Bioscience
Building Arizona as a global center for research and commercialization in the biosciences.
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Bioscience in Arizona
The Flinn Foundation supports the biosciences in Arizona through research and entrepreneurship grants as well as stewardship of Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap, guiding the growth and development of the state’s bioscience sector. A third iteration of the Roadmap will be released in fall 2025.
The Roadmap’s tagline, “Advancing the Biosciences and Improving Health Outcomes” recognizes the broad spectrum of the biosciences, including research, academia, and product commercialization, as well as the central role of health care within the bioscience sector.
The biosciences improve our world by developing treatments for health afflictions with safer and more affordable medicines, creating diagnostics that gauge and prevent illness, and strengthening our food supply. In addition, the biosciences strengthen and diversify our economy by creating cutting-edge companies and high-paying jobs.
Arizona biosciences set record highs in research funding, show increasing competitiveness
Arizona continues to outpace the nation in several key bioscience industry and innovation ecosystem metrics, including gains in jobs and academic R&D expenditures. Still, challenges remain in the areas of commercialization and venture capital deal activity.
Those are top-line findings in the latest data analysis commissioned by the Flinn Foundation to track the state’s bioscience industry. The latest analysis by TEConomy Partners was released April 23 during an online event. The report is the final set of data that will be tracked from the current Roadmap. The Flinn Foundation has commissioned SRI International of Menlo Park, California, to draft a new plan that will launch this fall. [Read more]
Two Arizona bio startups earn $100K through Flinn entrepreneurship program
Arizona bioscience companies Anuncia Medical and Macula Vision Systems have been selected from a competitive field of startups to receive funding support through the 2025 Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program.
The companies receive $100,000 in non-dilutive funding support through the Arizona Bioindustry Association, the Foundation’s nonprofit partner. The 2025 program’s 10 participants — including eight companies not selected for funding — were announced March 6 at the Flinn Foundation Bio Capital Conference at the Creighton University Health Sciences Campus in Phoenix.
Now in its 12th cohort, the entrepreneurship program was established to support Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap goal of creating a thriving hub for bioscience entrepreneurs and startups across the state. [Read more]
Flinn conference brings together Arizona’s bioscience ecosystem
The March 6 Flinn Foundation Bio Capital Conference, “Managing Growth and VC Capital As You Scale,” brought together bioscience founders, investors, ecosystem partners, and service providers at the Creighton University Health Sciences Campus in Phoenix for a day of learning and networking.
Attendees at the sold-out event learned about who is funding the biosciences, talked with venture capitalists and local CEOs, and heard from keynote speaker Michael Gorton, founder of Teladoc. [Learn more]
A maternal health scare inspires bio entrepreneur Courtney Williams
Courtney Williams, CEO of Tucson-based Emagine Solutions Technology, co-founded the company to improve maternal health outcomes.
As a mother diagnosed with postpartum preeclampsia just days after giving birth to her first child—and seeing family members suffer their own maternal health crises—Williams has a personal motivation as well. After living through her health scare, Williams decided to create The Journey app for pregnant women to track vitals in real time and receive immediate feedback if numbers are out of range.
Emagine Solutions Technology was also a 2019 participant in the Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program. [Read more]
Ten Arizona research teams earn $100K Flinn Foundation seed grants
The Flinn Foundation Seed Grants to Promote Translational Research program has awarded a combined $1 million to 10 Arizona research teams with the potential to turn their findings into viable products and treatments that impact patients.
Seven of the selected projects are being led by the University of Arizona and three by Arizona State University. The Arizona-based researchers are developing medical devices, diagnostics, therapeutics, and technology to treat a number of conditions. In addition, three projects that received their initial grant in 2023 qualified for $100,000 each in follow-on funding over the next year. [Learn more]
News and Updates
Bioscience
Arizona biosciences set record highs in research funding, show increasing competitiveness
Arizona continues to outpace the nation in several key bioscience industry and innovation ecosystem metrics, including gains in jobs and academic R&D expenditures. Still, challenges remain in the areas of commercialization and venture capital deal activity. Those are top-line findings in the latest data analysis commissioned by the Flinn Foundation to track the state’s bioscience […]
Bioscience
Arizona Bioscience News: Venture Madness 2025; ASU construction projects; City of Hope Cancer Care; HonorHealth Peoria
Faster, cheaper, better: the rise of blood tests for Alzheimer’s / Nature
Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix is playing a key role in identifying disease-specific biomarkers in the bloodstream, leading to minimally invasive, affordable alternative Alzheimer’s tests.
Bioscience
Arizona Bioscience News: Venture Madness 2025; ASU construction projects; City of Hope Cancer Care; HonorHealth Peoria
Venture Madness 2025: Meet the startup pitch competition winners / Phoenix Business Journal
Three startups took home cash prizes as winners of last week’s Venture Madness, Arizona’s longest-running pitch competition, including second-place HemaSense of Flagstaff. The early-stage company is developing a patient monitoring device that detects bleeding complications following catheter-based surgeries.
Bioscience
Arizona Bioscience News: Xcellerant Ventures; NAU “wearable robots”; Terraza Medical Village
Xcellerant Ventures, AVC to invest $7 million into health tech startups / Phoenix Business Journal (AZ Inno)
Scottsdale-based Xcellerant Ventures has raised an additional $7 million in capital from Arizona Venture Capital Inc. and other limited partners to back between four and seven Arizona healthtech startups.
For information about Bioscience, please contact:
bioscience@flinn.org or (602) 744-6831
