The San Diego Venture Group recently named the 30 startups on their “Cool Companies” List for 2018, and two companies created at the Rady School made the cut.
LabFellows and Epitracker were among the highly-ranked startups selected from 180 applicants this year. According to the San Diego Business Journal, these “Cool Companies” will meet with about 100 venture capitalists and investors from San Diego and beyond this summer. The SDVG organizes these events to connect the startups with investors and facilitate other opportunities for growth.
LabFellows, founded by Rady alum Julio de Unamuno, manages a software that assists biotechnology startups. De Unamuno (MBA ’14) recognized the difficulties that many biotech companies encounter when starting research and development, including the inability to afford necessary lab equipment and the time-intensive administrative duties. After participating in the Lab to Market course and the StartR Accelerator at Rady, de Unamuno began his subscription-based company that allows startups to access and organize the essential resources for research without the heavy administrative or financial burden that traditional labs require.
Epitracker, founded by 2010 MBA alum Eric Venn-Watson, is also making waves in the biotechnology industry. This startup researches incurable diseases and other health problems through a new perspective—nature. The startup researches dolphins and the oceans to gain valuable insights into possible health discoveries for both humans and animals. Epitracker researches small molecules to find nature-based therapeutics that could aid in numerous health issues, including Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and skin repair.
Both of these companies will continue to grow and expand with the financial support and recognition of the San Diego Venture Group. The Rady School is excited to see where these startups will take the future of biotechnology.
A complete list of the SDVG “Cool Companies” for 2018 and additional information on the organization can be found here. The San Diego Business Journal article can be found here.
Learn more about Epitracker and LabFellows here.