Exciting News From The Florida Institute

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Building Companies, Changing Lives

 

Issue 25- January 2015

Biscayne Pharmaceuticals Receives Follow-on Funding

The Institute has finalized a follow-on funding agreement with Biscayne Pharmaceuticals, a Miami – based company that is developing novel drugs for cancer and other serious disorders based on analogs of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) discovered by Andrew V. Schally, a Nobel laureate and renowned drug researcher who pioneered the field of hypothalamic peptide drugs. Dr. Schally recently presented a plenary lecture at the 35thInternational Society for Heart Research (ISHR) North American Section Meeting, where he discussed the clinical applications of his discoveries noting that “hypothalamic peptides have long been successfully translated from research into drugs that set standards of clinical care. Antagonists and agonists of GHRH have tremendous clinical potential, proven with elegant scientific studies in cancer, cardiology and other important diseases”. Rights to develop this technology have been granted to the company by the University of Miami.

2014 Sayfie Review Florida Leaders Summit 

 
Participants at the 2014 Sayfie Review Florida Leaders Summit enjoyed the keynote presentation by Dr. Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS. The Summit is an invitation-only, non-partisan event for Florida's top leaders, modeled after the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and was held from  December 4-5, 2014 in Orlando. The theme of the 2014 Summit was "Engaging Florida's Leaders, Shaping Florida's Agenda, Prospering Florida's Future", and Jane Teague represented the Florida Institute.


Don’t Miss the 2015 Florida Venture Capital Conference 
January 29th – 30th, 2015 
The Diplomat Resort, Hollywood, FL
 

Join the Florida Venture Forum and over 500 attendees for Florida’s largest statewide annual capital conference where 20 - 25 high-growth companies will be featured before a national and international audience of angel investors, venture capitalists, and industry professionals. Thursday morning, Institute CEO Jamie Grooms will be speaking on the “Florida Entrepreneurial Panel”, and later in the day the Institute is sponsoring the “Florida Healthcare Panel", where leading venture capitalists will discuss industry investment trends and best practices. For more details and event registration, click here.

 

Institute associates and others attending BioFlorida’s holiday networking event at the Research Park at FAU
 Hold the Date for the University of Florida’s
“A Celebration of Innovation Showcase 2015”
 
This year the University of Florida (UF) will hold its ninth annual startup showcase, “A Celebration of Innovation” on March 10th at the Hilton University of Florida Hotel and Conference Center. The showcase offers a unique opportunity to see startup companies commercializing the latest life science, medical device, and cutting-edge technologies generated as a result of the research conducted at UF. The university has earned a reputation as a leader in commercializing discoveries that cure diseases, create jobs and make the world a better place. UF consistently ranks among the top universities for startup launches and licensing, and in the past 12 years, the Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) has launched 157 biomedical and technology startups, generating more than $1 billion in private investment. In 2014, the OTL received almost 300 invention disclosures on $700 million in UF research, signed 87 licenses and options, and launched 17 companies. For more details and event registration click here.
   
Startup Quest® Holds Second Statewide Bi-Annual Meeting
 

Regional Workforce Boards convened with Startup Quest leadership and other partners from across the state to discuss past successes and plans moving forward for upcoming program sessions. Startup Quest is a 10-week entrepreneurial training program that pairs unemployed and underemployed professionals with yet-to-be commercialized technology and experienced entrepreneurs to learn how to develop business plans, pitch to investors andbuild successful companies. Regional Program Managers across the state are seeking mentors, judges and other program participants who wish to be involved in upcoming sessions.   Please contact Susan Scully atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.


Business Infrastructure Solutions for Startup Companies 

The Institute has partnered with Gainesville-based software company OwnForce, to deliver business infrastructure solutions at affordable rates to start-up and growth companies. OwnForce is changing the way businesses manage their information and engage with employees by offering turnkey business process services comprised of a robust Human Resources Management System, Payroll, Benefits, and Legal Support Services, all provided in a single solution.  With OwnForce, entrepreneurs and the talented teams they hire can focus on their core strengths: developing and marketing their products and generating revenue. By putting back office business processes in place early on, entrepreneurs can take their products to market more quickly and investors can have confidence that the business is compliant and sustainable for the long term. For more information on products and services, please visit www.ownforce.com or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
About Us

The Institute delivers company building and funding programs to facilitate new venture and job creation through commercially-viable technologies in major industries that are driving the global economy. In addition to providing company support services, the Institute manages the Seed Capital Accelerator Program launched in 2011, and the Florida Technology Seed Capital Fund launched in 2013. For more information, visit www.florida-institute.com.