Growth of Early-Stage Resident Companies Marks the Third Anniversary of Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS @ Washington, DC

July 25, 2024

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In celebration of the three-year anniversary of JLABS @ Washington, DC (JLABS DC), it’s great timing to highlight recent accomplishments and milestones reached by incubating and regional companies. Additionally, JLABS DC is excited to share new access to specialized lab equipment to support more innovators within the region. 

Since the start of 2024, there has been continued success for incubating companies that reside at JLABS DC. Examples with recent funding announcements include Nanochon, raising $4 million in a Series Seed Prime, Acclinate closing $7 million in a Series A round, and Tiny Cargo securing investment from Virginia Ventures Partners. 

With pre-seed and seed venture funding still challenging to obtain, securing grants and forging strategic partnerships are crucial for early-stage companies to advance their research and development efforts. KeViRx, was awarded a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, while SecondWave Systems secured $3 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), in partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Neuroene Therapeutics was also recognized as an awardee of the BLUE KNIGHT™ Resident QuickFire Challenge: Partnering for Preparedness. 

On the strategic partnering side, VerImmune announced a research collaboration with A*STAR’s Bioprocessing Technology Institute, while Astek Diagnostics formed a partnership with local MedStar Health. Additionally, Mobius Scientific was recognized by four separate pitch and award programs, including as a recipient of a Johnson & Johnson Innovation QuickFire Challenge award. These highlights showcase some of the promising companies to watch moving forward.

In its three years, JLABS DC has supported over 55 early-stage companies, which collectively raised over $600 million. JLABS operates under a no-strings-attached model, allowing companies to partner freely. Resident companies and ecosystem partners recently gathered to celebrate this milestone. A short video to commemorate the moment can be viewed here. 

“I am extremely proud of what we have done over the past three years to support our innovators, in providing resources and networks to accelerate their science and technology, as well as enhance the region’s burgeoning life science ecosystem,” said Sally Allain, Head, JLABS @ Washington, DC.

However, the team at JLABS DC is excited to support more companies.  They offer various options: onsite incubation (you can access the non-confidential application here), virtual access (for companies outside the DMV region), or via a new program that provides individual research access to onsite equipment and specialized instrumentation.

The Importance of Partnerships

Additional opportunities contributing to the success of JLABS @ Washington, DC residents has been through key strategic partnerships and support from regional stakeholders. With JLABS located on Children’s National Research and Innovation Campus, companies have been able to access and partner with Children’s National on overlapping research as well as clinical trials. 

As the JLABS global Hub for BLUE KNIGHT™, a joint initiative with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), JLABS @ Washington, DC is also supporting 11 selected companies who have both dedicated mentorship from experts at Johnson & Johnson as well as BARDA. “We’re proud to support Blue Knight companies through access to the JLABS ecosystem, including modular lab units, office space, shared core laboratory equipment and business facilities, as well as unique offerings, including fee assistance for access to JLABS, limited-competition non-dilutive funding opportunities through Blue Knight Resident QuickFire Challenges, and dedicated equipment within JLABS DC for Blue Knight companies,” said Rachel Rath, BARDA Alliance Director, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS. 

With no life science trade organization supporting biotech within the District, our partners at the Maryland Tech Council and Virginia Bio have stepped in to support all JLABS DC portfolio companies, providing access to their resources and networks. Additionally, other key regional stakeholders, such as BioHealth Innovation and the translational and commercialization offices at federal institutions like Frederick National Laboratory, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Center for Advancing Translational Science within the National Institutes of Health, have contributed valuable resources and expertise to foster the region’s ecosystem for early-stage biotech and medical technology companies.

A Site for Scientific Thought Leadership & Investor Relations 

JLABS recognizes that driving scientific discussions and investor networking is just as important as providing infrastructure and mentorship resources. As a site for scientific thought leadership, recently hosted programs have included panel discussions with experts from Johnson & Johnson’s Immunology Therapeutics, a symposium on Pediatric Medical Devices for Optimizing the Heart-Brain Continuum in partnership with Children’s National and CobiCure, and “Harnessing the Potential of Antibody Drug Conjugates in Oncology”. 

In support of portfolio companies, JLABS understands that investor networks are crucial in raising capital. Over the past three years, JLABS DC has provided a platform to connect with investors with a dedicated day of curated one-on-one meetings at an Investor & Partnering Day. This year, the event hosted 51 early-stage companies and 48 investor groups, driving >300 partnering meetings.

Expanding the reach of JLABS @ Washington, DC

JLABS is now offering external innovators the opportunity to access certain research equipment and specialized instruments at the facility.

Through this program, external early-stage biotech companies will be able to submit a request to meet with the JLABS DC team to assess how JLABS could support their needs, and possible use of the site equipment, such as:  

• Specialty instruments including flow cytometry, microscopy, lyophilization, and FPLC systems 
• Medical device prototyping equipment, including a high resolution 3-D printer, LASER cutter, and LASER welder.

If interested in scheduling a call to discuss and learn about associated fees, please reach out to JLABS DC via the following form.

This new program builds upon JLABS DC’s aim in supporting and accelerating early-stage biotech startups and providing access to resources at critical points. 

“As we look towards the future, JLABS @ Washington, DC is well positioned to support the growing ecosystem, and remains dedicated to leverage our programs, resources, partnerships, and networks to foster innovation, drive collaboration, and propel the growth of the life sciences across the region,” Allain said.

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Interested in learning more about residency, lab equipment use, or upcoming programs? Apply for a meeting with the JLABS @ Washington, DC team at https://jnjinnovation.com/pages/coffeewith-dc.