feb

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

Articles, Featured

BioBridge Global To Scale Biomanufacturing at Merchants Ice Complex

The Texas Research and Technology Foundation (TRTF) revealed Tuesday that BioBridge Global (BBG) is the anchor tenant in its planned innovation hub. The first phase of the TRTF redevelopment includes $14.2 million for the BioBridge Global biomanufacturing facility and the new VelocityTX incubator and community building to be constructed as part of TRTF’s Merchants Ice complex redevelopment project on San Antonio’s Eastside.Read more: VelocityTX Innovation Hub Receives City of San Antonio Incentives for DevelopmentThe facilities for GenCure, a subsidiary of BioBridge Global, will include an initial 6,000 square feet of clean-room production space, expandable to 14,000 square feet, and an initial 2,500-square-foot development lab, along with office and meeting space. The new biomanuf...

VelocityTX Innovation Hub Receives City of San Antonio Incentives for Development

14Feb

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

Articles, Featured

VelocityTX Innovation Hub Receives City of San Antonio Incentives for Development

The San Antonio City Council approved a package of economic development incentives Thursday for the ambitious Texas Research and Technology Foundation (TRTF) project on San Antonio's Eastside.Robert McDermott founded TRTF in 1982 as an economic development nonprofit with an endowment fund for investing in early-stage companies. The $5.7 million incentive package is earmarked for the renovation of the empty complex of Merchants Ice and Cold Storage Company buildings on the 1300 block of East Houston Street, as well as for the construction of TRTF's new Velocity Center within the complex.The Velocity Center will house the new VelocityTX biomedical sciences innovation center. The approved package included a $750,000 Chapter 380 agreement or economic development grant with the rest st...

VelocityTX Puts Ambitious Plans into Action for Innovation

10May

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

Articles, Featured

VelocityTX Puts Ambitious Plans into Action for Innovation

The latest architect renderings of the new home for VelocityTX , an innovation hub to be located in the former Merchants Ice building, was only one of Texas Research and Technology Foundation's (TRTF) announcements. TRTF president and CEO Randy Harig updated over 200 attendees gathered at the foundation’s quarterly Emerging Venture Pipeline event Thursday on its latest efforts in fostering San Antonio's innovation. Updates covered the spectrum of technology, life science, clean energy, and student entrepreneurship developments, as well as the launch of VelocityTX's programs.The first building to be completed in the Merchant Ice complex will be VelocityTX's new headquarters, with groundbreaking expected sometime in the next three weeks, Harig said. The building should be finished someti...

21Mar

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

Articles, Featured

VelocityTX Announces New Leadership

Jorge Varela has stepped down as CEO of VelocityTX as announced in a March 21 statement from Texas Research and Technology Foundation (TRTF).Varela was hired May 2017 to lead VelocityTX, the innovation arm of the longstanding TRTF. Both are tasked with promoting economic development and investing in San Antonio-based businesses. VelocityTX’s focus is to accelerate the process of commercializing ideas, products, services, or processes and guides both domestic startups and international companies entering the market in the U.S.Varela confirmed his departure with Startups San Antonio via text but did not provide further comment.Varela spent the last five years as the director of the startup incubator Tech Fort Worth and was the associate director of entrepreneurship at the UNT Hea...