Mayor Lee Announces Growth of Cleantech & Biotech Companies in Mission Bay
Mission Bay Innovation Center Adds 19 New Biotech & Cleantech Companies in Less than 2 1/2 Years; Joint Initiative Between City, FibroGen & QB3 Supports New Company Growth, Creates 134 New Jobs
10/28/11— Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced that the Mission Bay Innovation Center located within the FibroGen building in Mission Bay, has grown from five companies when it was launched in 2009, to 23 biotech and cleantech companies today, adding 134 jobs. The Innovation Center is part of the QB3 Mission Bay Innovation Network, a joint economic development initiative between FibroGen, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) and the San Francisco Center for Economic Development (SFCED). Mayor Lee toured the Mission Bay Innovation Center and met with entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
“The business of San Francisco is innovation, and that’s why companies that are developing technology to improve the environment and the health and well being for people the world over choose San Francisco as their home,” said Mayor Lee. “The Mission Bay Innovation Center is accelerating innovation and providing a dynamic community of biotech and cleantech companies and we stand firmly behind this unique program because we believe in the power of entrepreneurialism, collaboration and science.”
“When we started this program two and a half years ago, there was no model for this type of community within the building of an existing biotech company,” said FibroGen CEO Thomas B. Neff. “This is a new way of thinking about people and space and creating a real sense of community, made possible in part through a greater degree of sharing operational resources and effects of scale. The program has exceeded any reasonable expectation, having expanded beyond UCSF referrals, with robust demand for space now coming from other sources. We are also pleased to see that tenants have found a home at the Innovation Center where they plan to stay and grow.”
The Mission Bay Innovation Center leases space to cleantech and biotech companies and offers flexible leases, comprehensive business services and a rich scientific community. The Innovation Center launched in 2009 with 2,500 square feet and has grown to occupy nearly 25,000 square feet today. Companies from a range of sectors are located in the Innovation Center including therapeutics (drugs), medical devices, clean fuels and nutritional supplements. The Mission Bay Innovation Center at FibroGen and an incubator operated by QB3 offer important “stepping stones” which solves for the space needs as companies start and grow, ensuring that San Francisco can accommodate companies of all sizes and stages of growth.
“Ablexis found that the Mission Bay Innovation Center is the perfect environment for us to build our business,” said Larry Green, CEO of Ablexis, a biotech company developing an innovative platform for antibody drug discovery. “The innovation and diversity of solutions being created by the biotech companies in this community to improve human health is both exciting and inspirational.”
“Our location in the Mission Bay district provides Siluria with proximity to the brightest talent, San Francisco’s culture of innovation makes it an ideal home for a rapidly growing clean technology company like Siluria,” said Dr. Erik Scher, head of R&D at Siluria, a materials innovation company developing transformative clean fuels and clean chemicals technology spanning biotechnology, chemistry, and chemical engineering.
The Mission Bay Innovation Center was launched as part of the QB3 Mission Bay Innovation Network, a unique public / private / academic partnership announced in July 2009 by then Mayor Newsom. The QB3 Innovation Network provides space for small companies in a number of locations throughout Mission Bay and extends QB3’s successful start-up services, mentorship network, and academic resources. OEWD and the SFCED market the innovation network and provide business assistance to network companies.
“When it comes to leading innovation, cutting-edge research and a relentless entrepreneurial drive, California is the envy of the world – nowhere is this more true than San Francisco,” said California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom. “The success of the QB3 Mission Bay Innovation Network is proof that the private sector, and state and local governments make powerful partners in driving job creation and economic growth.”
“The fundamental challenge in biotech today is doing innovation faster, smarter and cost effectively,” said QB3 Associate Director Douglas Crawford. “The QB3 Mission Bay Innovation Network is San Francisco’s answer to this challenge. By harnessing the strengths of the public, private and academic sectors, we are working together to drive new company creation and growth.”
Mission Bay Innovation Center companies include:
Ablexis, Allopartis, Carmot, China Medical City, Delpor, entrotech, Evolva Nutrition, Gemmus, GigaGen, Green Pacific Biologicals, Kiverdi (Sequesco), Locus, Medicus, Metafold, OptoRobotix, Osprey Pharmaceuticals, Pathway Therapeutics, Refactored Materials, Siluria Technologies, Silver Creek Pharmaceuticals, Solidus Biosciences, Targenics and Tunitas Therapeutics.
10/28/11— Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced that the Mission Bay Innovation Center located within the FibroGen building in Mission Bay, has grown from five companies when it was launched in 2009, to 23 biotech and cleantech companies today, adding 134 jobs. The Innovation Center is part of the QB3 Mission Bay Innovation Network, a joint economic development initiative between FibroGen, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) and the San Francisco Center for Economic Development (SFCED). Mayor Lee toured the Mission Bay Innovation Center and met with entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
“The business of San Francisco is innovation, and that’s why companies that are developing technology to improve the environment and the health and well being for people the world over choose San Francisco as their home,” said Mayor Lee. “The Mission Bay Innovation Center is accelerating innovation and providing a dynamic community of biotech and cleantech companies and we stand firmly behind this unique program because we believe in the power of entrepreneurialism, collaboration and science.”
“When we started this program two and a half years ago, there was no model for this type of community within the building of an existing biotech company,” said FibroGen CEO Thomas B. Neff. “This is a new way of thinking about people and space and creating a real sense of community, made possible in part through a greater degree of sharing operational resources and effects of scale. The program has exceeded any reasonable expectation, having expanded beyond UCSF referrals, with robust demand for space now coming from other sources. We are also pleased to see that tenants have found a home at the Innovation Center where they plan to stay and grow.”
The Mission Bay Innovation Center leases space to cleantech and biotech companies and offers flexible leases, comprehensive business services and a rich scientific community. The Innovation Center launched in 2009 with 2,500 square feet and has grown to occupy nearly 25,000 square feet today. Companies from a range of sectors are located in the Innovation Center including therapeutics (drugs), medical devices, clean fuels and nutritional supplements. The Mission Bay Innovation Center at FibroGen and an incubator operated by QB3 offer important “stepping stones” which solves for the space needs as companies start and grow, ensuring that San Francisco can accommodate companies of all sizes and stages of growth.
“Ablexis found that the Mission Bay Innovation Center is the perfect environment for us to build our business,” said Larry Green, CEO of Ablexis, a biotech company developing an innovative platform for antibody drug discovery. “The innovation and diversity of solutions being created by the biotech companies in this community to improve human health is both exciting and inspirational.”
“Our location in the Mission Bay district provides Siluria with proximity to the brightest talent, San Francisco’s culture of innovation makes it an ideal home for a rapidly growing clean technology company like Siluria,” said Dr. Erik Scher, head of R&D at Siluria, a materials innovation company developing transformative clean fuels and clean chemicals technology spanning biotechnology, chemistry, and chemical engineering.
The Mission Bay Innovation Center was launched as part of the QB3 Mission Bay Innovation Network, a unique public / private / academic partnership announced in July 2009 by then Mayor Newsom. The QB3 Innovation Network provides space for small companies in a number of locations throughout Mission Bay and extends QB3’s successful start-up services, mentorship network, and academic resources. OEWD and the SFCED market the innovation network and provide business assistance to network companies.
“When it comes to leading innovation, cutting-edge research and a relentless entrepreneurial drive, California is the envy of the world – nowhere is this more true than San Francisco,” said California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom. “The success of the QB3 Mission Bay Innovation Network is proof that the private sector, and state and local governments make powerful partners in driving job creation and economic growth.”
“The fundamental challenge in biotech today is doing innovation faster, smarter and cost effectively,” said QB3 Associate Director Douglas Crawford. “The QB3 Mission Bay Innovation Network is San Francisco’s answer to this challenge. By harnessing the strengths of the public, private and academic sectors, we are working together to drive new company creation and growth.”
Mission Bay Innovation Center companies include:
Ablexis, Allopartis, Carmot, China Medical City, Delpor, entrotech, Evolva Nutrition, Gemmus, GigaGen, Green Pacific Biologicals, Kiverdi (Sequesco), Locus, Medicus, Metafold, OptoRobotix, Osprey Pharmaceuticals, Pathway Therapeutics, Refactored Materials, Siluria Technologies, Silver Creek Pharmaceuticals, Solidus Biosciences, Targenics and Tunitas Therapeutics.