?? MILESTONE MOMENT: CvilleBioHub's Commonwealth BioAccelerator Launches at North Fork!
Against the backdrop of a beautiful warm February evening, the ceremonial ribbon was cut as CvilleBioHub's Commonwealth BioAccelerator officially opened its doors at North Fork, UVA's Discovery Park. This 6,500 square-foot state-of-the-art laboratory is the region's first laboratory accelerator, representing the culmination of CvilleBioHub's 5-year effort to address the critical need for turnkey laboratories in our community.
With total project funding exceeding $7.5 million, this facility will attract, build, and prepare promising life sciences companies for the commercialization of innovations in therapeutics, medical devices, tools, and digital health solutions to address unmet needs in large markets.
In the words of CvilleBioHub Executive Director Nikki Hastings, this marks "the start of a new identity for CvilleBioHub and a bold new chapter for life sciences innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth and vitality in Virginia."
This achievement represents the most collaborative project our community has ever seen, bringing together:
- GO Virginia ($4.3M grant)
- University of Virginia ($750,000 three-year lease plus $100,000 from UVA Innovates)
- Albemarle County ($300,000) and City of Charlottesville ($75,000)
- Manning Family Foundation, ThermoFisher Scientific, CSC Leasing, and many more dedicated partners
Most exciting? We're already READY TO GO with SIX companies selected for our first cohort:
- GenEp – UVA spin-out for rare genetic epilepsy disorder therapeutics
- Vasarya – Pulmonary fibrosis startup
- Verified Biosystems – High-quality productized lentivirus for pharma
- Avant Genomics – Liquid biopsy for early cancer detection
- SNC Therapeutics – Gene therapy for Type 1 Diabetes
- SonoFx – Voice restoration medical devices
Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this vision a reality. Together, we're accelerating discovery and positioning Charlottesville as a thriving center for biotechnology excellence!
