Venture Catalyst Welcomes Anu Ranganathan to the Team as Proof-of-Concept and Innovation Programs Manager
‘Just Sticky Enough’ Compound May Help Patients with Kidney Disease
UC Davis Professors Aijun Wang, Kit Lam, and Alyssa Panitch have formed a startup, VasoBio, to develop technology that may improve arteriovenous (AV) grafts used during kidney dialysis. AV grafts are synthetic medical tubes that are surgically placed in a renal patient’s arm or leg. However, only 23% of these AV grafts are still functioning after one year, and only 4% are still functioning at two years. 

To address the AV graft failure problem, the team is creating an environment inside the tubing that mimics the body’s own natural vascular system. Their work has focused on identifying a safe compound that is just sticky enough to attract endothelial cells, but not other circulating blood cells. The target molecules can be coated on the inside surface of an implanted graft and will grab only endothelial cells and endothelial progenitor cells from circulation.

While the company is focused on improving AV grafts for dialysis patients, the technology may have applications for other medical devices and implants, minimizing blood clot formation and infection.

Professor Wang was awarded $500,000 through the Kidney X Prize to continue developing long-lasting vascular grafts. He was also a previous UC Davis Science Translation & Innovative Research (STAIRTM) Grant recipient and participated in the Venture Catalyst Biotech Innovation Gallery (BIG) Accelerator program.

UC Davis Venture Catalyst Knowledge Exchange Webinar
March 23: Negotiations for First-Time Startup Founders
Decisions that founders make early in the life of their startup can have impacts far into the future. This is especially true for science- and technology-based startups whose early hires, funders, and partnerships can have an outsized impact. Negotiating these deals can be nerve wracking, but preparation and strategy can go a long way towards ensuring the best possible outcomes. This talk, led by Jason Pariso, an experienced innovation and entrepreneurship leader and investor, will provide insights on negotiation strategies and skills and discuss practical approaches that first-time startup founders can utilize when negotiating various types of deals.

When:
Tuesday, March 23, 2021, 10:30 – 11:45 am
UC Davis Venture Catalyst Knowledge Exchange Webinar
April 13: Protecting Software-Related Inventions: Practical Tips on How to Avoid the Abstract Idea Trap
A large number of inventions created today implement some functionality using software. In 2014, the US Supreme Court decided Alice v. CLS Bank that redefined how software-related inventions are interpreted with respect to which subject matter is patentable and which is considered an abstract idea. As a result of the Alice decision, software-related inventions, such as inventions that implement algorithms using computer programs, need to demonstrate that their algorithm is tied to a practical application of the invention. This talk, led by experienced IP attorney Sanjeev S. Bajwa, will discuss the current standards for subject matter eligibility, their effect on software-related inventions, and practical tips on how to claim software-related inventions to avoid subject matter rejections. In addition, the talk will also cover the concept of the “abstract idea” and discuss what innovators should be considering to best position their inventions for obtaining a patent.


When:
Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 10:30 – 11:45 am
UC Davis Releases 2 New Strawberry Varieties
The UC Davis Public Strawberry Breeding Program released two new strawberry varieties, UCD Finn and UCD Mojo. These varieties were bred for summer planting and developed to replace Portola, the only other UC variety that is planted in the summer and harvested in the fall and winter. Since its inception in the 1930s, the UC Davis Strawberry Breeding Program has developed more than 60 patented varieties, turned strawberries into a year-round crop, and increased strawberry yield from about 6 tons per acre in the 1950s to more than 30 tons per acre today. About 60% of California's strawberry fields are planted with varieties developed at UC Davis.... Read More
Stavros Vougioukas Receives $1.6M to Develop Innovative Fruit-Picking Machines
Biological and agricultural engineering associate professor Stavros Vougioukas is leading two new research projects to mechanize the orchard and pick fruit more effectively. The first project, which received $1.2 million from the National Science Foundation’s Robotics Initiative and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), aims to build a machine that can find and pick fruit quickly and effectively, especially when there is thick tree foliage in the way. The second project, which received $400,000 from NIFA, is focused on developing a shake-and-catch harvesting system for soft fruits to prevent fall damage.... Read More
First Stem Cell Clinical Trial for Spina Bifida Treatment Announced
A UC Davis Health team announced the launch of the world’s first, FDA-approved human clinical trial using stem cells before birth to treat the most serious form of spina bifida. The condition is a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don't form properly. Without treatment, an exposed spinal cord causes severe neurological damage, resulting in problems that can include lifelong cognitive, mobility, urinary and bowel disabilities. The treatment will be delivered while the baby is still in the mother’s womb (in utero). It will be the standard surgical procedure combined with the use of a unique stem cell “patch” to repair the defect before birth. The related technology around the method for treating spina bifida is protected by a patent, which is being managed by UC Davis InnovationAccess.... Read More
Alumna Names Engineering Student Design Center
Diane Bryant made a historic $6.5 million donation to the UC Davis College of Engineering, the largest single donation to the college by an individual. With her gift to name the new Engineering Student Design Center at UC Davis, the alumna and information technology executive hopes to inspire women and other underrepresented students in STEM; fund essential learning for aspiring engineers; and solidify her legacy as a leader in tech. Bryant graduated from UC Davis in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical and computer engineering. The Diane Bryant Engineering Student Design Center is expected to open in Fall 2022.... Read More
2021 Rudd Family Foundation Big Ideas Finalists Announced!
Three UC Davis teams were among the twenty six finalists for the 2021 Rudd Family Foundation Big Ideas contest. These finalists include 1) Beat Medical, which is developing a device that customizes fit for patients to increase comfortability, maintains patency of the breathing tube, and prevents infection from the bite guard, 2) Neutron, working on a hybrid battery with potential to improve charging time, battery life, and reliability, and 3) Night Market, which has created a platform for food waste recovery and redistribution that can be utilized in every city in the United States.... Read More
California Mobility Center Announces Top Mobility Sector Leaders as Members of the Board in Advance of Official Commercial Launch
The California Mobility Center, a Sacramento-based non-profit focused on accelerating commercialization of future mobility technologies, announced its 12-member Board of Directors that will help govern the organization’s full operations. Dr. Prasant Mohapatra, UC Davis Vice Chancellor for Research, is among this esteemed group of leaders and industry executives.... Read More
Startup News
Evolve BioSystems, Inc. Announces the Use of Activated B. infantis EVC001 by International Consortium to Study the Prevention of Type 1 Diabetes in Children
Evolve BioSystems announced that its product, activated B. infantis EVC001, will be used in one of the largest international clinical studies on preventing type 1 diabetes (T1D) in genetically predisposed children. The randomized, controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial will be conducted across eight major research centers in five European countries..... Read More
Arcadia Biosciences Expands GoodWheat™ Patent Portfolio
Arcadia Biosciences announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded the company a patent for its high fiber resistant starch GoodWheat™. The patent broadens Arcadia’s intellectual property estate to include short deletions that may be obtained with CRISPR and similar genome editing tools.... Read More
Initial Insurance Billing Codes Issued for Dedicated Breast CT in the USA
Izotropic Corporation announced that the American Medical Association (AMA) has released six Category III CPT billing codes for Breast CT technology. It is an important development and step in the reimbursement process and aligns with Izotropic’s activities in working with payors to secure future coverage ... Read More
Origin Materials, Market Leader in Disruptive Materials Technology, to Combine with Artius, Creating First Publicly Traded Pure Play Carbon Negative Materials Company
Origin Materials and Artius Acquisition announced a definitive agreement for a business combination that will result in Origin becoming a public company. Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company will be named Origin Materials and remain listed on the Nasdaq under the new ticker symbol “ORGN.”... Read More
Eight Student Finalists Selected for Annual LaunchPad Pitch Competition at Startup Grind Global Conference
PHIXED Systems, a UC Davis-associated startup working on a bioreactor monitoring system that uses machine learning to prevent costly losses for biomanufacturing organizations, was among the student teams selected to pitch at the LaunchPad competition during the Startup Grind Global Conference.... Read More
Startup Career Opportunities
Career Opportunities at AnimalBiome
AnimalBiome is currently hiring for an animal care specialist and a laboratory technician.... Learn more
Career Opportunities at Chirp Microsystems
Chirp Microsystems (part of TDK) is hiring for multiple engineering positions and lab supervision.... Learn More
Career Opportunities at Evolve Biosystems
Evolve Biosystems is currently hiring for multiple management, director, and marketing positions.... Learn More
Career Opportunities at Novoheart
Novoheart is currently hiring for an engineer and three scientist positions.... Learn more
Career Opportunities at Sage Therapeutics
Sage Therapeutics is hiring for a wide range of positions from director-level positions to consultant positions.... Learn more
News From the DRIVE Network
The Lab@AgStart is Recruiting for a Part-Time Lab Manager... Learn More
Pheronym Featured in Comstock's Magazine
Pheronym's CEO, Dr. Fatma Kaplan, was featured in Comstock Magazine's March 2021 edition as part of the women in the capital region that are founding biotech companies. Pheronym is a member of the UC Davis - HM.CLAUSE Life Science Innovation Center incubator. To read more, please click here and navigate to Page 78.
Regional News
Big Biotech, UCs Launch $53M Effort Targeting Alzheimer's, Other Brain Diseases (San Francisco Business Times)
The biotech giant Genentech and its subsidiary Roche formed a collaboration with UCSF and UC Berkeley where the universities will receive $53 million over 10 years. The funds will be used to research potential new treatments for Alzheimer's, Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases, ALS, autism and other central nervous system conditions.... Read More
Gotham Greens Goes West to Unlock Next Growth Chapter (Food Navigator)
After raising an $87 million Series D round, Gotham Greens opened a 10-acre greenhouse facility in Solano County. The company's new Northern California space will be co-located with UC Davis, and will help in bringing its indoor production totals to 40 million heads of lettuce and herbs.... Read More
Innovation Insights
2020’s Agrifoodtech Investment Story Speaks of Resilience, Maturity and Big Bets on What Comes Next (AgFunder)
According to the 2021 AgriFoodTech Investment Report by AgFunder, 2020 had a higher investment deal count than 2019. Furthermore, it is expected that venture funding in 2020 will reach $30.5 billion, representing a 34.5% increase over the 2019.... Read More
CEO Gender ‘Primary Determining Factor’ To Get Funded: 48,000-Company Study (Forbes)
A study of 48,000 companies conducted by Santa Clara University found that that being a male candidate was seen as a stronger factor in getting the funding for the startup than having attended top universities or having a prior startup exit. Furthermore, challenges continue for female founders after initial funding where the study shows they are 35% less likely to receive later stage investment.... Read More
Funding Opportunities
KidneyX Artificial Kidney Prize
Application Deadline: March 24, 2021.... Learn More
Cleantech Open Accelerator
Application Deadline: April 18, 2021.... Learn More
MIT Solve’s Global Challenges 
Application Deadline: June 16, 2021.... Learn More
GROW Impact Accelerator
Currently accepting applications.... Learn More
IndieBio Accelerator
Currently accepting applications.... Learn More
Open SBIR/STTR Grant Topics.... Learn More
Educational Opportunities
Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship UC Entrepreneurship Academy
Date: April 5-9, 2021.... Learn More
Innovation Institute for Food & Health Innovator Fellows
Application Deadline: April 9, 2021.... Learn More
Rosenman Innovators
Application Deadline: April 12, 2021.... Learn More
Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Undergraduate Entrepreneurship
Academy
Dates: April 17-18, 2021.... Learn More
Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Big Bang! Business Competition Events and Workshops
Dates: Ongoing.... Learn More
Regional Events
AgStart Office Hours
Date: Ongoing.... Learn More
Sacramento State Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Events and Workshops
Date: Ongoing.... Learn More
Small Business Development Center Workshops
Date: Ongoing.... Learn More
Silicon Valley USPTO Workshops
Date: Ongoing.... Learn More
Bay Area NSF Innovation Corps Immersive Short Courses
Date: Ongoing.... Learn More
California Life Sciences Institute FAST Advisory Program
Date: Ongoing.... Learn More
1 Million Cups
Date: Weekly (Wednesdays).... Learn More
Industry Events
YoungStartup Venture Summit (Virtual)
Date: March 16-18, 2021.... Learn More
SXSW Conference (Virtual)
Date: March 16-20, 2021.... Learn More
Biocom Working with CROs – From Selection to Managing Relationships (Virtual)
Date: March 30, 2021.... Learn More
Petri Fireside Chat: How to Launch Bio Startups
Date: April 1, 2021.... Read More
TechCrunch Early Stage (Virtual)
Date: April 1-2, 2021.... Learn More
Stanford Drug Discovery Symposium (Virtual)
Dates: April 19-20, 2021.... Learn More
Venture Summit Virtual Connect
Date: May 5-7, 2021.... Learn More
BIO Digital (Virtual)
Dates: June 10-18, 2021.... Learn More
Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Summit (Virtual)
Dates: June 22-23, 2021.... Learn More
Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit (Virtual)
Date: June 24-25, 2021.... Learn More
Women’s Health Innovation Forum
Date: Ongoing.... Learn More
JLABS Virtual Educational Events
Date: Ongoing.... Learn More
About Venture Catalyst 
 
UC Davis Venture Catalyst supports the development of new ventures fueled by university research and technology. Venture Catalyst offers several innovative programs that bridge the gap between early-stage research and commercialization and provide entrepreneurs the resources, support, and connections needed to successfully form and grow technology-based startups. With a focus on accelerating technology-led economic development in the Davis-Sacramento region, Venture Catalyst also works closely with partners in the regional innovation and economic development ecosystems. 
 
Contact Venture Catalyst 
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