The partnership aims to support and scale indigenous biotech, pharmaceutical, medtech and deeptech companies.
Dublin City University (DCU) and Portal Innovations, an Illinois-based biotechnology company, have announced a strategic partnership that aims to support and grow Irish organisations within the biotech, medtech, pharma and deeptech sectors.
Venture building firm Portal Innovations was founded in 2020 and specialises in supporting entrepreneurs in the life science and deeptech sectors, providing them with the capital, infrastructure and mentorship needed to scale.
The collaboration will involve the development of a 20,000 sq ft life sciences and deeptech facility at DCU Alpha, which will also include fully equipped wet and dry labs, an incubation space, accelerator programmes and access to dedicated seed funding. There are already a number of established deeptech businesses located at DCU including Deciphex, Ubotica and Exergyn, among others.
Commenting on the news, Ronan Cunningham, the director of DCU Invent said, “At DCU Alpha, we are committed to fostering an environment where deeptech and life sciences start-ups can thrive. This collaboration with Portal Innovations represents a major step forward in supporting indigenous innovation and ensuring that Ireland remains a competitive hub for scientific and technological advancements.”
Nancy Tyrrell, the Director of academic partnerships at Portal Innovations added, “Ireland has a rich history of scientific excellence and this partnership with DCU Alpha represents a unique opportunity to accelerate the commercialisation of groundbreaking research.
“By bringing our proven venture-building model to Dublin, we aim to provide life sciences and deeptech entrepreneurs with the critical resources, funding, and mentorship they need to succeed on a global scale.”
One such business currently operating out of the DCU Alpha location is Marama Labs, an Ireland and New Zealand-based life sciences lab. The organisation recently announced it had secured a €2m in funding to support the expansion of its upcoming technologies.
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