The biosciences community in the Chicago area continues to experience tremendous growth, particularly during the last two years. In fact, the Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s (iBIO) most recent research report shows that Illinois is ranked in the top five states nationwide, with $2.7 billion in venture-capital investment between 2016 and 2019. The report cited data from Pitchbook, the State Biosciences Report by TEConomy and BIO.
New lab developments like Fulton Labs, Lincoln Yards and the Helix 51 incubator at Rosalind Franklin University are helping fuel this growth, but they are not alone. Organizations like Portal Innovations have launched—and expanded—to provide startups space to operate and connections to funding opportunities.
Read the rest of John Conrad’s, iBIO CEO, op-ed on the Chicago Crains website.