Incubators

What are Business Incubators?

Business incubators are a good path to capital from angel investors, state governments, economic-development coalitions and other investors. Business incubators house several businesses under one roof or in a campus setting, and offer resident companies reduced rents, shared services and, in many instances, formal or informal access financing.

Who are Incubators appropriate for?  Pre-revenue-stage companies to early-stage companies that are selling products or services.

LOCAL INCUBATORS

ThinkBig Partners - Think Big Partners is an early-stage business incubator, startup accelerator and mentorship-based collaborative network that takes ideas, opportunities and entrepreneurs and makes them big.  Inside bizperc, their ultra-modern, urban loft space in the heart of Kansas City built to percolate your brilliant idea, you can connect with other entrepreneurs, and brew your startup opportunity.

BetaBlox - Each start-up company/team receives six months of 24/7 access to the BetaBlox facility and program. Ten companies are awarded at a time and then replaced with another ten companies after their award period is up. Below are the services and amenities provided to each team.  This package is obviously a bundled service.  No one will want everything, but by offering everything we open ourselves up to a more diversified portfolio – which is good for everyone.

SparkLabKC - 10 promising startups are selected each year for a 90-day intense, in-residence, mentor-driven program that provides up to $18,000 in seed capital and business advisory services.

Kauffman Labs - Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation is a new approach to developing the next generation of fast-growth firms. The program seeks to accelerate the number and success of new firms by offering a new method for teaching and training entrepreneurs of dynamic, scalable businesses in a lab setting, while studying the “science of startups” in the process.

Life Sciences Incubators and Investors in Kansas CIty

The Kansas City Biotechnology Center is a 3,700-square-foot micro-incubator established by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City to house early-stage, rapidly growing companies developing pharmaceuticals, medical devices and research and diagnostic equipment. The center, located just west of the Country Club Plaza, contains office space and fully equipped wet laboratories capable of carrying out the advanced research and development activities common for companies in the biotech sector. The first tenant is Proteon Therapeutics, which is developing a blood vessel-dilating drug for hemodialysis patients.

The Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC) was established by the Missouri Legislature in 1994 to focus on transferring new innovations into the marketplace to create new companies. MTC oversees various state funding mechanisms for fostering innovation that have led to many bioscience-related companies expanding or relocating to Missouri.

InvestMidwest is an annual conference that facilitates investment in the region’s top life science, technology and alternative energy companies. The conference regularly attracts more than 300 attendees and has helped generate more than $350 million in investment capital in the past ten years.

The Animal Health Investment Forum, held in the Kansas City region, generates investment for early stage animal health-related companies located all over the world. In 2009, 175 attendees representing more than animal health companies and 11 venture capital funds attended to hear presentations from 17 early stage animal health companies from around the world.