UF Innovate | Accelerate

UF Innovate | Accelerate is the place-making, entrepreneurial support organization within UF Innovate dedicated to working with entrepreneurs, innovators, and business builders. Through two award-winning, globally recognized facilities, UF Innovate | Accelerate delivers industry-leading entrepreneurial programs and services designed (1) to accelerate the growth and development of its client companies and (2) to increase the likelihood of success of the business ventures it serves.


Apply Now

Learn more about the application process or simply start applying now! One application (regardless of desired facility). Requirements for entry include non-refundable application fee, completion of references, and Fluency Score.


Client Portal Access.

What sorts of things can you do when you access the client portal? Enter and learn! Once admitted to our program, gain access to our perks, conference room bookings system, and other valuable curated entrepreneurial information.

Why now?

By offering a structured business entrepreneurship support program and surrounding our entrepreneurial ventures with important business-building capabilities, UF Innovate | Accelerate clients can grow faster and stronger than they would on their own by accessing proven business-development services that accelerate venture growth, investment and success.

These high-quality services include, but are not limited to:

  • access to mentors and trusted advisors;
  • introductions to knowledgeable small business service providers and resource partners;
  • capital access support (including VC and angel introductions and pitch deck preparation support);
  • special events, workshops, and classes with skilled practitioners, surrounded by more than 90 other like-minded, early-stage venture founders
  • curated business development support services, and
  • access to shared services (IT, business center, shared scientific equipment, and facility common areas).

Unique to our mission, UF Innovate | Accelerate not only works with UF-affiliated ventures but with ventures spawned from the communities we serve. Selection is highly competitive and is done through a formal application process and payment of a non-refundable application fee.

UF Innovate | Accelerate @ The Hub

The Hub

UF Innovate | Accelerate at The Hub is a business incubator with a mission to build, drive and support the spirit of innovation. We are the “hub” of the North Central Florida entrepreneurial ecosystem with a global outreach. We offer state-of-the-art wet laboratory, light manufacturing, and office space, along with advising, mentoring, education, programs, and amenities to help you succeed. We have resident programs available to assist every startup and small business.

The original 48,000-square-foot facility was built with an $8.2 million grant from the federal Economic Development Administration and a $5 million commitment from the University of Florida. After it opened in October 2011, the incubator demonstrated such success that the EDA awarded a second $8 million grant, to which UF added an additional $9 million in 2015. The expansion opened in January 2018, doubling the facility to a total of 100,000 square feet.

Since the addition of The Hub, the entrepreneurial landscape and culture of Gainesville have experienced an amazing transformation, and the incubator is recognized as a major catalyst in helping propel the university city to become one of the top energized tech communities in the Southeast. Much more than a building, The Hub, part of UF Innovate’s Accelerate program, provides a complete growth ecosystem that leverages the prestige of the university’s research and technology commercialization prowess and combines that with programming, resources, and networking opportunities designed to support small startups and growth companies.

Mixed-Use Space

Anchoring the Innovation District between downtown Gainesville and UF’s main campus, The Hub serves and supports a wide variety of innovative, tech-enabled, research-intensive ventures in biotech, technology (deep tech, AI, web, and others), health care, advanced manufacturing, software, and services.

Hub Facility Snapshot

Picture of UF Innovate | The Hub with six bullet points sharing details of the mixed-use incubator in the heart of the innovation district. The building was established in 2011, expanded in 2018, built using $30.2M, including $16 M from the US EDA. It hosts 56 active residential clients, is 96,947 square feet, and is located in a Hub Zone, an Opportunity Zone and the innovation district. Inside are 68 offices, 28 dry labs, and 11 wet labs.

UF Innovate | Accelerate @ Sid Martin Biotech

Sid Martin Biotech

UF Innovate | Accelerate at Sid Martin Biotech is a world-recognized leader in biotechnology business incubation – and with well-equipped laboratories and specialized equipment, plus an outstanding network of mentors, advisors, and collaborators, it’s the perfect place for you to grow your biotech business.

We are here to assist you in growing your therapeutic, diagnostics, medical device, ag-bio, clean energy, and/or biopharma enterprise. We’ve been making growth happen in North Central Florida since 1995, and we know what it takes to assist your company.

Biotech Space

Our flagship rural biotech-focused business incubator is designed to support R&D and process development companies with turnkey, shared scientific equipment offerings, a full-time technical and lab services manager, and dedicated onsite, experienced incubation professionals.

UF Innovate | Accelerate’s wet lab facilities operate under BSL2 biological safety practices. Work requiring enhanced practices (BSL2+) may be accommodated pending review and approval by UF’s Institutional Biosafety Committee.

Sid Facility Snapshot

Image shows picture of UF Innovate | Sid Martin Biotech with six bullet points elaborating on facility details. It was established in 1995 with an initial capital investment of $5.5 Million, hosts 13 active biotech companies in 32,546 gross square feet. Inside is $1.7 million of shared scientific equipment, 22 wet labs, and 8 executive offices

Why Us?

We inspire entrepreneurs to create, change, and cure for a better world.

Growing a company is a complex, multi-faceted effort. Founders of early-stage bioscience and technology companies need qualified laboratory space, equipment, advice, mentoring, and investment. At UF Innovate | Accelerate, we provide all this – and more – to help entrepreneurs reach their goals of getting to market.

What We Provide

We provide outstanding programs to assist startups and early-stage growth companies. Our offerings include assistance with finding finances and forming relationships with venture investment groups; access to legal and accounting help; matching company leaders with experienced entrepreneurs and advisors in specialty areas; and guidance on recruitment of qualified employees.

Located in Alachua, Accelerate at Sid Martin Biotech has quality laboratory space, conference/training rooms, animal facilities, greenhouses, and over $1.7 million of shared scientific equipment.

The center of the Gainesville Innovation District between UF and downtown, Accelerate at The Hub is a mixed-use business incubator and the largest home for early-stage companies in the Southeastern United States. It has dry and web laboratory space, conference/training rooms, fume hoods and clean rooms, and connections to UF resources, funding opportunities, professional service providers, and more.

Our leadership group is an unmatched team of seasoned business leaders, advisors, and support staff.

Quick Facts About Our Companies and Facilities

  • $10.9 billion of invested capital
  • 84 percent success rate (clients that remain a viable company five years after graduation)
  • Our active client portfolio exceeds 91 companies and spans 9 major segments
  • 26 percent of our resident clients are affiliated with UF
  • 28 clients have graduated in the past 3 years
  • Wages are 34 percent higher than the state of Florida average
  • At 130,000 square feet, UF Innovate | Accelerate has one of the largest super hub programs in the United States
  • More than 252 residential companies assisted
  • Recipients of 9 international awards and designated one of the 20 InBIA Soft Landings programs

Economic Impact & Success Metrics

We’ve been successfully incubating companies since 1995 and have compiled the metrics that demonstrate our economic impact. You can view or download these metrics here:

Affiliations & Designations




Winner of Nine International and National Awards

a table with a number of gold-plated, wood plaques celebrating Sid Martin Biotech's international awards

In 2020, Sid Martin Biotech won the Randall M. Whaley Incubator of the Year award; it is the only incubator to have won it more than once. It also received the 2020 Rural Entrepreneurship Center of the Year.

In 2018, The Hub won the global Mixed-Use Entrepreneurship Center of the Year from the InBIA.

In 2017, Sid Martin Biotech won the International Business Innovation Association’s Randall M. Whaley Global Incubator of the Year award for a second time. (Sid Martin Biotech had won the Randall M. Whaley award in 2013 along with the InBIA’s Dinah Adkins Technology Incubator of the year.) Also in 2017, the Sid picked up the InBIA Science/Technology Entrepreneurship Center of the Year at InBIA’s International Conference in Seattle.

In 2013, University Business Incubator Index named us the Top Biotech among university business incubators, using 50+ performance indicators among 150 incubators in 22 countries as criteria for the award. We also received the 2014 State Science & Technology Institute (SSTI)’s “Excellence in Technology-Based Economic Development” award for our achievements in the technology commercialization category.

In fact, 12 percent of Florida biotech companies in business today got their start in UF Innovate’s incubation facilities; those incubated companies have created more than 8,200 jobs with an average annual salary of $79,200; and generated over $10.98 billion in private investment.

You could say we’re proud of our reputation and awards. (We are.) But we’re more proud of our mission statement — “We inspire entrepreneurs to create, change, and cure for a better world” — because that’s not just our mission; it’s what we do.

Our Secret Sauce

We call it our "secret sauce" but the results are clear:
  • Proven track record of client success
  • Best-in-Class program and facilities geared to accelerate the growth and development of ventures
  • One of the largest and most vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems
  • Our biotech incubation program leverages the UF Innovate | Excellence Diamond

Our Team

Leaders

Photo of Karl R. LaPan

Karl R. LaPan
Director, Accelerate & Collaboratory

QR code leading to Karl LaPan's bio on OrcID

Karl R. LaPan was appointed director of UF Innovate | Accelerate in May 2021. He oversees its business incubation, commercialization programs and promotes the entrepreneurial energy and community within the Gainesville Innovation District and Progress District in Alachua, FL.

Printable version of Karl’s bio sketch is available here.

UF Innovate | Accelerate operates two best-in-class facilities encompassing nearly 130,000 sq feet, has a resident client portfolio of over 90 active companies, an average client wage rate 43% higher than the state of Florida average, assisted in securing nearly $11.3 billion in client invested capital, and since inception, provided support to over 250 client companies. Since its inception, the UF Innovate | Accelerate program has generated over $20.6B in economic impact, advancing the Gator Nation’s impact globally.

Before his appointment, he was the president and CEO of the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He led the globally award-winning entrepreneurial support organization and launched tech-based economic and entrepreneurial programs to serve the under-represented segments in Northeast Indiana. He and his team created innovative growth programs for accelerating early-stage company development to increase the survivability rate of nascent companies and create a vibrant ecosystem to nurture the development and commercialization of promising technologies.

Before that position, he served as the president and CEO of an advanced biometric identification company, NBS Imaging Systems. He started his career at General Electric and worked in six different strategic business units of GE, including Aircraft Engines, Power Systems, Marine Services, Appliances, Corporate Headquarters, and Financial Services. He is also a program graduate of their prestigious Financial Management Program.

Karl is an advisory board member of the College of Business (COBAB) at his alma mater, Franklin Pierce University, the current president of the Florida Business Incubation Association (FBIA), and an adjunct instructor in Entrepreneurship at Franklin Pierce University. Previously, he served on the Board of BioPoly LLC, an orthobiologics early-stage company. Additionally, he is a community advisory board member for the InBIA Ecosystem Builder Leadership Project (EBLP).

Karl’s professional interests are healthcare, innovation/entrepreneurship, and customer experience. Previously, he was an associate faculty member in the MBA program at IPFW and an Executive-in-Residence/Adjunct Faculty member in the MBA program at Taylor University. Additionally, he served on the Taylor MBA Business Advisory Board, IPFW Doermer School of Business Advisory Council & IPFW ETCS Industrial Advisory Board, Manchester University President’s Leadership Council, and the IU School of Medicine-Ft. Wayne Advisory Board.

After 18 years of service, Karl retired from the Board and his position as Secretary of Physicians Health Plan (PHP), a physician-owned and managed not-for-profit HMO, and, before its sale, he was a former board member of IAB Financial, a $1B community bank, where he chaired the Bank’s Enterprise Risk Management Committee. Additionally, he served on the Board of directors of the Indiana Chamber, assisted in the implementation of a system-wide innovation program at Parkview Health, and was on an advisory board for the Ball State University Entrepreneurship Center. Additionally, he received the IPFW Chancellor’s Award and the InBIA President’s Award of Excellence.

LaPan received his Bachelor of Science, business management, summa cum laude from Franklin Pierce University. He obtained his master’s degree in human resource development from American University in Washington, DC, and is a Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society member. He has completed executive education programs in non-profit leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation at Stanford University, Harvard University, Babson College, and the University of Notre Dame.

He is the author of several books, including his most recent book, published in May 2021, entitled Entrepreneurial Hacks: Practical Insights for Business Builders.

Photo of Jennifer Harrell

Jennifer Harrell
Assistant Director, The Hub

Jennifer is a dedicated professional based in Gainesville, Florida, holding a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Florida. With a strong educational background, she has earned additional certifications, including the lnBIA Incubator Manager Certificate, We Love Mentors Certified Startup Mentor, and Entrepreneurial Mindset Certified Entrepreneur Coach.

A printable version of Jennifer’s bio sketch is available here.

Jennifer is the driving force behind UF Innovate | Accelerate at The Hub, one of the largest single-use incubator facilities in the US. Since joining The Hub in 2016, she has excelled in maintaining occupancy and revenue goals, implementing innovative client-centric programs, and spearheading new initiatives and special projects. Her commitment and leadership were pivotal in The Hub receiving the 2018 International Business Innovation Association (lnBIA) Global Mixed-Use Incubator of the Year award.

Jennifer is a seasoned professional, bringing a wealth of experience from diverse sectors, including sales, hospitality, real estate law, finance, and accounting. Her proficiency extends to finance, operations, strategic planning, project management, data analysis, problem-solving, and leadership.

Outside her professional endeavors, Jennifer is active in the community. She proudly serves as a board member for the Alachua Junior Achievement and the Florida Business Incubator Association. A graduate of Leadership Gainesville (Go Green!), she exemplifies values such as compassion, respect, resilience, courage, passion, and imagination.

In her personal life, Jennifer’s journey started in some of the finest restaurants in South Florida and Atlanta before transitioning to a successful career in business. Her ultimate goal is to foster a safe, encouraging, and supportive community for entrepreneurs to start, grow, and thrive.

Beyond her professional achievements, Jennifer enjoys traveling, camping, hiking, and indulging in her love for food and wine. A fun fact about Jennifer is that she was born in the hospital once located on the very land where she now passionately works.

Photo of Elliott Welker

Elliott Welker
Assistant Director, Sid Martin Bio

Elliott works on programs and progress for startup companies in UF Innovate | Accelerate at Sid Martin Biotech in Alachua.

Before joining UF Innovate, Elliott was a business development intern for ReliOx Corporation, a resident startup at Sid Martin Biotech; a legal assistant for Robert S. Griscti, Esq., assisting him in his practice of white-collar criminal law, criminal defense, federal and state litigation, professional licensing and appeals; and volunteered with the North Central Florida Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

He earned his BA in history with a minor in teaching English as a second language (2013) and MBA focusing on entrepreneurship and marketing (2017) from UF. He was a Bob Graham Center for Public Service Student Fellow and Poe Center for Business Ethics Education and Research MBA Fellow.

Printable version of Elliott’s bio sketch is available here.

Accelerate Staff

Photo of Jennifer Harrell

Jennifer Harrell
Assistant Director, The Hub

Jennifer is a dedicated professional based in Gainesville, Florida, holding a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Florida. With a strong educational background, she has earned additional certifications, including the lnBIA Incubator Manager Certificate, We Love Mentors Certified Startup Mentor, and Entrepreneurial Mindset Certified Entrepreneur Coach.

A printable version of Jennifer’s bio sketch is available here.

Jennifer is the driving force behind UF Innovate | Accelerate at The Hub, one of the largest single-use incubator facilities in the US. Since joining The Hub in 2016, she has excelled in maintaining occupancy and revenue goals, implementing innovative client-centric programs, and spearheading new initiatives and special projects. Her commitment and leadership were pivotal in The Hub receiving the 2018 International Business Innovation Association (lnBIA) Global Mixed-Use Incubator of the Year award.

Jennifer is a seasoned professional, bringing a wealth of experience from diverse sectors, including sales, hospitality, real estate law, finance, and accounting. Her proficiency extends to finance, operations, strategic planning, project management, data analysis, problem-solving, and leadership.

Outside her professional endeavors, Jennifer is active in the community. She proudly serves as a board member for the Alachua Junior Achievement and the Florida Business Incubator Association. A graduate of Leadership Gainesville (Go Green!), she exemplifies values such as compassion, respect, resilience, courage, passion, and imagination.

In her personal life, Jennifer’s journey started in some of the finest restaurants in South Florida and Atlanta before transitioning to a successful career in business. Her ultimate goal is to foster a safe, encouraging, and supportive community for entrepreneurs to start, grow, and thrive.

Beyond her professional achievements, Jennifer enjoys traveling, camping, hiking, and indulging in her love for food and wine. A fun fact about Jennifer is that she was born in the hospital once located on the very land where she now passionately works.

Photo of Courtney Janka

Courtney Janka
Facilities Manager

Courtney oversees the maintenance, housekeeping, and general upkeep of the almost 100,000 square-foot technology incubator, UF Innovate | Accelerate at The Hub. She manages the inventory of building assets, space allocation, as well as accounts payable approver. She also serves as the liaison between the resident clients at The Hub and UF departments such as Information Technology, Facilities Services, and Environmental Health and Safety. Courtney interfaces with clients on a daily basis to solve problems, manage space, and create growth opportunities. She also handles event management, including room layouts, catering management, and scheduling. She manages data input and data management for the contact management system for The Hub.

Before joining UF Innovate in 2017, Courtney was the Facilities and Administration Manager at Naylor Association Solutions located in Gainesville. She was responsible for a 60,000 square foot commercial building, served as executive assistant to the CEO, as well as coordinated events. Prior to relocating to Gainesville, Courtney worked for 13 years in the print media industry in a variety of roles including media buying, sales, and production.

Courtney earned her B.S in advertising from the University of Florida.

Photo of Karl R. LaPan

Karl R. LaPan
Director, Accelerate & Collaboratory

QR code leading to Karl LaPan's bio on OrcID

Karl R. LaPan was appointed director of UF Innovate | Accelerate in May 2021. He oversees its business incubation, commercialization programs and promotes the entrepreneurial energy and community within the Gainesville Innovation District and Progress District in Alachua, FL.

Printable version of Karl’s bio sketch is available here.

UF Innovate | Accelerate operates two best-in-class facilities encompassing nearly 130,000 sq feet, has a resident client portfolio of over 90 active companies, an average client wage rate 43% higher than the state of Florida average, assisted in securing nearly $11.3 billion in client invested capital, and since inception, provided support to over 250 client companies. Since its inception, the UF Innovate | Accelerate program has generated over $20.6B in economic impact, advancing the Gator Nation’s impact globally.

Before his appointment, he was the president and CEO of the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He led the globally award-winning entrepreneurial support organization and launched tech-based economic and entrepreneurial programs to serve the under-represented segments in Northeast Indiana. He and his team created innovative growth programs for accelerating early-stage company development to increase the survivability rate of nascent companies and create a vibrant ecosystem to nurture the development and commercialization of promising technologies.

Before that position, he served as the president and CEO of an advanced biometric identification company, NBS Imaging Systems. He started his career at General Electric and worked in six different strategic business units of GE, including Aircraft Engines, Power Systems, Marine Services, Appliances, Corporate Headquarters, and Financial Services. He is also a program graduate of their prestigious Financial Management Program.

Karl is an advisory board member of the College of Business (COBAB) at his alma mater, Franklin Pierce University, the current president of the Florida Business Incubation Association (FBIA), and an adjunct instructor in Entrepreneurship at Franklin Pierce University. Previously, he served on the Board of BioPoly LLC, an orthobiologics early-stage company. Additionally, he is a community advisory board member for the InBIA Ecosystem Builder Leadership Project (EBLP).

Karl’s professional interests are healthcare, innovation/entrepreneurship, and customer experience. Previously, he was an associate faculty member in the MBA program at IPFW and an Executive-in-Residence/Adjunct Faculty member in the MBA program at Taylor University. Additionally, he served on the Taylor MBA Business Advisory Board, IPFW Doermer School of Business Advisory Council & IPFW ETCS Industrial Advisory Board, Manchester University President’s Leadership Council, and the IU School of Medicine-Ft. Wayne Advisory Board.

After 18 years of service, Karl retired from the Board and his position as Secretary of Physicians Health Plan (PHP), a physician-owned and managed not-for-profit HMO, and, before its sale, he was a former board member of IAB Financial, a $1B community bank, where he chaired the Bank’s Enterprise Risk Management Committee. Additionally, he served on the Board of directors of the Indiana Chamber, assisted in the implementation of a system-wide innovation program at Parkview Health, and was on an advisory board for the Ball State University Entrepreneurship Center. Additionally, he received the IPFW Chancellor’s Award and the InBIA President’s Award of Excellence.

LaPan received his Bachelor of Science, business management, summa cum laude from Franklin Pierce University. He obtained his master’s degree in human resource development from American University in Washington, DC, and is a Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society member. He has completed executive education programs in non-profit leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation at Stanford University, Harvard University, Babson College, and the University of Notre Dame.

He is the author of several books, including his most recent book, published in May 2021, entitled Entrepreneurial Hacks: Practical Insights for Business Builders.

Photo of Allen Morgan

Allen Morgan
Maintenance Specialist II

Allen provides maintenance services for both UF Innovate | Accelerate facilities, The Hub and Sid Martin Biotech. He maintains and repairs each building in order to support our innovation ecosystem. Allen obtains proposals from private vendors and coordinates with UF Facilities Services, PD&C, contractors, and program clients on a wide range of building projects. He prepares offices and labs for new startups, manages bio-hazard waste activities, performs water and autoclave testing, and resolves various building issues.

Before joining UF Innovate | Accelerate, Allen worked at the UF Warrington College of Business. He has also been a business owner and was the facilities maintenance engineer for Le Triomphe Golf Club, a private golf club that hosts the PGA Tour’s Louisiana Open each year.

Photo of Brittany Mosher

Brittany Mosher
Administrative Support Assistant

Brittany provides general administrative functions for UF Innovate | Accelerate at Sid Martin Biotech, including handling reception, scheduling meetings, coordinating calendars, preparing correspondence, and providing routine office support.

Before joining the team at Sid Martin, Brittany worked in customer service and multiple medical environments.

Brittany has earned two A.S. degrees from Santa Fe College, one in health information technology and the other in cardiovascular technology.

Photo of Lissette Pardo

Lissette Pardo
Accountant

Lissette is The Hub’s accounting extraordinaire. She prepares monthly invoices for Hub clients and maintains the sub-ledger accounting system. Lissette processes Pcard transactions, expense reports, accounts payable, and monthly reconciliations reports. She assists the incubator manager with financial reports and monthly auditing as well as provides support for all internal and external Hub events.

Before joining The Hub in 2017, Lissette worked in many industries including a law firm in Miami and some of the best food and beverage establishments in Chicago. She has many years of experience in customer service, sales, marketing/social media, billing, and administration.

Lissette graduated from Florida International University in Miami with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She has completed her Fiscal Management Certificate at UF and is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish.

Photo of Lexi Salloum

Lexi Salloum
Community Coordinator

Lexi is responsible for providing direct and indirect support to assist resident and external clients of UF Innovate | Accelerate. Her duties include organizing and implementing entrepreneurial programming and connecting clients with local and program resources such as business development assistance, access to shared and support services, and networking/entrepreneurial community building. She plans and executes events such as Innovation Hours, Lunch & Learns, vendor shows, and workshops for both the Hub and Sid Martin Biotech. She strives to build a service culture of excellence for our entrepreneurial community through surprise and delight and memorable experiences for our clients.

Lexi graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in tourism, event, and recreation management, with a specialization in tourism and hospitality management. Post-graduation, she spent a year with the Kraft Heinz Company as a Planters Brand Specialist, driving the Planters NUTmobile across the country! Before joining the UF Innovate | Accelerate team in 2022, Lexi worked in several managerial roles in the hotel industry at brands including Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt.

Photo of Kat Scott

Kat Scott
Administrative Assistant

Kat Scott is a full-time Administrative Assistant for UF Innovate | Accelerate at The Hub. Her primary duties include greeting clients (current and prospective), scheduling conference room bookings, and assisting with the particulars of community management within the incubator. She also provides fresh coffee and refreshments for residents to enjoy throughout the day while they are hard at work developing their technologies.

Before accepting her position as Administrative Assistant in 2021, she worked providing customer service and hospitality in the food industry. Kat studies various disciplines within the realm of visual arts and storytelling and can be often seen jotting down notes and sketches of her own.

Photo of Birk Shaikoski

Birk Shaikoski
Technical Services Manager

Birk is responsible for managing technical services and laboratory areas at UF Innovate | Accelerate @ Sid Martin Biotech. As an experienced chemist, Birk assists startup companies with technical questions, shared equipment training, and maintenance of shared scientific instruments. He also ensures regulatory compliance, assists with facility operations and improvement initiatives, and acts as an IT liaison, ensuring seamless operations and a safe environment, fostering an atmosphere conducive to innovation and research.

Birk grew up in Iowa and graduated with a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Northern Iowa. Post-graduation, he moved to Gainesville to help plant a church, utilizing his skills in event production and music, while also working at the University of Florida. He began at the UF College of Pharmacy in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry as a laboratory technician responsible for managing the department’s shared lab spaces and scientific equipment, ensuring safe research activities. Before joining the UF Innovate | Accelerate team in 2023, he worked at the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s Translational Drug Development Core. There, he developed LCMS methods for core projects, assisted with drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics studies, and performed timely data analysis to report high-quality results to the clients.

Photo of Addison Simmons

Addison Simmons
Administrative Support Assistant I 

Addy is an administrative support assistant for UF Innovate | Accelerate at The Hub. Her duties include onboarding and exiting employees, providing residents with fresh coffee, assisting with renewals, and managing conference room bookings.

Addy graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s in forest resources and conservation. Following graduation, Addy completed a service year through AmeriCorps, where she worked to eradicate invasive species, collaborated with the team members to focus on habitat restoration, and improved professional expertise and knowledge by completing chainsaw, wildland fire, and CPR/First Aid certifications. Before joining the UF Innovate | Accelerate team in 2022, Addy worked in customer service and property management.

Photo of Elliott Welker

Elliott Welker
Assistant Director, Sid Martin Bio

Elliott works on programs and progress for startup companies in UF Innovate | Accelerate at Sid Martin Biotech in Alachua.

Before joining UF Innovate, Elliott was a business development intern for ReliOx Corporation, a resident startup at Sid Martin Biotech; a legal assistant for Robert S. Griscti, Esq., assisting him in his practice of white-collar criminal law, criminal defense, federal and state litigation, professional licensing and appeals; and volunteered with the North Central Florida Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

He earned his BA in history with a minor in teaching English as a second language (2013) and MBA focusing on entrepreneurship and marketing (2017) from UF. He was a Bob Graham Center for Public Service Student Fellow and Poe Center for Business Ethics Education and Research MBA Fellow.

Printable version of Elliott’s bio sketch is available here.

Photo of Lillian Withers

Lillian Withers
Administrative Coordinator

Lillian started at UF Innovate | Accelerate as an administrative assistant at UF Innovate | Accelerate’s Sid Martin Biotech in Alachua, Florida. She now goes between the Hub and Sid Martin as an administrative coordinator, providing administrative support to the executive team and conducting research. She also prepares and edits documents, presentations, and reports. Like a catch-all net, she handles multitudes of different projects and tasks.

Lillian graduated from Florida State University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in social science, with concentrations in environmental studies and law & policy. She worked at a state agency and held multiple leadership positions within her sorority, Delta Zeta. Post-graduation, Lilly spent a year living in Tallahassee, building connections in the legal field. Before joining the UF Innovate | Accelerate team in 2022, Lilly worked at a small law firm under a city attorney and at The Florida Bar. Lilly is a Gainesville native and is happy to be back in The Swamp.

Programs Offering Unparalleled Client Support

Our programs focus on four proven business-building pillars to accelerate a venture's development and potential success.

Capital

  • Pitch Clinic
  • Fluency Score
  • SBIR Catalytic Grant
  • Elite Mentorship Program

Customer(s)

  • Wendy Kennedy International (WKI) tools
  • Selling Simplified

Community

  • One Award-Winning Program, Two World-Class Facilities
  • Themed Social Events
  • Peer-to-Peer Networking
  • Stage 2 Graduate Facilities (future)
  • Innovate “Star” Experiences
  • Family Feel (care, concern, check-ins)
 

Competencies

Tools

  • Mindset
  • Advisor Program
  • Vendor Showcases

Boot Camps

  • PR/advocacy
  • Four Ps of Storytelling
  • Sales Strategy 101
  • Building a Great Team (talent broker, scouting)

Skill Building

  • Student Learning Projects
  • Experts in Residence
  • Lunch ‘n’ Learns
  • Founder’s Series
  • Office Hours (with staff)
 

Our client companies (in alphabetical order) here or by industry below

Photo of 3002 Geospatial

3002 Geospatial

3002 Geospatial provides actionable and accurate geospatial data to assist clients with making informed geospatial decisions.

 

Contact: Brian Murphy, CP, PSM President

Website: 3002 Geospatial

Photo of 42Bio

42Bio

42Bio is a biomedical tech company combining biomaterials, magnetic nanotechnologies and growth factors to address existing barriers to research and clinical translation in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Contact: Dr. Shabnam Namin, President

Website: https://42bio.com/

Photo of Admiral Adblock Publisher Solutions

Admiral Adblock Publisher Solutions

Admiral is a software-as-a-service company built around making cutting-edge advertising technologies accessible to online publishers everywhere.

Contact: Dan Rua, CEO

Website: https://getadmiral.com/

Photo of Agriculture Intelligence

Agriculture Intelligence

Agriculture Intelligence is a precision agriculture science company combining machine vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to provide cloud-based, precision data for specialty crops. It is the global license holder of the Agroview smart agriculture platform.

Contact: Matt Donovan, CEO

Website: https://www.agroview.ai/

Photo of AIM Technologies

AIM Technologies

AIM ImmunoTech Inc. is an immuno-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat multiple types of cancers, immune disorders and viral diseases, including COVID-19.

Contact: Chris McAleer, Ph.D., Scientific Officer

Website: https://www.aimtechnologies.com/

Photo of Alchem Laboratories

Alchem Laboratories

Alchem Laboratories is a contract research organization that focuses on process development and manufacturing of fine organic chemicals and drug substances.

Contact:

Website: https://www.alchem.com/

Photo of AlfaChemInvent

AlfaChemInvent

AlfaChemInvent, LLC is a start-up chemical company with a broad range of expertise in organic synthesis, natural products, and drug discovery. AlfaChemInvent conducts original chemical research in life science as well as material science. The company provides contract research and manufacturing services, including synthesis of novel organic compounds and drugs, methods development, scale-up, and manufacturing.

Contact: George Nikonov, President & CEO

Website: http://alfacheminvent.com/

Photo of Amend Surgical

Amend Surgical

Amend Surgical is focused on the development and commercialization of biomaterials for the oral surgical and dental market coupled with manufacturing expertise and operations capabilities for our OEM partnerships in the spine and orthopedics market.

Contact: Robby Lane, CEO

Website: https://amendsurgical.com

Photo of Andante Biologics

Andante Biologics

Andante Biologics is developing platform biologics to help millions of people overcome chronic stress-related diseases and disorders.

Contact: John Engels, Co-Founder

Website: https://www.andantebio.com/

Photo of Ansicht Scidel

Ansicht Scidel

Ansicht Scidel Pharma India (ASPI) is an Indian biopharma R&D company, working on regenerative medicine development for neurodegenerative diseases, wound healing, and solid tumors.

Contact:

Website: https://www.ansicht-scidel.com/

Photo of Aptus Biosciences, LLC

Aptus Biosciences, LLC

Aptus Biosciences is a startup providing nucleic acid-based affinity reagent discovery services and products known as “aptamers.” Aptamers are equivalent to antibodies (or sometimes better) that can replace antibodies for any number of applications, e.g., binding and detection reagents used in diagnostic tests.

Contact: Bharat Gawande, Founder & CEO

Website: http://www.aptusbio.com/

Photo of Arctic Medical Laboratories

Arctic Medical Laboratories

Arctic Medical Labs is a diagnostic company focused on developing genetic tests for eye diseases. They help physicians make accurate diagnoses and provide personalized treatment options for patients.

Contact: Brent Zanke

Website: https://arcticdx.com/

Photo of Atmosphere Apps

Atmosphere Apps

Atmosphere Apps is a mobile app development company collaborating with organizations to create innovative products that help professionals work better.

Contact: Eric Poirier, CEO

Website: https://www.atmosphereapps.com/

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Axogen

Axogen is the leading company focused specifically on the science, development, and commercialization of technologies for peripheral nerve regeneration and repair.

Contact:

Website: https://www.axogeninc.com

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BACCH Labs

BACCH Laboratories, Inc. creates 3D audio software that places perceived sound sources anywhere, enabling the augmented reality of sound.

Contact: James Mentz, CEO

Website: https://bacch.com/

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bhild, LLC

bhild (bild) is a construction company/property management company that provides homeowners the ability to provide quality work from a single resource.

Contact: Nick Indellicati, President

Website: https://bhild.com/

Photo of BioFrontier

BioFrontier

BioFrontier is a biopharma company developing a high-quality process that will rapidly develop bio/pharma products and provide services to support molecule, cell, and cell express system development.

Contacts: Mariana Serpeloni ; Dr. Fabricio K Marchini

Website: https://biofrontiertechnology.com/

Photo of BioInfoExperts, LLC

BioInfoExperts, LLC

BioInfoExperts LLC provides connected services and technologies related to detecting and monitoring pathogens in communities and the health care industry. We collaborate with research groups at the National Institutes of Health, the University of Florida, the University of California at San Francisco, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Johns Hopkins University and the AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource, among others.

Contact: Susanna Lamers, CEO

Website: https://bioinfox.com/

Photo of Biome Future

Biome Future

Biome Future is an innovative biotechnology company dedicated to the sustainable development of chemical solutions from coral reef microbes.

Contact: Jessica Tittl Nielsen, Founder/ CEO

Website: https://www.biomefuture.com/

Photo of C-Dots Nanotec

C-Dots Nanotec

C-Dots Nanotec is a start-up company that specializes in the discovery, development, and production of carbon dot nanomaterials for various applications in biomedicine, imaging, energy, sensing, engineering, and environmental sciences. At C-Dots Nanotec, our mission is to be a leader in the nanomaterial industry by delivering innovative and reliable carbon dots, related products, and services that exceed customer expectations. We strive to create a collaborative and supportive work environment that encourages creativity, innovation, and professional growth.

Contact: Elif Seven, Managing Director and Senior Scientist

Website: https://cdotsnanotec.com/

Photo of Canaery

Canaery

Canaery is an analytics company building a digital scent platform that can be used to detect the airborne fingerprints of infectious diseases in real-time plus countless untracked explosives, biological threats, contaminants, invasive species, air pollution, and zoonotic diseases in agriculture.

Contact: Gabriel Lavella, CEO

Website: https://www.canaery.com/

Photo of Chromatic Games, LLC

Chromatic Games, LLC

Chromatic Games is an innovative and unique video game development and entertainment company. They are extremely passionate about their popular game “Dungeon Defenders” and plan to only improve.

Contact: Augi Lye

Website: https://chromatic.games/

Photo of ConquerAb Inc.

ConquerAb Inc.

ConquerAb Inc. is a precision medicine company that is developing proprietary disposable devices (in vitro rapid diagnostics) for detection and/or mitigation of antibody (Ab) responses against protein-based therapies.

Contact: Maria Barbosa, Ph.D., CEO

Website: https://conquerab.com/

Photo of Curtiss Healthcare

Curtiss Healthcare

Curtiss Healthcare is biopharmaceutical company developing a platform of new vaccines designed to help make our world a safer place through technologies that improve food quality and safety and help treat and prevent serious infections in humans and animals.

Contact: Thomas Bigger, CEO

Website:

Photo of Depot Analytics

Depot Analytics

Depot Analytics is a software company, designing custom analytics and business automation products that make people and processes more efficient.

Contact: Caleb Robey, CEO

Website: https://www.depotanalytics.co/

Photo of Diabetic Kitchen

Diabetic Kitchen

Diabetic Kitchen develops and distributes delicious real food for healthy lifestyles. Their low carb, keto-friendly choices are perfect for diabetics, those with gluten intolerance, and anyone interested in healthy food alternatives.

Contact: Vic Johnson, Co-Founder

Website: https://diabetickitchen.com/

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Erivan Bio, LLC

EriVan Bio is a biopharmaceutical company developing exosome-based diagnostic, therapeutic and drug delivery systems for unmet medical needs with a focus on cancer and regenerative medicine. EriVan Bio works on the production of exosomes as targeted vehicles for the delivery of therapeutic molecules to cancer cells. EriVan Bio provides quality exosomes to its customers for different applications in an ethical and profitable manner.

Contact: Nasser Nassiri Koopaei, Co-Founder & Member

Website: https://erivanbio.com/

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etectRX

etectRx, Inc. is a digital health company that has developed a patented ingestible event marker (the ID-Cap System) to uniquely provide real-time dose-level medication ingestion verification.

Contact: Eric Buffkin, President & CEO

Website: https://etectrx.com/

Photo of Ffame

Ffame

FfAME provides an innovative environment to host the scientific and technological research of a small group of selected computational, molecular, and life scientists, who can combine physical and organic chemistry, molecular and structural biology, systems biology, cell biology, organismic biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, paleontology, geology, astrobiology, and planetary science to create a vertically integrated science for the current century with the opportunity to transfer technology from basic research to meet opportunities in commerce and medicine.

Contact:

Website: http://www.ffame.org/

Photo of Fire Neural Network

Fire Neural Network

Fire Neural Network accurately pinpoints High-Risk-Lightning™ strikes within 40 seconds for early wildfire detection, utilizing artificial intelligence, lightning science, and astrophysics to save lives, protect property, and fight against climate change.

Contact: Dr. István Kérészy, CEO

Website: https://www.fireneuralnetwork.com/

Photo of Firebird Biomolecular Sciences

Firebird Biomolecular Sciences

Firebird Biomolecular Sciences, LLC. operates as a supplier of nucleic acid components, libraries, polymerases, and software to support human diagnostics, systhetic biology, and human therapy. The Company also offers naturally organized genomic databases, customized databases, and interpretive genomics services.

Contact:

Website: http://www.firebirdbio.com/index.aspx

Photo of Gene2Genome

Gene2Genome

Gene2Genome is an independent reference laboratory providing Cytogenetic and Molecular Genetic testing services to physicians, medical groups and healthcare facilities.

Contact:

Website: https://gene2genome.com/

Photo of GolokGlobal

GolokGlobal

GOLOK is a cloud consulting and product development company focusing on ERP on Cloud. One of our products includes BERYMO, a ridesharing and shipping app.

Contact: Vish Mutluru, CEO

Website: http://www.golokglobal.com

Photo of Identify Sensors Biologics

Identify Sensors Biologics

IdentifySensors has developed a next-generation digital diagnostic platform intended to rapidly detect multiple pathogens on a molecular level. The platform eliminates the need for enzymatic amplification and reagents. The technology is based on printed graphene sensors that isolate targeted viruses and bacteria within a handheld, Bluetooth device. The platform is intended to detect the genetic material of dozens of pathogens for over-the-counter and point-of-care use.

Contact: Joe Mosbrook

Website: https://www.identifysensors.com/

Photo of InnovaCorium

InnovaCorium

Innovacorium Inc. is biotech company developing a pharmacological product for regenerative therapy of the oral cavity, particularly for the treatment of oral mucositis induced by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Contact: Tiago Seixas da Silva, President

Website:

Photo of Intersect Healthcare Systems Inc.

Intersect Healthcare Systems Inc.

Intersect Healthcare Systems Inc is a healthcare technology company offering a remote patient monitoring, AI and digital health platform solution to hospitals and healthcare organizations.

Contact: Larry Rine, CEO

Website: http://www.intersecthealth.net

Photo of iOncologi

iOncologi

iOncologi, Inc. (iOi) is a biotechnology company specializing in immuno-oncology. Launched as a ‘spin-out’ cancer immunotherapy firm from UF, iOi’s founders have developed a novel stem cell therapy that overcomes resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors in multiple cancers.

Contact: Duane Mitchell, founder and president

Website: https://ioncologi.com/immuno-oncology-biotech

Photo of K-Lab Therapeutics

K-Lab Therapeutics

K-Lab Therapeutics is developing novel immunotherapies that target myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and tumor cells to treat primary and metastatic cancers.

Contact:

Website: https://klabtx.com/

Photo of Kairos Transportation

Kairos Transportation

Kairos Transportation is a service company coordinating transportation for the medical transfer of non-emergency patients.

Contacts: Alexis Aguilar, CEO, and Jesus Molina, Co-CEO

Website:

Photo of L&L Biotechnology

L&L Biotechnology

L&L Biotech is a biotechnology company identifying drug candidates and developing tools and reagents using comparative genomics and systems biology. Projects include identifying candidates that can suppress inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases and epigenetic modulators that can specifically de-repress tumor suppressor genes.

Contact: Lily Zhou, CEO

Website:

Photo of Loss Prevention Research Council

Loss Prevention Research Council

The Loss Prevention Research Council is a “tactical to practical” company that conducts research to develop crime and loss control solutions to improve the performance of its members and the industry.

Contact: Richard Hayes, CEO

Website: https://lpresearch.org/

Photo of Martinson Machine

Martinson Machine

Martinson Machine is using active intelligence to revolutionize energy resourcefulness, balance renewables, create greater awareness, and connect the Internet of Things. Through our innovative technology and services, we are working to create more insightful utilities, smarter cities and a more resourceful world.

Contact: Rodrigo Martinson, CEO

Website: https://martinsonmachine.com

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Mattrix Technologies

Mattrix Technologies is a semiconductor device company developing revolutionary pixel architectures for the interactive displays of tomorrow.

Contact: Max Lemaitre, Founder & CEO

Website: https://www.mattrixtech.com/

Photo of Micro Nano Technologies

Micro Nano Technologies

Micro Nano Technologies (MNT) a technology company offering industry-changing heating, cooling, dehumidification, and medical solutions based on high throughput functional membranes.

Contact: Michael Schmid, CEO

Website: https://www.mntusa.com/

Photo of Naomi Whittel Brands

Naomi Whittel Brands

A lifelong health advocate, New York Times best-selling author, and researcher by heart, Naomi Whittel has traveled the globe to discover and source science-based and natural ingredients used by the world’s healthiest cultures. Named a leading female innovator in the wellness industry by Prevention, Naomi continues to collaborate with experts in the scientific community and deliver new and exciting ingredients and products.


Naomi believes that the right nutrition can help strengthen foundational wellness from within and strives to bring you the very best of science and nature — nutritional supplements that are efficacious, natural, safe, and affordable — to provide life-changing results.


You can learn more about Naomi at naomiw.com.

Contact: Juan Motta – Chief Marketing Officer

Website: https://naomiw.com/

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Neobiosis

Neobiosis is a CDMO developing new drug applications with the FDA, producing therapeutic regenerative medicine products for human use. The company also has a pipeline of intellectual property developed by Dr. Ian White during his 20 years’ experience at the bench at Cornell University, Harvard, and University of Miami.

Contact: Ian White, President and Chief Scientific Officer

Website: https://www.neobiosis.com

Photo of NeXtGen Biologics

NeXtGen Biologics

NeXtGen™, with its innovative biotechnology, is on a quest to explore the secret to regeneration and scar-free healing.

Contact:

Website: https://www.nextgenbiologics.com/

Photo of NysnoBio

NysnoBio

NysnoBio is a startup gene therapy company dedicated to developing the therapeutic potential of the Parkin protein for patients with serious medical conditions. By targeting the PARKIN gene, NysnoBio tackles the root cause of Parkinson’s Disease by restoring neuronal health. NysnoBio envisions a future where the power of the Parkin pathway is directed toward specific disease areas, where the activation of the repair pathway can have maximum therapeutic benefits.

Contact: Jennifer A. Johnston, Cofounder and CEO

Website: https://www.nysnobio.com/

Photo of Oneness Technologies

Oneness Technologies

Oneness Technologies is a biopharmaceutical company revolutionizing plant-based medicine through transformative drug delivery systems that enable 100% solubilization of whole plant extracts in water, such as hemp and cannabis. Oneness offers hemp beverages, tinctures, topicals, and gummies through its in-house consumer brand. Oneness also co-developed Levia, a Massachusetts-based cannabis seltzer brand, which is the fastest-selling cannabis beverage in the US and was acquired by a public company in 2022 for $60M.
Additionally, Oneness leverages its direct-to-consumer data to inform targeted clinical trials for new drug applications with the FDA.

Contact: info@onenesstech.com

Website: https://onenesstech.com/

Photo of Plants in Jars

Plants in Jars

Plants in Jars is a biopharmaceutical company that develops custom plant tissue culture media formulations and creates educational content about plant micropropagation.

Contact:  Lauren Gogan, CEO

Website: https://linktr.ee/plantsinjars

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PocketCITY

PocketCITY is a software development company building an event publication & discovery platform which empowers hosts to make data-driven decisions and connects people with what’s going on around them.

Contact: Matthew Gogan, Co-Founder

Website: https://www.pocketcity.app/

Photo of Rapid Genomics

Rapid Genomics

Rapid Genomics is a DNA genotyping and genetic data analysis company providing tools for agricultural companies and researchers to quickly breed and grow ideal crops and livestock, giving researchers and farmers the ability to predict the value of a plant or animal even before the seed germinates or the animal is born. Rapid Genomics is part of the LGC Group.

Contact: Leandro Neves, Team Leader

Website: https://rapid-genomics.com/home/

Photo of Resonance Signatures LLC

Resonance Signatures LLC

Resonance Signatures LLC is an analytical company aiming to develop and commercialize a handheld authentication device, based on the principle of nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectroscopy, to help improve the health and safety of the general public.

Contact: Kelsey Horace-Herron, CEO

Website: https://www.resonance-signature.com/

Photo of RTX

RTX

RTX is the new name for Raytheon Technologies Corporation. The company provides aerospace and defense systems and services for commercial, military, and government customers.

Contact: Mark Sanders, Associate Director, Program Management

Website: https://www.rtx.com/

Photo of Satlantis

Satlantis

SATLANTIS is a New Space specialist who provides proven high performance payload technologies to enable the development of high spatial and temporal resolution services for earth observation and teledetection.

Contact: Rafael Guzman, CEO

Website: https://www.satlantis.com/

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SCAD Media

SCAD Media, LLC is a multifaceted advertising and communications agency delivering unique brand development, website production, graphic design, and video production services.

Contact: Alexander Ganz, CEO

Website: https://www.scad-media.com/

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Senotrac

Senotrac aims to develop imaging probes with its novel technology to support diagnosis of various age- and stress-related diseases and conditions.

Contact:

Website:

Photo of Serodopa Therapeutics Inc.

Serodopa Therapeutics Inc.

Serodopa Therapeutics is an early-stage pharmaceutical company developing approaches to save and improve the lives of people suffering from addiction.

Contact: John Abernethy, MD, president

Website:

Photo of Silicon Assurance

Silicon Assurance

Silicon Assurance LLC is a hardware security company that provides computer-aided design (CAD) tools to mitigate the security challenges facing the semiconductor industry and its customers. We strongly believe that tools to ensure secure-by-design of microelectronics are essential for assuring trust in modern computing devices.

Contact: Raj Gautam Dutta, CEO

Website: https://siliconassurance.com

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Slice Engineering

Slice Engineering is a design and engineering company focused on developing cutting edge technologies for the additive manufacturing (3D printing) industry.

Contact: Dan Barousse, Co-Founder and CEO

Website: https://www.sliceengineering.com/

Photo of Solid Biosciences

Solid Biosciences

Solid Biosciences is a biotechnology company focused on advancing a portfolio of neuromuscular and cardiac programs, including SGT-003, a differentiated gene transfer candidate, for the treatment of Duchenne, AVB-202, a gene transfer candidate for the treatment of Friedreich’s ataxia, AVB-401 for BAG3 mediated dilated cardiomyopathy, and additional assets for the treatment of undisclosed cardiac diseases.

Contact: Zana Dupee

Website: https://www.solidbio.com

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Starter Space

Starter Space is a community of passionate, collaborative entrepreneurs and change-makers. We supply the space, you provide the creativity, and together we innovate.

Contact: Payal Khurana

Website: https://starterspace.com/

Photo of STEM Sims

STEM Sims

STEM Sims is a software company that supports interactive, contextual learning of core STEM concepts for grades K-12 students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to provide students with the science, knowledge, and skills needed to compete in our 21st century globally based information economy.

Contact: Justin Clark, customer experience specialist

Website https://stemsims.com/

Photo of StoryFaith

StoryFaith

StoryFaith is a software platform that bridges the uncertainty gap for those exploring their faith. We make it easier to find a best-fit community and empower faith community leaders with digital tools to lead the people they serve.

Contact: Michael Saxton, Founder

Website: https://storyfaith.com/

Photo of TearClear

TearClear

TearClear assures long-term eye-health by providing a safe and reliable means of delivering preservative-free ophthalmic drugs.

Contact: Howard Golub, Vice President of R&D

Website: https://tearclear.com/

Photo of Tera Insights

Tera Insights

Tera Insights, a UF Research Computing partner, is the firm behind the ResVault system. Tera Insights provides NIST compliant data storage, encrypted virtual machines, and secure HPC solutions.

Contact: Thomas Samant, CMO

Website: https://terainsights.com/

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The Association Partner Group LLC

The Association Partner Group exists to propel associations upward, onward, and forward. They also create long-term relationships between key industry professionals & leading product & service providers.

Contact: Brian Donohoe

Website: https://theassociationpartner.com/

Photo of USA Prime Biotech

USA Prime Biotech

USA Prime Biotech is developing non-invasive and cost-effective biomarkers for early diagnosis of age-related progressing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Fronto Temporal Dementia, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Contact: Dr. Shyamasri Biswas, CEO

Website: https://usaprimebiotech.com/

Photo of Vertaeon

Vertaeon

Vertaeon is a software as a service company offering a comprehensive web-based solution for supply chain risk and impact analytics to identify vulnerabilities and related cost/brand impacts for complex supply chains.

Contact: Rekha Menon-Varma, CEO

Website: https://www.vertaeon.com/

Photo of Vet Bio Solutions

Vet Bio Solutions

Vet Bio Solutions is a product development specialization company that designs and develops products in the Veterinary space. The company utilizes novel chemistries and biomaterials to generate products for the ophthalmic, surgical, orthopedic and wound care areas in the veterinary market.

Contact:

Website:

Photo of X-rayNFT Inc.

X-rayNFT Inc.

X-rayNFT leverages advanced X-ray imaging technology to create digital twins of physical collectibles and electronic designs for automating authentication and provenance tracking.

Contact: John True, CEO

 

Biotech

Analytical

Photo of Agriculture Intelligence

Agriculture Intelligence

Agriculture Intelligence is a precision agriculture science company combining machine vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to provide cloud-based, precision data for specialty crops. It is the global license holder of the Agroview smart agriculture platform.

Contact: Matt Donovan, CEO

Website: https://www.agroview.ai/

Photo of Alchem Laboratories

Alchem Laboratories

Alchem Laboratories is a contract research organization that focuses on process development and manufacturing of fine organic chemicals and drug substances.

Contact:

Website: https://www.alchem.com/

Photo of AlfaChemInvent

AlfaChemInvent

AlfaChemInvent, LLC is a start-up chemical company with a broad range of expertise in organic synthesis, natural products, and drug discovery. AlfaChemInvent conducts original chemical research in life science as well as material science. The company provides contract research and manufacturing services, including synthesis of novel organic compounds and drugs, methods development, scale-up, and manufacturing.

Contact: George Nikonov, President & CEO

Website: http://alfacheminvent.com/

Photo of Ansicht Scidel

Ansicht Scidel

Ansicht Scidel Pharma India (ASPI) is an Indian biopharma R&D company, working on regenerative medicine development for neurodegenerative diseases, wound healing, and solid tumors.

Contact:

Website: https://www.ansicht-scidel.com/

Photo of Aptus Biosciences, LLC

Aptus Biosciences, LLC

Aptus Biosciences is a startup providing nucleic acid-based affinity reagent discovery services and products known as “aptamers.” Aptamers are equivalent to antibodies (or sometimes better) that can replace antibodies for any number of applications, e.g., binding and detection reagents used in diagnostic tests.

Contact: Bharat Gawande, Founder & CEO

Website: http://www.aptusbio.com/

Photo of BioInfoExperts, LLC

BioInfoExperts, LLC

BioInfoExperts LLC provides connected services and technologies related to detecting and monitoring pathogens in communities and the health care industry. We collaborate with research groups at the National Institutes of Health, the University of Florida, the University of California at San Francisco, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Johns Hopkins University and the AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource, among others.

Contact: Susanna Lamers, CEO

Website: https://bioinfox.com/

Photo of Canaery

Canaery

Canaery is an analytics company building a digital scent platform that can be used to detect the airborne fingerprints of infectious diseases in real-time plus countless untracked explosives, biological threats, contaminants, invasive species, air pollution, and zoonotic diseases in agriculture.

Contact: Gabriel Lavella, CEO

Website: https://www.canaery.com/

Photo of Ffame

Ffame

FfAME provides an innovative environment to host the scientific and technological research of a small group of selected computational, molecular, and life scientists, who can combine physical and organic chemistry, molecular and structural biology, systems biology, cell biology, organismic biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, paleontology, geology, astrobiology, and planetary science to create a vertically integrated science for the current century with the opportunity to transfer technology from basic research to meet opportunities in commerce and medicine.

Contact:

Website: http://www.ffame.org/

Photo of Loss Prevention Research Council

Loss Prevention Research Council

The Loss Prevention Research Council is a “tactical to practical” company that conducts research to develop crime and loss control solutions to improve the performance of its members and the industry.

Contact: Richard Hayes, CEO

Website: https://lpresearch.org/

Photo of Rapid Genomics

Rapid Genomics

Rapid Genomics is a DNA genotyping and genetic data analysis company providing tools for agricultural companies and researchers to quickly breed and grow ideal crops and livestock, giving researchers and farmers the ability to predict the value of a plant or animal even before the seed germinates or the animal is born. Rapid Genomics is part of the LGC Group.

Contact: Leandro Neves, Team Leader

Website: https://rapid-genomics.com/home/

Photo of Resonance Signatures LLC

Resonance Signatures LLC

Resonance Signatures LLC is an analytical company aiming to develop and commercialize a handheld authentication device, based on the principle of nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectroscopy, to help improve the health and safety of the general public.

Contact: Kelsey Horace-Herron, CEO

Website: https://www.resonance-signature.com/

Photo of Senotrac

Senotrac

Senotrac aims to develop imaging probes with its novel technology to support diagnosis of various age- and stress-related diseases and conditions.

Contact:

Website:

Bio/Pharma

Photo of AIM Technologies

AIM Technologies

AIM ImmunoTech Inc. is an immuno-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat multiple types of cancers, immune disorders and viral diseases, including COVID-19.

Contact: Chris McAleer, Ph.D., Scientific Officer

Website: https://www.aimtechnologies.com/

Photo of Amend Surgical

Amend Surgical

Amend Surgical is focused on the development and commercialization of biomaterials for the oral surgical and dental market coupled with manufacturing expertise and operations capabilities for our OEM partnerships in the spine and orthopedics market.

Contact: Robby Lane, CEO

Website: https://amendsurgical.com

Photo of Andante Biologics

Andante Biologics

Andante Biologics is developing platform biologics to help millions of people overcome chronic stress-related diseases and disorders.

Contact: John Engels, Co-Founder

Website: https://www.andantebio.com/

Photo of Arctic Medical Laboratories

Arctic Medical Laboratories

Arctic Medical Labs is a diagnostic company focused on developing genetic tests for eye diseases. They help physicians make accurate diagnoses and provide personalized treatment options for patients.

Contact: Brent Zanke

Website: https://arcticdx.com/

Photo of BioFrontier

BioFrontier

BioFrontier is a biopharma company developing a high-quality process that will rapidly develop bio/pharma products and provide services to support molecule, cell, and cell express system development.

Contacts: Mariana Serpeloni ; Dr. Fabricio K Marchini

Website: https://biofrontiertechnology.com/

Photo of Biome Future

Biome Future

Biome Future is an innovative biotechnology company dedicated to the sustainable development of chemical solutions from coral reef microbes.

Contact: Jessica Tittl Nielsen, Founder/ CEO

Website: https://www.biomefuture.com/

Photo of ConquerAb Inc.

ConquerAb Inc.

ConquerAb Inc. is a precision medicine company that is developing proprietary disposable devices (in vitro rapid diagnostics) for detection and/or mitigation of antibody (Ab) responses against protein-based therapies.

Contact: Maria Barbosa, Ph.D., CEO

Website: https://conquerab.com/

Photo of Curtiss Healthcare

Curtiss Healthcare

Curtiss Healthcare is biopharmaceutical company developing a platform of new vaccines designed to help make our world a safer place through technologies that improve food quality and safety and help treat and prevent serious infections in humans and animals.

Contact: Thomas Bigger, CEO

Website:

Photo of Ffame

Ffame

FfAME provides an innovative environment to host the scientific and technological research of a small group of selected computational, molecular, and life scientists, who can combine physical and organic chemistry, molecular and structural biology, systems biology, cell biology, organismic biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, paleontology, geology, astrobiology, and planetary science to create a vertically integrated science for the current century with the opportunity to transfer technology from basic research to meet opportunities in commerce and medicine.

Contact:

Website: http://www.ffame.org/

Photo of Firebird Biomolecular Sciences

Firebird Biomolecular Sciences

Firebird Biomolecular Sciences, LLC. operates as a supplier of nucleic acid components, libraries, polymerases, and software to support human diagnostics, systhetic biology, and human therapy. The Company also offers naturally organized genomic databases, customized databases, and interpretive genomics services.

Contact:

Website: http://www.firebirdbio.com/index.aspx

Photo of Identify Sensors Biologics

Identify Sensors Biologics

IdentifySensors has developed a next-generation digital diagnostic platform intended to rapidly detect multiple pathogens on a molecular level. The platform eliminates the need for enzymatic amplification and reagents. The technology is based on printed graphene sensors that isolate targeted viruses and bacteria within a handheld, Bluetooth device. The platform is intended to detect the genetic material of dozens of pathogens for over-the-counter and point-of-care use.

Contact: Joe Mosbrook

Website: https://www.identifysensors.com/

Photo of InnovaCorium

InnovaCorium

Innovacorium Inc. is biotech company developing a pharmacological product for regenerative therapy of the oral cavity, particularly for the treatment of oral mucositis induced by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Contact: Tiago Seixas da Silva, President

Website:

Photo of iOncologi

iOncologi

iOncologi, Inc. (iOi) is a biotechnology company specializing in immuno-oncology. Launched as a ‘spin-out’ cancer immunotherapy firm from UF, iOi’s founders have developed a novel stem cell therapy that overcomes resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors in multiple cancers.

Contact: Duane Mitchell, founder and president

Website: https://ioncologi.com/immuno-oncology-biotech

Photo of K-Lab Therapeutics

K-Lab Therapeutics

K-Lab Therapeutics is developing novel immunotherapies that target myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and tumor cells to treat primary and metastatic cancers.

Contact:

Website: https://klabtx.com/

Photo of L&L Biotechnology

L&L Biotechnology

L&L Biotech is a biotechnology company identifying drug candidates and developing tools and reagents using comparative genomics and systems biology. Projects include identifying candidates that can suppress inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases and epigenetic modulators that can specifically de-repress tumor suppressor genes.

Contact: Lily Zhou, CEO

Website:

Photo of Oneness Technologies

Oneness Technologies

Oneness Technologies is a biopharmaceutical company revolutionizing plant-based medicine through transformative drug delivery systems that enable 100% solubilization of whole plant extracts in water, such as hemp and cannabis. Oneness offers hemp beverages, tinctures, topicals, and gummies through its in-house consumer brand. Oneness also co-developed Levia, a Massachusetts-based cannabis seltzer brand, which is the fastest-selling cannabis beverage in the US and was acquired by a public company in 2022 for $60M.
Additionally, Oneness leverages its direct-to-consumer data to inform targeted clinical trials for new drug applications with the FDA.

Contact: info@onenesstech.com

Website: https://onenesstech.com/

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Plants in Jars

Plants in Jars is a biopharmaceutical company that develops custom plant tissue culture media formulations and creates educational content about plant micropropagation.

Contact:  Lauren Gogan, CEO

Website: https://linktr.ee/plantsinjars

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Serodopa Therapeutics Inc.

Serodopa Therapeutics is an early-stage pharmaceutical company developing approaches to save and improve the lives of people suffering from addiction.

Contact: John Abernethy, MD, president

Website:

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TearClear

TearClear assures long-term eye-health by providing a safe and reliable means of delivering preservative-free ophthalmic drugs.

Contact: Howard Golub, Vice President of R&D

Website: https://tearclear.com/

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USA Prime Biotech

USA Prime Biotech is developing non-invasive and cost-effective biomarkers for early diagnosis of age-related progressing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Fronto Temporal Dementia, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Contact: Dr. Shyamasri Biswas, CEO

Website: https://usaprimebiotech.com/

Gene Therapy

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Gene2Genome

Gene2Genome is an independent reference laboratory providing Cytogenetic and Molecular Genetic testing services to physicians, medical groups and healthcare facilities.

Contact:

Website: https://gene2genome.com/

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NysnoBio

NysnoBio is a startup gene therapy company dedicated to developing the therapeutic potential of the Parkin protein for patients with serious medical conditions. By targeting the PARKIN gene, NysnoBio tackles the root cause of Parkinson’s Disease by restoring neuronal health. NysnoBio envisions a future where the power of the Parkin pathway is directed toward specific disease areas, where the activation of the repair pathway can have maximum therapeutic benefits.

Contact: Jennifer A. Johnston, Cofounder and CEO

Website: https://www.nysnobio.com/

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Solid Biosciences

Solid Biosciences is a biotechnology company focused on advancing a portfolio of neuromuscular and cardiac programs, including SGT-003, a differentiated gene transfer candidate, for the treatment of Duchenne, AVB-202, a gene transfer candidate for the treatment of Friedreich’s ataxia, AVB-401 for BAG3 mediated dilated cardiomyopathy, and additional assets for the treatment of undisclosed cardiac diseases.

Contact: Zana Dupee

Website: https://www.solidbio.com

Regenerative Health

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42Bio

42Bio is a biomedical tech company combining biomaterials, magnetic nanotechnologies and growth factors to address existing barriers to research and clinical translation in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Contact: Dr. Shabnam Namin, President

Website: https://42bio.com/

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Axogen

Axogen is the leading company focused specifically on the science, development, and commercialization of technologies for peripheral nerve regeneration and repair.

Contact:

Website: https://www.axogeninc.com

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Erivan Bio, LLC

EriVan Bio is a biopharmaceutical company developing exosome-based diagnostic, therapeutic and drug delivery systems for unmet medical needs with a focus on cancer and regenerative medicine. EriVan Bio works on the production of exosomes as targeted vehicles for the delivery of therapeutic molecules to cancer cells. EriVan Bio provides quality exosomes to its customers for different applications in an ethical and profitable manner.

Contact: Nasser Nassiri Koopaei, Co-Founder & Member

Website: https://erivanbio.com/

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Neobiosis

Neobiosis is a CDMO developing new drug applications with the FDA, producing therapeutic regenerative medicine products for human use. The company also has a pipeline of intellectual property developed by Dr. Ian White during his 20 years’ experience at the bench at Cornell University, Harvard, and University of Miami.

Contact: Ian White, President and Chief Scientific Officer

Website: https://www.neobiosis.com

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NeXtGen Biologics

NeXtGen™, with its innovative biotechnology, is on a quest to explore the secret to regeneration and scar-free healing.

Contact:

Website: https://www.nextgenbiologics.com/

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Vet Bio Solutions

Vet Bio Solutions is a product development specialization company that designs and develops products in the Veterinary space. The company utilizes novel chemistries and biomaterials to generate products for the ophthalmic, surgical, orthopedic and wound care areas in the veterinary market.

Contact:

Website:

Mixed-Use (Tech & Innovation)

Artificial Intelligence

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Agriculture Intelligence

Agriculture Intelligence is a precision agriculture science company combining machine vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to provide cloud-based, precision data for specialty crops. It is the global license holder of the Agroview smart agriculture platform.

Contact: Matt Donovan, CEO

Website: https://www.agroview.ai/

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Fire Neural Network

Fire Neural Network accurately pinpoints High-Risk-Lightning™ strikes within 40 seconds for early wildfire detection, utilizing artificial intelligence, lightning science, and astrophysics to save lives, protect property, and fight against climate change.

Contact: Dr. István Kérészy, CEO

Website: https://www.fireneuralnetwork.com/

Deep Tech

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C-Dots Nanotec

C-Dots Nanotec is a start-up company that specializes in the discovery, development, and production of carbon dot nanomaterials for various applications in biomedicine, imaging, energy, sensing, engineering, and environmental sciences. At C-Dots Nanotec, our mission is to be a leader in the nanomaterial industry by delivering innovative and reliable carbon dots, related products, and services that exceed customer expectations. We strive to create a collaborative and supportive work environment that encourages creativity, innovation, and professional growth.

Contact: Elif Seven, Managing Director and Senior Scientist

Website: https://cdotsnanotec.com/

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etectRX

etectRx, Inc. is a digital health company that has developed a patented ingestible event marker (the ID-Cap System) to uniquely provide real-time dose-level medication ingestion verification.

Contact: Eric Buffkin, President & CEO

Website: https://etectrx.com/

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Mattrix Technologies

Mattrix Technologies is a semiconductor device company developing revolutionary pixel architectures for the interactive displays of tomorrow.

Contact: Max Lemaitre, Founder & CEO

Website: https://www.mattrixtech.com/

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Micro Nano Technologies

Micro Nano Technologies (MNT) a technology company offering industry-changing heating, cooling, dehumidification, and medical solutions based on high throughput functional membranes.

Contact: Michael Schmid, CEO

Website: https://www.mntusa.com/

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RTX

RTX is the new name for Raytheon Technologies Corporation. The company provides aerospace and defense systems and services for commercial, military, and government customers.

Contact: Mark Sanders, Associate Director, Program Management

Website: https://www.rtx.com/

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Satlantis

SATLANTIS is a New Space specialist who provides proven high performance payload technologies to enable the development of high spatial and temporal resolution services for earth observation and teledetection.

Contact: Rafael Guzman, CEO

Website: https://www.satlantis.com/

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Silicon Assurance

Silicon Assurance LLC is a hardware security company that provides computer-aided design (CAD) tools to mitigate the security challenges facing the semiconductor industry and its customers. We strongly believe that tools to ensure secure-by-design of microelectronics are essential for assuring trust in modern computing devices.

Contact: Raj Gautam Dutta, CEO

Website: https://siliconassurance.com

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Slice Engineering

Slice Engineering is a design and engineering company focused on developing cutting edge technologies for the additive manufacturing (3D printing) industry.

Contact: Dan Barousse, Co-Founder and CEO

Website: https://www.sliceengineering.com/

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X-rayNFT Inc.

X-rayNFT leverages advanced X-ray imaging technology to create digital twins of physical collectibles and electronic designs for automating authentication and provenance tracking.

Contact: John True, CEO

 

E-Commerce

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Diabetic Kitchen

Diabetic Kitchen develops and distributes delicious real food for healthy lifestyles. Their low carb, keto-friendly choices are perfect for diabetics, those with gluten intolerance, and anyone interested in healthy food alternatives.

Contact: Vic Johnson, Co-Founder

Website: https://diabetickitchen.com/

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Naomi Whittel Brands

A lifelong health advocate, New York Times best-selling author, and researcher by heart, Naomi Whittel has traveled the globe to discover and source science-based and natural ingredients used by the world’s healthiest cultures. Named a leading female innovator in the wellness industry by Prevention, Naomi continues to collaborate with experts in the scientific community and deliver new and exciting ingredients and products.


Naomi believes that the right nutrition can help strengthen foundational wellness from within and strives to bring you the very best of science and nature — nutritional supplements that are efficacious, natural, safe, and affordable — to provide life-changing results.


You can learn more about Naomi at naomiw.com.

Contact: Juan Motta – Chief Marketing Officer

Website: https://naomiw.com/

Services

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3002 Geospatial

3002 Geospatial provides actionable and accurate geospatial data to assist clients with making informed geospatial decisions.

 

Contact: Brian Murphy, CP, PSM President

Website: 3002 Geospatial

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bhild, LLC

bhild (bild) is a construction company/property management company that provides homeowners the ability to provide quality work from a single resource.

Contact: Nick Indellicati, President

Website: https://bhild.com/

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GolokGlobal

GOLOK is a cloud consulting and product development company focusing on ERP on Cloud. One of our products includes BERYMO, a ridesharing and shipping app.

Contact: Vish Mutluru, CEO

Website: http://www.golokglobal.com

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Kairos Transportation

Kairos Transportation is a service company coordinating transportation for the medical transfer of non-emergency patients.

Contacts: Alexis Aguilar, CEO, and Jesus Molina, Co-CEO

Website:

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SCAD Media

SCAD Media, LLC is a multifaceted advertising and communications agency delivering unique brand development, website production, graphic design, and video production services.

Contact: Alexander Ganz, CEO

Website: https://www.scad-media.com/

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Starter Space

Starter Space is a community of passionate, collaborative entrepreneurs and change-makers. We supply the space, you provide the creativity, and together we innovate.

Contact: Payal Khurana

Website: https://starterspace.com/

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The Association Partner Group LLC

The Association Partner Group exists to propel associations upward, onward, and forward. They also create long-term relationships between key industry professionals & leading product & service providers.

Contact: Brian Donohoe

Website: https://theassociationpartner.com/

Software

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Admiral Adblock Publisher Solutions

Admiral is a software-as-a-service company built around making cutting-edge advertising technologies accessible to online publishers everywhere.

Contact: Dan Rua, CEO

Website: https://getadmiral.com/

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Atmosphere Apps

Atmosphere Apps is a mobile app development company collaborating with organizations to create innovative products that help professionals work better.

Contact: Eric Poirier, CEO

Website: https://www.atmosphereapps.com/

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BACCH Labs

BACCH Laboratories, Inc. creates 3D audio software that places perceived sound sources anywhere, enabling the augmented reality of sound.

Contact: James Mentz, CEO

Website: https://bacch.com/

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bhild, LLC

bhild (bild) is a construction company/property management company that provides homeowners the ability to provide quality work from a single resource.

Contact: Nick Indellicati, President

Website: https://bhild.com/

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Chromatic Games, LLC

Chromatic Games is an innovative and unique video game development and entertainment company. They are extremely passionate about their popular game “Dungeon Defenders” and plan to only improve.

Contact: Augi Lye

Website: https://chromatic.games/

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Depot Analytics

Depot Analytics is a software company, designing custom analytics and business automation products that make people and processes more efficient.

Contact: Caleb Robey, CEO

Website: https://www.depotanalytics.co/

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Intersect Healthcare Systems Inc.

Intersect Healthcare Systems Inc is a healthcare technology company offering a remote patient monitoring, AI and digital health platform solution to hospitals and healthcare organizations.

Contact: Larry Rine, CEO

Website: http://www.intersecthealth.net

Photo of Martinson Machine

Martinson Machine

Martinson Machine is using active intelligence to revolutionize energy resourcefulness, balance renewables, create greater awareness, and connect the Internet of Things. Through our innovative technology and services, we are working to create more insightful utilities, smarter cities and a more resourceful world.

Contact: Rodrigo Martinson, CEO

Website: https://martinsonmachine.com

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PocketCITY

PocketCITY is a software development company building an event publication & discovery platform which empowers hosts to make data-driven decisions and connects people with what’s going on around them.

Contact: Matthew Gogan, Co-Founder

Website: https://www.pocketcity.app/

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STEM Sims

STEM Sims is a software company that supports interactive, contextual learning of core STEM concepts for grades K-12 students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to provide students with the science, knowledge, and skills needed to compete in our 21st century globally based information economy.

Contact: Justin Clark, customer experience specialist

Website https://stemsims.com/

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StoryFaith

StoryFaith is a software platform that bridges the uncertainty gap for those exploring their faith. We make it easier to find a best-fit community and empower faith community leaders with digital tools to lead the people they serve.

Contact: Michael Saxton, Founder

Website: https://storyfaith.com/

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Tera Insights

Tera Insights, a UF Research Computing partner, is the firm behind the ResVault system. Tera Insights provides NIST compliant data storage, encrypted virtual machines, and secure HPC solutions.

Contact: Thomas Samant, CMO

Website: https://terainsights.com/

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Vertaeon

Vertaeon is a software as a service company offering a comprehensive web-based solution for supply chain risk and impact analytics to identify vulnerabilities and related cost/brand impacts for complex supply chains.

Contact: Rekha Menon-Varma, CEO

Website: https://www.vertaeon.com/

World-Class Facilities

Accelerate is proud to offer two facilities. These are some comparisons between the two.

SID MARTIN BIOTECH

Biotech Facility

  • 22 wet labs*
  • 8 executive offices/suites
  • Limited dry lab space
  • $1.7M shared scientific equipment (see list)
  • Focus: R&D and Process Development Companies
  • 32,546 square feet
  • In Progress Park in the City of Alachua
  • *Standard wet lab typically includes fume hood, biosafety cabinet, case work, sink; labs are “as is”

Address & Directions to Sid Martin

THE HUB

Mixed-Use Facility

  • 11 wet labs*
  • 68 executive offices/suites
  • 28 dry labs
  • Limited shared scientific equipment offerings
  • Focus: Startups & Scale-Ups in biotech or diversified tech sectors
  • 96,947 square foot
  • In the heart of the Gainesville Innovation District, 7 blocks from main UF campus
  • *Standard wet lab typically includes fume hood, biosafety cabinet, case work, sink; labs are “as is”

Address & Directions to The Hub

Mentors/Advisors

Trained and ready to assist our clients.

In a program newly revamped in 2022, our mentors and advisors participate in a formal training experience in addition to the expertise and business sense they bring to our clients. They are prepared to advise clients in their entrepreneurial journey. 

Meet our mentors and advisors

Photo of James Gibson

James Gibson
Investor and Founder

James Gibson is an investor and founder focused on seed stage investments in rapid growth enterprises. James is co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Quottly, Inc., a VC backed inter-institution registration solution for college and university systems. He holds a Master of Finance, Bachelor’s of Art and Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Florida. He also serves as the current president of startGNV, an entrepreneurial support organization.

Photo of Solomon E. Gonite

Solomon E. Gonite
Financial Planning & Compliance

Solomon is a CPA and shareholder in Gonite & Gonite, CPAs, a firm committed to community and providing access to quality advisory services to all businesses. He brings financial planning and compliance experience from the private and public sectors, including the Small Business Administration.

In addition to his service on the Advisory Board, he serves as a business mentor with SCORE North Central Florida. He is a graduate of the Fisher School of Accounting at UF and the FSU College of Law. He is a United States Marine Corps veteran. He served in support of U.S. interests in South Africa and Saudi Arabia, among others.

Solomon is an advocate for truth, freedom, life-long learning, and responsible economic development; he believes in the spirit of entrepreneurism to provide sustainable solutions to local, national, and international problems.

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Gil Levy
Advisory Board Member

Gil Levy is a seasoned financial analyst and business manager with decades of experience as a financial regulator, followed by high level employment as chief executive in the financial services industry. He has also been involved in real estate development and leasing, having successfully navigated the economic downturn that began in the 4th quarter of 2007, and then heading the successful sale of the project. His combined 40 years in regulatory, financial and entrepreneurship allows him a unique perspective when considering the financial needs of businesses.

He has been a long-time member of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, serving as Chair of the Economic Development Committee in 2020 and as Chair of the Board of the Chamber in 2021. He also serves on the Advisory Board at UF Innovate at The Hub and served on the Regional Advisory Board of the United States Small Business Administration, North Florida District. Other board memberships include The Cade Museum, CDS Family and Behavioral Health Services, Citizens State Bank, The Sebastian Ferrero Foundation, the North Central Florida YMCA and Junior Achievement. He also served as a mentor during a prior session of StartUp Quest.

He recently retired as Senior Vice President at VyStar Credit Union and will now focus on Management Consulting Services at startup and small enterprises.

He is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico with a degree in Business Management and Finance.

Gil’s wife of 43 years is Becky (née) Rivera. His children are both UF graduates, and his first grandson is about to celebrate his first birthday.

He is fully bilingual in English and Spanish.

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Rupa Lloyd
Mergers & Acquisition, Tech Transfer

Rupa Lloyd is a shareholder at GrayRobinson, P.A., in its Gainesville and Jacksonville law firm offices. With nearly two decades of experience and a certificate in health law, she specializes in health care operational, corporate, transactional and regulatory matters. She advises clients in many facets of their business, including privacy and data security, fraud and abuse, corporate governance, labor relations, licensure and discipline, quality improvement and healthcare risk management. She routinely conducts due diligence including the preparation and negotiation of agreements in connection with telehealth, software licensing, EMR, practice sale and acquisition, medical equipment, real property leases, physician employment, and medical directorships.

Rupa is licensed to practice in Florida and Pennsylvania and is an elected member of the Executive Council of the Florida Bar Health Law Section, and an approved Mediator with the American Health Lawyers Dispute Resolution Service. She has authored articles with the American Health Lawyers Association and MGMA, lectured on health law topics as an adjunct Professor of Law with University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate Healthcare Compliance program, participated as a guest lecturer at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and as a visiting Professor of Law at the University of Toledo College of Law.

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Stephanie Marchman
Counselor & Litigator

Stephanie is an attorney/shareholder in GrayRobinson’s Gainesville and Tampa offices representing private and public sector employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, including providing general labor and employment counsel, engaging in employment and labor agreement negotiations, developing sound employment policies and practices, delivering customized workforce training, conducting workplace investigations, defending employers in labor and employment litigation, and representing parties in non-compete litigation. Stephanie counsels public sector clients on constitutional, ethics, and sunshine law requirements; provides general legal counsel to governmental, quasi-governmental, and nonprofit boards; and represents entities in North Central Florida in general civil litigation.

Stephanie began her career as a law clerk to the Honorable William Terrell Hodges in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Following her clerkship, she practiced with a Tampa-based labor and employment firm and served as an assistant city attorney for the City of Gainesville for over a decade.

Stephanie is a member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors, the governing body for Florida’s 100,000+ lawyers. She is a past president of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association and North Central Florida Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and past chair of The Florida Bar’s Federal Court Practice Committee and Eighth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee.

Stephanie was born in Dunedin, Florida, grew up in the Tampa area, and moved to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida, where she earned her bachelors with honors in 1999, and her juris doctor magna cum laude in 2004. She has lived in Gainesville for over 25 years and is married to Brian K. Marchman, Ph.D., Assistant Provost and Director of Distance and Continuing Education at the University of Florida. They are proud parents of two children, Marina and Landon.

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John Mayfield
Scientist & Business Executive

Dr. John Mayfield is chief business officer at Be Biopharma, leveraging his expertise in licensing, transactions, and establishing strategic collaborations within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, driving Be Bio towards its goal to fully unleash the power of B cell medicines.

Dr. Mayfield previously held roles at EQRx where he was most recently the vice president of Corporate and Business Development. At EQRx, he led a team that executed significant deal-flow spanning co-development and co-commercialization partnerships to licensing and collaboration agreements for preclinical, clinical and commercial-stage medicines. He was director of business development at Voyager Therapeutics where he helped build strategic partnerships to advance Voyager’s gene therapy programs and provide capital to reach corporate objectives.

Prior to that, he served as associate director of business and corporate development at Foundation Medicine where he built global biotech and pharma partnerships to integrate the company’s testing within clinical trials. Prior to working in business development, John held roles in development and operations at Foundation Medicine and Illumina.

“The journey from scientist to biotech executive has been one of the most rewarding in my career, and I am thrilled to return to my alma mater to not only help researchers navigate the process of bringing life-saving and world-changing technologies to market but to also help foster their entrepreneurial spirit and talent,” says Dr. Mayfield. “At the end of the day, for me, it’s about helping people.”

Dr. Mayfield earned his Ph.D. in the plant molecular and cellular biology program in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Ferl at University of Florida in 2007, followed by postdoctoral research appointments in breast cancer biology at Washington University in St. Louis and genomics at Duke University’s Institute of Genome Science and Policy. In 2012, he founded Triangle Biotech Tuesday, a biotechnology networking and industry advocacy group in North Carolina’s Research Triangle that continues to grow and hold monthly events.

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Richard G. Nadeau
Inventor, Entrepreneur & FACB

Dr. Richard G. Nadeau served as Founder & Chairman of Vistair, Inc. (Vistair Ventures), a company he formed in 1984 to seed small businesses in the high technology fields. He also founded and served as CEO of Cytometrics, co-founded EMDS Inc. with E. Merck, and served in a variety of leadership positions with a number of noted companies. He co-invented the DuPont aca, the first random-access clinical chemistry analyzer. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Clinical Biochemists and a named inventor on 44 patents worldwide.

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Dan L. O’Korn
Bioscience Attorney

Dan O’Korn is a partner with Hutchinson Law, where his practice focuses on the business transactions important to pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including licensing and commercial transactions, FDA-related regulatory matters, asset acquisitions and divestitures, supply agreements, product development agreements, and strategic alliances.

Dan previously served as outside counsel to life sciences companies and in in-house counsel roles for Eli Lilly and Company; AAIPharma, Inc.; Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; and Xcellerex, Inc.

He graduated summa cum laude from Indiana University School of Law and earned his bachelor’s degree from Wabash College.

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Alan Rukin
Electric Reliability & Cybersecurity

Alan Rukin is an Attorney-Advisor in the Office of the General Counsel at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission focusing on electric reliability and cybersecurity matters. Alan was previously seconded to the Department of Energy’s Office of the General Counsel helping to implement provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Office of Enforcement at FERC where he investigated potential violations of the Anti-Manipulation Rule. Alan began his legal career in private practice working on energy matters before FERC and other federal agencies. Alan holds a J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law, an LL.M. in Securities and Financial Regulation from the Georgetown University Law Center, and a B.S. and an M.E in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida.

Photo of Ron Stein

Ron Stein
Tech Revenue Executive & Entrepreneur

Ron has built a reputation for incubating new business models into mature revenue-generating engines, developing market entry strategies for emerging companies and tech giants, and building a global channel and strategic partner programs. As a tech executive, entrepreneur, and expert in B2B sales, marketing, and business development Ron helps tech companies sell more software, products and services to accelerate revenue growth. He has also played a vital role in helping companies raise capital through venture funding and IPOs. In his spare time, Ron writes a popular business column for Florida Trend magazine, plays jazz and blues trombone, and rides his bike as fast as he can.

Photo of Quang Tran

Quang Tran
Serial Entrepreneur, Coach

Quang Tran is a serial entrepreneur and is passionate about helping entrepreneurs build great products, strong management teams and, ultimately, lasting companies. Quang is a co-founder and Managing Director of LaunchPad at Infinity Hall, a co-working and student incubator platform designed to transform early-stage startups into fundable companies. Quang also co-founded Starter Space, the first co-working space in Gainesville. Quang has been recognized for his leadership in creating entrepreneurial, dynamic work environments in Gainesville, where he serves on the board of the Gainesville Tech Council. He is a proven mentor with a history of motivating high-performance startup teams to achieve full potential.

Join Our Elite Mentoring Program

Candidate Characteristics

We are seeking candidates who are:

  • Trusted advisors that want to give back to entrepreneurs and help them develop.
  • Individuals who like to provide advice, open up their connections, and support a founder in the development of their business.
  • Relationship builders, people who like to network, are lifelong learners and want to give back
  • Intellectually curious individuals

Mentor/Advisor Role in Our Program

  • Meet regularly with 1-3 CEOs/founding teams (they can tell us how many they want to mentor 1, 2, or 3). We don’t want them to overcommit but some have capacity for multiple relationships.
  • Be facilitated and coached by an outside mentorship organization to support the development of the relationship and who will support the mentor/mentee for a year in developing the skills and tools to ensure an effective and quality relationship develops.
  • Participate in assessments/surveys to measure the effectiveness of the relationships and mentorship support system (both mentee and mentor will participate in these assessments)

What will mentorship training mean?

  • Participants will be certified so our expectation is they will have a high quality skill set that allows them to build effective, robust and high quality relationships.
  • Our hope is certified mentors will want to mentor other companies after the one year period is completed and we will have a big inventory of very skilled mentors to work with our companies.
  • Effectively mentored startups are shown to perform better financially and often raise more money than their counterparts.

Sound like a good fit for you?

Complete the elite mentor survey here.

Sponsorship

Donate to UF Innovate | Accelerate.

Our award-winning incubators are recognized globally for their quality lab space, shared scientific equipment, programming guidance offered, and connections to experienced entrepreneurs and investors. By supporting UF Innovate | Accelerate, you impact our entire ecosystem — more than 90 clients.

Our mission informs our ecosystem-building work — inspire entrepreneurs to create, change, and cure for a better world. You can be a part of that by sponsoring what we do.

We’ve been serving our community and assisting clients around the globe since 1995. As an integral support organization of the University of Florida Research Foundation, we rely heavily on the generosity and benevolence of our friends. When you provide a gift to us, you’re assisting the community of entrepreneurs and emerging businesses we serve.

Of course, donations benefit you, too. We are part of a non-profit 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Contributions in excess of the fair value of goods and services received by the donor may be tax deductible. Please consult your personal tax advisors.

We’ve got many ways you can support our work at UF Innovate | Accelerate. Check out our sponsorship brochure for the many different ways you can engage and energize our entrepreneurial community through your philanthropic support.

Ways You Can Give

Capital Equipment

Help fund the acquisition of specific capital equipment to further improve our resources and services; we can use scientific equipment, technical equipment, computing equipment, office furniture, and other items to help us drive entrepreneurial growth.

Program-Specific Donations

Contribute to paid internships for high-school and college students, to our events for entrepreneurs,  and more.

Naming Rights

As a sponsor ($2,500 – $50,000 per year), you receive naming rights to our conference rooms, classrooms, event rooms, training rooms, laboratories, the lobby, kitchens, and other areas in either facility. This is a great opportunity to “make it your own” and have the entire community recognize your commitment to entrepreneurship.

Friends of Accelerate

Our “friends” level of support ($500 per year) provides you with recognition on our digital signage, donor recognition publications and access to all our open-access community events. Our clients will recognize your business as one that supports them in their efforts to grow.

Accelerate Greater Gator Fund

Through your generosity, you can make a tax-deductible contribution to our designated fund at the UF Research Foundation. This fund powers programs and scholarships for clients, and provides essential business-building services to entrepreneurs and innovators. We will put the money to best use, and you can be assured it will advance the clients and the support we provide them.

Not What You Had in Mind?

Discuss other ways to give support to Accelerate

Our program is possible through your generous support. To discuss ways to give and other ways of supporting our efforts, reach out to the Director of UF Innovate | Accelerate at (352) 846-1646 or via email at klapan@ufl.edu.

You can also support our work through volunteering; we are always looking for experienced business people and entrepreneurs who can serve as mentors or advisors for our clients and who can provide outstanding educational programs, seminars, and training sessions to our entrepreneurial community. If this describes you, contact the Director of UF Innovate | Accelerate at (352) 846-1646 or via email at klapan@ufl.edu.

 

Our Corporate Sponsors




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