Portal Innovations hosts Spinning Out and Standing Up: Lessons from Academic Entrepreneurs in Atlanta, GA

Atlanta, GA Portal Innovations, a global venture development engine, hosted a ‘Spinning Out and Standing Up’ event on September 29 that brought together major biotech players to discuss the life science industry in Atlanta. Portal Innovations works to bridge the gap between scientific creativity and entrepreneurial realization. The VC provides seed capital, lab space, and management expertise to early-stage life sciences companies.

At the September 29 event, ‘Spinning Out and Standing Up: Lessons from Academic Entrepreneurs in Atlanta, GA,' Atlanta’s biotech experts had a lively panel discussion centered around the local pathways from the lab to a startup with four serial entrepreneurs. Thermo Fisher Scientific sponsored the event. 

The discussion featured:

• Louise Hecker, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at Emory University
• Edmund (Ned) Waller, Rein Saral, MD Professorship in Cancer Medicine; professor, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Hematology and Medical Oncology; interim associate director of Clinical Research, Winship Cancer Institute; and medical director, Center for Stem Cell Processing and Apheresis, Emory University and Emory University Hospital 
• Omer Inan, elected fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering; co-founder, Board Member, and Scientific Advisor, Arthroba; co-founder, Board Member, Chief Scientific Officer, Cardiosense, and professor; Linda J. and Mark C. Smith chair, Georgia Institute of Technology
• John Flavin, founder, and president, Portal Innovations; co-founder and chairman, Pyxis Oncology; executive chairman, ClostraBio; board member, Grove Biopharma

This panel covered topics such as: 

• How to build a founding team and garner the support to establish a viable startup 
• Raising outside capital 
• Opportunities and challenges to growing a biotech company in Atlanta 
• Personal stories from experienced serial entrepreneurs
• Common hurdles in taking a university technology successfully into a startup

Portal Innovations recognizes growth opportunity for Atlanta’s biotech and life science ecosystem. They demonstrate how unique an environment Atlanta presents, supported by institutional knowledge, the inclusion of diverse technical talent, and deep strengths in biotech and biomedical research. Atlanta has consistently been home to local academic research institutions, such as Georgia Tech, Emory, etc. that recieve up to $500 Million in NIH funding each year.

Portal be opening Science Square in April 2024 to help create the infrastructure needed to support early-stage companies. Science Square is an 18-acre master-planned district connected to Georgia Tech’s campus offering commercial lab/R&D and residential developments.  Portal Innovations will be located in Science Square Labs – the first commercial speculative lab/office tower within Science Square which is currently under construction. Trammell Crow Company (TCC), a global commercial real estate developer, is working together with Georgia Advanced Technology Ventures (GATV), a cooperative organization of the Georgia Institute of Technology, to create Science Square.