For brave biotech entrepreneurs, the journey from discovery to solution is a winding path full of unexpected detours. You have the research, the drive, and a bold idea that can improve lives. But can you find a lab?
Where the Biotech Incubator is Failing Startups
The biotech environment, especially for early-stage startups, is notoriously expensive, hard to access, and plagued by long-term, restrictive leases. What happens if you have raised a seed round only to find that finding a lab with enough wet space to test your hypothesis costs a small fortune, and you’ll be forced to sign an unaffordable multi-year lease? We have created an invisible wall that only allows big biotech players with the money and patience to get in.
With no access to expensive and specialized equipment that runs in the millions, or slow-moving administration and legal systems, founders face a daunting reality. The most important and innovative technologies, especially those coming from underrepresented groups, and in newer industries like climate tech, don’t make it past the lab because the startup couldn’t get one in the first place. In a case in point, BADASS Labs’ founder, Dr. David Kiewlich, wasted 18 months looking for a lab.
Badass Labs: A Biotech Incubator Built to Disarm Barriers
Enter BADASS Labs: the #1 nonprofit biotech incubator in the world. We help innovators to do exactly that – to break through barriers and help build the future. We don’t just give you a bench and the lights are on – we build an entire ecosystem of innovation for biotech and climate tech startups. Here is a snapshot of what it’s like at BADASS Labs, and how it is different:
- No Equity. No Intellectual Property Rights. We own nothing and make no claim on your work, we are here to help advance science for the good of humanity, not to turn a profit for our shareholders.
- World-Class Biotech & Climate Tech Facilities. We offer fully-equipped biotechnology labs for cell therapy, gene therapy, and AAV manufacturing for example, or for battery materials research for climate tech.
- No Restrictions on Hours. Science doesn’t clock out at 5 pm, so why should your lab? We allow our members to be in the labs whenever inspiration strikes, 24/7, with no restrictions to our equipment or facilities.
- No Hidden Expenses. We have one flat monthly fee, inclusive of all costs, which makes everything straightforward, transparent and predictable. We offer flexible terms with a minimum of three months (no forced graduation) and a maximum of three years.
- We’re 501(c)(3). Nonprofit. Our nonprofit status ensures that we remain mission driven with a focus on building a biotech lab incubator that is fully supportive of biotech startups and their founders – we have a tangible bottom line which means better services for our founders.
The BADASS Labs model is not just a new model, it’s also a better model: a model that is actually changing the landscape for startups, from the earliest stage concept to the most advanced pre-clinical research, to a cure or treatment. Typically, only 10% of biotech startups will reach their next level of funding; our member companies, however, achieve success at a 89-95% rate. That’s no coincidence. It’s a testament to the best-in-class amenities we provide: the expertise of our mentor networks, the tools we provide, and the lack of unnecessary friction.
So far, all BADASS Labs member companies have collectively raised over $900M in funding. All the new treatments and discoveries, the jobs we’ve created, the carbon capture companies developing, the sustainable technologies – it all adds up. We believe that, “Succeed or learn, there is no fail.”
FAQ: YOUR QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
What types of companies does BADASS Labs support? We support any and all types of biotech and climate tech companies – the entire spectrum. We host pre-seed to Series B, and beyond. We’ve done so across multiple areas – cell and gene therapies, AAV manufacturing, and oncology to climate tech including battery materials, biofuels, and carbon capture. BADASS Labs is also an advocate for supporting women, people of color, and all other communities underrepresented in STEM and life sciences.
How is BADASS Labs different from others? BADASS Labs is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and we take 0% equity; we claim 0% IP. We provide 24/7 access to world-class facilities, affordable (fixed) fees, and a flat-fee structure for all of our services. We’re focused on building community and creating a founder-first environment. We exist to help you be successful; we’re not here to slow you down.
What kind of equipment/facilities are available? Our lab in Alameda, CA, and upcoming location in Salt Lake City, offers world-class equipment in all areas of life sciences and chemistry. We have cell culture suites, molecular biology equipment, wet lab equipment, analytical and specialized platform equipment for biotech and climate tech companies, all with 24/7 access.
What’s the community like? Is there collaboration? We pride ourselves on the philosophy of lifting all boats. It doesn’t take a village to raise a village, we believe that. We offer many opportunities for founders, scientists, and industry leaders to collaborate.
How much space do you need to commit to at BADASS Labs? There is only a 3-month minimum to any lab space lease. There is no “forced graduation” and you may stay with BADASS Labs until you are ready to advance your work.
JOIN THE REVOLUTION TODAY.
If you’re a bold biotech innovator, a scientific rebel, or a climate tech entrepreneur ready to take your venture to the next level, then we’d like to introduce you to BADASS Labs. Tour our world-class lab space in Alameda, CA, get to know our vibrant community of peers, and apply for lab space today. See what a founder-first, nonprofit biotech incubator can do.