Incubator Resident Clients

Applied Food Technologies, LLC
is a growth stage biotechnology company developing molecular diagnostics to address issues related to safety, science and technology in the food industry. Current efforts are focused primarily on the domestic and international seafood industry. AFT was the first to develop DNA based diagnostics for use in the seafood industry for species identification and verification. A recent increase in awareness and prevention by seafood importers, distributors, and large retail establishments has increased AFT's fee-for-service testing work-flow. AFT is now preparing for rapid growth.
Contact:
LeeAnn Applewhite, CEO, 386.418.3661

www.appliedfoodtechnologies.com

Learn more about AFT

AxoGen, Inc. is a biomedical company developing products that will allow surgeons to repair and regenerate peripheral nerves more successfully than ever before.  Every year in the US, several million people suffer peripheral nerve injuries, a major source of disability that impairs the ability to move muscles or to feel normal sensations.  AxoGen, utilizing a seasoned management team with a strong track record, is revolutionizing peripheral nerve procedures based on scientific breakthroughs that reveal the mechanism of axon growth and regeneration.
Contact:
Karen Zaderej, CEO, 386.462.6800

www.axogeninc.com

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Banyan Biomarkers, Inc.  is developing novel biomarker diagnostic and therapeutic products to address unmet clinical needs associated with organ injury.  Our initial diagnostic products will be for the detection and monitoring of traumatic brain injury (TBI).  No simple, point-of-care blood test currently exists to detect the presence and severity of brain trauma.  Detecting biomarkers associated with TBI will provide rapid indications of brain trauma essential for earlier intervention and management.  Banyan’s therapy development program focuses on a compound that will block two enzymes which cause additional brain cell death following the initial damage to the brain tissue.  By blocking the action of these enzymes, subsequent tissue damage can be reduced or even eliminated, thus improving patient outcomes.  Banyan’s ongoing research is performed in the company’s Center of Innovative Research (CoIR) which is a unique self-supporting research infrastructure focused on developing a pipeline of novel products for both diagnostic and therapeutic uses.  Banyan also provides analytical laboratory services to pharmaceutical companies looking to evaluate candidate drug compounds that may produce neurotoxicity or neuroprotection. 
Contact:
Dr. Jackson Streeter, CEO and CMO, 386.462.6699

www.banyanbio.com

Learn more about Banyan

BIKAM Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an early stage biopharmaceutical company focusing upon the discovery and development of small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases and disorders, including retinitis pigmentosa. Worldwide, there are approximately 1.5 million people which suffer from retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a hereditary disease which leads to blindness. As its initial priority, the company is pursuing the discovery of compounds based on a novel mechanism of action identified by the company’s founder, Dr. Shalesh Kaushal. BIKAM has an experienced management team with a strong track record in pharmaceutical drug discovery dedicated to expanding these findings and others from the Kaushal lab to create potential therapeutics to prevent blindness.
Contact:  
Muzammil Mansuri, CEO, 386.418.1335
or
Greg LaRosa, VP Biology
or
Sona Kaushal, Sr. Director of Operations, 386.418.1335


BIKAM Info

Learn more about BIKAM

Harbert Venture Partners II, Inc. (HVP II) provides growth capital to early stage technology and healthcare companies in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States.  The Harbert Venture Partner II team combines substantial investment, advisory and operating experience with capital to assist entrepreneurs in successfully executing their growth plans.  HVP II typically invests in first or second institutional rounds with initial commitments of $1.0 million to $3.0 million.  Generally, HVP II seeks board representation in each investment and strives to provide active strategic, operating and networking support for its portfolio companies. Contact:
John Uhrin, Partner, 386.462.0701

www.harbert.net/venture-capital/portfolio/

Pasteuria Bioscience, Inc. is an early-stage agricultural biotechnology company formed to address the world’s largest unmet pest-control problem: plant-parasitic nematodes.  Our proprietary technology allows the in-vitro growth and sporulation of Pasteuria penetrans, a naturally-occurring nematode pathogen, for nematode control in crops ranging from high-value ornamentals to agronomic staples. 
Contact:
David Duncan, CEO, 386.462.7587

www.pasteuriabio.com

Sharklet Technologies, Inc. is a biotechnology company that develops surface technologies that are designed to inhibit or enhance microorganism growth to make the world a healthier, environmentally safer and better place.  Inspired by the shape and properties of the skin of certain species of shark, Sharklet™, the company’s revolutionary core technology, is the first no-kill surface developed to control bacteria including Staph a., MRSA and E. coli.  Sharklet™ is a microscopic pattern that may be applied to surfaces in healthcare environments and imprinted onto medical devices to inhibit the development of biofilms and help protect patients from hospital-acquired infections.  Traditionally, healthcare providers have used antibiotics, disinfectants and other kill strategies to manage bacteria.  These strategies have contributed to the serious and growing problem of bacterial resistance.  Because it is the pattern that inhibits biofilm formation, and not chemistry, Sharklet does not contribute to bacterial resistance and is unlike any product on the market today.  
Contact:
Mark Spiecker, CEO, 303.921.5789

or
Shravanthi Reddy, Director of Research & Development, 386.418.0078

www.sharklet.com

Learn more about Sharklet