Biomedical, BioMedTech incubators supported by Brandon Capital

The Westmead Health and Innovation District will soon be home to a new health-focused incubator, helmed by Cicada Innovations and supported by Brandon Capital. It will be the first health-focused incubator funded by the NSW Government (through Investment NSW) to support pre-revenue healthtech startups in bridging the gap between research and commercialisation, helping to bring life-changing research with real-world patient outcomes to the market sooner.

The Westmead Biomedical Incubator is set to act as a landing pad for project and research teams, as well as startups wanting support, space and time to discover the commercial potential of their ideas and find support to translate them. It is also set to establish a strong foundation to grow high-tech health jobs in Western Sydney, create improved health outcomes and boost Westmead as a leading health innovation precinct.

In addition to commercialisation support and dedicated space in the incubator, located inside Westmead’s Innovation Quarter, healthtech companies will have facilitated access to the range of facilities and connections available in the broader Westmead precinct. The precinct is home to four hospitals, two university campuses, two large research institutes, NSW’s largest pathology service and allied health centres.

Cicada Innovations will offer healthtech residents early-stage incubation, capacity-building programs, and links to institutional capital, mentoring, expertise and support, connecting startups to the existing ecosystem and accelerating the commercialisation process. Brandon Capital will meanwhile support commercial outcomes through participation in Cicada’s commercialisation programs, mentoring and support for innovators in the precinct.

Meanwhile, expressions of interest are now open for CUREator+, a $50 million incubator program being delivered by Brandon BioCatalyst (managed by Brandon Capital) and ANDHealth. Originally announced earlier this year as the BioMedTech Incubator (BMTI) program, CUREator+ aims to unlock the untapped potential of Australian drug, device, diagnostic and digital health companies through enhanced translation and commercialisation capability building.

Brandon BioCatalyst and ANDHealth were selected by the federal government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to jointly deliver the incubator program to startup companies with commercial potential. The program will provide successful startups with access to up to $5 million in non-dilutive funding, delivered in tranches upon the meeting of commercial milestones, making them more attractive for further investment. In addition to the capital, successful applicants will have access to research teams, commercial capability-building coaching, IP development, professional governance, management and operational finance support.

Applications for CUREator+ are now open until 6 October at 5 pm AEDT. Entrepreneurial researchers, clinical innovators and founders can find out more information and apply for the program at https://cureatorplus.grantplatform.com/.

Image credit: iStock.com/Nuthawut Somsuk