2021 was a phenomenal year for TEDCO (Maryland Technology Development Corporation)! Despite challenges and setbacks due to COVID-19, the venture and equity investment organization pushed boundaries and made phenomenal strides in growth and expansion across the state of Maryland. TEDCO also provided crucial funding, resources, and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs and startups in the state.
In 2021, Philadelphia continued to prove why it’s an up-and-coming life sciences and biotech cluster. Current reports state the city received $1.23 billion in National Institute of Health (NIH) funding in 2021 — and that number is expected to be bigger once finalized, said Lauren Gilchrist, Managing Director of Research at Longfellow Real Estate Partners.
Zalgen Labs, which until late December been housed at the Germantown Innovation Center for the past eight years, is focused on developing diagnostics and therapeutics for infectious emerging viral threats that have become endemic in the far corners of the world, including diseases such as Lassa fever, Ebola and other hemorrhagic diseases.
Molecular Biologicals, located in the blossoming biotech hub of Charlottesville, VA, is working to change the game in chronic wound care through its unique and proprietary keratin manufacturing platform.
You’ve likely heard of keratin before in some aspect – this protein is an essential part of our hair, skin, and nails, and is found as an ingredient in many haircare products. While keratin is touted for its ability to strengthen hair and tame frizz, make no mistake – the keratin that Molecular Biologicals is manufacturing is much different than what you’d find in the beauty aisle at your local drugstore.
This year, Maryland continued to prove why it’s becoming one of the strongest biohealth clusters in the country. The state’s commitment to businesses in the life science, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries has continued as both the private and public sectors work to meet the demand for more space. Here are a few of the biggest real estate projects in Maryland in 2021. Some of these projects are still under construction, while others were unveiled this year.
In the third quarter of 2021 alone, more than $400 million of private capital was invested in Maryland businesses. The money went to more than 34 different companies, according to data compiled by PitchBook. The deals brought the state to about $1.6 billion in funding for the first three-fourths of the year and placed Maryland on track to bring in about $2 billion worth of VC funding for the year. That was a significant jump over 2020, when Maryland saw about $1.26 billion in VC funding. For the industry at large in 2020, VC activity in biotechs grew by 45% to $36.6 billion.
Quality assurance is a key function in the biopharma industry that provides a hands-on role in day-to-day operations. It’s a role that allows team members to maintain their fingers on the pulse of the beating heart of a drug manufacturing company. And it’s a role that’s available at one of the biggest drug manufacturing companies in the BioHealth Capital Region.
Over the past few years, even with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, CvilleBioHub has thrived and grown as it continues to establish itself as one of the premiere life sciences clusters in the state of Virginia. Having launched roughly five years ago, the organization aims to double the size of the industry within the region by the year 2030, and the growth seen in the Charlottesville area over the past two years has already well-exceeded expectations.
Today, we are excited to announce the winners of our 2nd Annual BioBuzz Awards. The BioBuzz Awards are a celebration of the exciting and groundbreaking work being done by the BioHealth Capital Region (BHCR) life science community and the individuals that make innovation happen across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Following in the footsteps of Montgomery and Baltimore counties, Frederick County will hold its first Biotech Bootcamp program this upcoming January and February. A joint project between Frederick Community College, Workforce Services and the Office of Economic Development, the first Frederick Biotech Bootcamp will provide 15 participants with the opportunity to learn the basics of the biotechnology industry.
