ATLANTA– Portal Innovations today announced the expansion of its premier life sciences-focused venture development engine to Atlanta, Georgia, where it will invest in and provide the critical resources that early-stage companies need to grow and scale.
Portal employs a highly differentiated “Crafted Capital” platform to provide seed financial funding, access to fully equipped wet lab space, and management expertise to propel its portfolio from company creation through asset-derisking and ultimately, long-term value creation. Portal is extending its existing partnership with Trammell Crow Company to design and develop approximately 35,000 RSF of state-of-the-art wet lab and office space in the first phase of the Science Square Labs development to house portfolio companies and other life sciences tenants.
Life Sciences venture capital funds have experienced historic levels of investment over the past two years driving demand for access to talent and specialized lab space for start-ups aiming to address unmet needs across healthcare. Additionally, academic institutions across the U.S. have recruited key entrepreneurial faculty developing breakthrough technologies and need access to adjacent lab facilities, capital, management know-how and talent in order to start and grow companies. Portal is expanding its platform in select cities nationally to address these critical needs.
Since its launch in 2020, Portal has successfully and rapidly deployed its platform in Chicago where it houses a growing portfolio of high-potential life sciences ventures. Expanding in Chicago and nationally provides Portal portfolio companies and partners access to resources and opportunities in multiple markets as they grow and scale.
Atlanta, like Chicago, possesses all of the academic and medical research institutions, resources, civic leadership and talent necessary to establish a world-class life sciences innovation hub, where companies can start up and scale.
“Portal’s role in emerging ecosystems like Chicago and Atlanta is to build a world class early-stage biotech portfolio while bringing together the entire ecosystem to allow these companies to scale locally,” said John Flavin, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Portal Innovations.
“We are excited to build upon our partnership with Portal Innovations and bring to Atlanta Portal’s unique crafted capital approach, where the best life sciences startups will have an opportunity to thrive,” said Katherine Lynch, Senior Vice-President at Trammell Crow Company.
Prior to opening Portal’s fully equipped lab space in 2024, the Company is working collaboratively with key ecosystem stakeholders including, among others, Georgia Bio, Center for Global Health Innovation, GRA Ventures, Metro Atlanta Chamber, Global Center for Medical Innovation, and key resources of talent and innovation at several academic and other research institutions in Atlanta and the region.
“Georgia is home to world-class universities, leading global healthcare companies and an unsurpassed pool of diverse talent. A shortage of life sciences seed capital and quality infrastructure to tie it all together have been needed to make it a world-class life sciences cluster,” said Maria Thacker Goethe, Chief Executive Officer at Center for Global Health Innovation and President & Chief Executive Officer at Georgia Bio. “Portal Innovations brings best-in-class lab facilities and venture support platform, including seed capital that will fuel innovation and make a major positive impact in keeping Atlanta’s best and brightest entrepreneurs and scientists right here and attract talent from throughout the region.”
