Got the passion and the brilliant idea? Do you know that the odds of turning your great scientific idea into a market-ready business are pretty slim? That’s because there’s simply no good access to lab space in the biotech space.
For far too long, many of our best scientific thinkers have been forced to pay exorbitant rents, give up valuable lab time and equipment, or relinquish their precious equity in exchange for a bench to conduct their research. If your startup is working on a cell therapy or trying to reverse global warming, spending a significant amount of your valuable time looking for suitable lab space is the furthest thing from your priority. I know because our Founder, Dr. David Kiewlich, was struggling with this exact problem for 18 months before founding BADASS Labs. It is one of the biggest barriers to scientific progress and, at the end of the day, it holds back humanity from solving its problems.
Not only that, many incubators expect large amounts of equity from your startup and will often tie you into a long-term deal so that you lose equity even before the next round of investment. They also often restrict your ability to book lab equipment for certain time periods. They even ask you to “graduate” from the incubator once your startup reaches a certain stage, regardless of your science readiness.
BADASS Labs is the #1 nonprofit biotech incubator designed to change that. We want to provide support, access, and community to bold bio-innovators and biotech startups so they can grow and achieve success.
At BADASS Labs, we don’t ask you to give us equity, we don’t take ownership of your IP, you’ll have unlimited access to our equipment, and you can stay in our lab for as long as you need to. This means you can focus on your science and your business strategy, without any added costs from the incubator.
Why choose BADASS Labs over other incubators? Here’s what we believe:
- No equity taken, no claims on your IP.
- Top-notch wet lab and office facilities. Our Alameda, CA location provides this in our Salt Lake City location will soon follow.
- Unrestricted access to equipment 24/7.
- Simple, flat fee pricing, 3 month minimum commitment. We don’t “graduate” anyone.
- We provide a mentor, support staff and operational staff to our community, which we offer to be free of charge.
- A nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization focused on the advancement of science for humanity.
We want to help you achieve scientific breakthroughs. Here are a few of our success stories and impact so far: Typical biotech startup success rates are only 10%. Our member companies are doing much better. Their success rate is 89-95%. It’s no accident. BADASS Labs takes away the friction and gives startups what they need to succeed. Together, member companies have raised over $900M in funding and turned concepts into real world impact. We’ve helped start-ups move from cell and gene therapies to climate-tech solutions such as sustainable bio-manufacturing and carbon capture. We’ve watched people overcome the odds when given the right support. “Succeed or learn, there is no fail.” says Dr. Kiewlich. We have a growth mindset, but sometimes the road to success isn’t always smooth. We help founders learn from their mistakes and turn them into lessons. BADASS Labs promotes an inclusive culture and creates spaces for underrepresented communities in biotech, including people of color and the LGBTQIA+ community. If you’re ready to Accelerate your breakthrough, stop resisting, and start building. BADASS Labs is more than a shared-lab incubator, it’s a home for scientific rebels. If you want to join a movement for your science, your equity, and you, we can’t wait for you.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nonprofit Biotech Incubators
What does “zero equity taken, no IP claims” mean for my company? Nothing more, nothing less. We do not take any equity in your company or IP in anything you work on while you are with us. We want your company to succeed, but that success belongs 100% to you.
How does BADASS Labs provide 24/7 unlimited access to equipment? Is it a booking system? It isn’t. We believe that access should not create a bottleneck. Equipment is available on a first come, first serve basis and we have an array of equipment so that access is not an issue. We want to provide founders with the access they need, when they need it, without delay.
What kind of support services are provided under the flat-fee pricing? We offer more than a bench in our shared incubator. In addition to equipment and shared lab services, you also get access to support services, safety services, utilities, internet, and a community. You can also tap into the expertise of other founders and mentors.
What makes BADASS Labs different from other biotech coworking spaces or incubators in the Bay Area? We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) company, which allows us to prioritize impact. We can’t force founders to graduate, we don’t take equity, and we create a community that’s focused on science and “lifting all boats”.
Can climate-tech companies also make use of BADASS Labs? Yes! We support the entire life sciences industry, including the fast-growing climate-tech industry. We are excited to be able to support climate startups who are working on battery materials, biofuels, carbon capture, bio-manufacturing, or other climate tech sectors.