SOAR Bio, a life sciences venture studio based at the Children’s National Research and Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C., has been awarded $600,000 through the District’s new Technology Ecosystem Fund. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the award on October 19, 2026 at an event celebrating the 11th annual DC Startup and Tech Week. SOAR Bio will use the funding to expand its venture studio and support the incubation and launch of five D.C.-based life sciences companies.
“DC’s commitment lets SOAR and our portfolio companies put more resources into experiments and people without giving up equity for the grant,” said Murat Kalayoglu, MD, PhD, Founding Partner of SOAR Bio. “For the region, it supports a local route from research to new businesses, skilled jobs and further investment.”
A New Fund for DC’s Innovation Economy
Established in 2026 as part of Mayor Bowser’s Growth Agenda, the Technology Ecosystem Fund supports programs that help early-stage companies start, grow, and scale in D.C. Alongside SOAR Bio, its inaugural awards went to accelerator programs New Majority Ventures and Plug and Play. The award comes as the District works to grow its life sciences sector, which raised $426 million in venture capital in 2025, according to the mayor’s State of DC Tech 2026 report. “Investing in DC’s startup and technology ecosystem will help turn great ideas into successful businesses, attract private investment, and create more opportunities for DC residents,” Mayor Bowser said.
How SOAR Bio Will Use the Funding
The funding will support three priorities, from turning Greater Washington’s scientific discoveries into companies based in D.C. to training the next generation of life sciences leaders and providing scientific and commercial guidance to researchers and institutions across the region.
Currently, SOAR Bio has three portfolio companies, Lysin, Klarify Bio, and Nightwatch, spanning therapeutics, devices, and diagnostics. The studio creates and operates companies around promising science, using experienced founders, a small shared team, and AI in research and operations, with spending tied to scientific milestones.
Why the Venture Studio Model Matters
As Washington, D.C.’s first life sciences venture studio, SOAR Bio takes a different path from the traditional biotech model, building its own companies from the ground up, starting with intellectual property developed internally or early-stage technology in-licensed from outside institutions.
Each new venture is guided by a small, experienced management team that has seen the company-building process from beginning to end. That team works across multiple portfolio companies, moving programs forward quickly and safely while making every dollar count. Kalayoglu told BioBuzz he believes this capital-efficient approach could become a model for building biotech companies across the nation.
“Our immediate priorities are generating decisive data to establish scientific proof of concept, recruiting and training CEO Fellows, and strengthening the scientific team,” Kalayoglu said.
Why DC, and Why Children’s National
“Our vision is to build a repeatable path from the region’s discoveries to companies based in DC and, ultimately, products that benefit patients,” Kalayoglu said. “Anchoring the studio at Children’s National puts our teams close to researchers, clinicians and shared laboratories, while connecting them with universities and entrepreneurial talent across the region.”
The Children’s National Research and Innovation Campus, located on part of the former Walter Reed campus in northwest D.C., gives SOAR Bio a home base surrounded by world-class institutions, including Georgetown University, George Washington University, Howard University, and Children’s National itself, along with a significant federal research presence. Kalayoglu told BioBuzz that the region has all the ingredients for life sciences company building, from innovative technology and highly talented MDs and PhDs to available space and strong support from the mayor’s office. Nationally, he sees the greater Washington area as well positioned against other leading hubs, thanks to its concentration of NIH funding, talent, and more affordable space. As the region trains more seasoned entrepreneurs, he believes it will continue to attract more capital.
“DC’s commitment lets SOAR and our portfolio companies put more resources into experiments and people without giving up equity for the grant,” Kalayoglu said. “For the region, it supports a local route from research to new businesses, skilled jobs and further investment.”
See It Up Close at DC Startup & Tech Week
SOAR Bio and BioBuzz will continue the conversation on Wednesday, October 21, at the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus (7144 13th Pl NW, Washington, D.C.) as part of DC Startup & Tech Week.
The DC Advantage, hosted by SOAR Bio and BioBuzz, runs from 10 a.m. to noon, with doors opening at 9:30 a.m. for networking. The program brings together leaders from Children’s National, Virginia Tech, Georgetown University, the D.C. Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, and ARPA-H for a conversation about the new company-building playbook: translating research, developing entrepreneurial talent, and doing more with less. Kalayoglu will join two of the three sessions, exploring how discoveries become companies and how D.C. and the BioHealth Capital Region can fuel the next generation of life sciences startups. Request to join here.
Earlier that morning, a WIB-Capital Region Coffee Chat from 8 to 10 a.m. offers an informal gathering for founders, scientists, investors, operators, and anyone building a career in the industry to meet peers and build lasting connections. Register here.
