Venture Catalyst Collaborating with Adduci Studios through VentureNet Program
Venture Catalyst will be collaborating with Adduci Studios as the newest partner in its VentureNet program. Adduci Studios is a creative agency focused on working with science-based companies on branding and identities, web development, and graphical solutions for promotional materials, events, and presentations. Through this collaboration, participants in the Smart Toolkit for Accelerated Research Translation (START TM) program will have access to a special strategic branding package focused on developing the key initial elements an emerging startup needs to build a clean and coordinated look.
 
To learn more about Adduci Studios, click here.
University Startup PvP Biologics Acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
PvP Biologics, a startup formed around technology developed at UC Davis and the University of Washington, announced that it has been acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. The acquisition comes after the conclusion of a Phase 1 proof-of-mechanism study of an investigational medicine, TAK-062, also known as Kuma062, for the treatment of celiac disease. Justin Siegel, an associate professor of chemistry, biochemistry and molecular medicine and the director of the Innovation Institute for Food and Health at UC Davis, is a co-founder of PvP Biologics.... Read More
Due to ongoing precautions around events and gatherings, we will be postponing the previously announced NSF I-Corps Immersive Short Course in Davis. Please watch for updates on the new dates in the Venture Catalyst newsletter and separate program announcements.
UC Davis Venture Catalyst Knowledge Exchange Webinar
Growth, People, and Confidence: Building Out Top Talent and Advisors within Early-Stage Life Science Startups
Featuring:
  • Tara Kochis-Stach, President, Slone Partners
  • Wendy Lukas, Executive Coach and Founder, Wendy Lukas Consulting

For growing, early-stage life science startups, building out a high quality, well-rounded team is critical to attracting funding and meeting key research, development, and business milestones. This talk, led by Tara Kochis-Stach, President of executive search firm Slone Partners, and Wendy Lukas, Executive Coach and Founder of Wendy Lukas Consulting, will take a deep dive into the dynamics of building out executive teams and boards of advisors. The talk will provide startup founders and leaders with insights into hiring strategies and easy-to-follow recruiting approaches.

When:
Tuesday, March 24, 2020, 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Due to ongoing precautions around events and gatherings, we will be hosting this Knowledge Exchange as a live webinar . Please register for the event and you will receive a follow-up email with a videoconference link approximately one week before the scheduled date. 
UC Davis Selects Fresa Fortaleza, LLC, for Strawberry Licensing in Mexico
UC Davis signed a master licensing agreement with Fresa Fortaleza, LLC (F2), based in Watsonville, CA, for the sublicensing of new strawberry cultivars in Mexico. This agreement allows the licensing of five new cultivars, and anticipated future cultivars, from the UC Davis Public Strawberry Breeding Program. F2 will work with UC Davis researchers, plant nurseries and fruit producers to test the commercial potential of the new strawberry varieties in Mexico.... Read More
Mars Extends its Partnership with UC Davis and City of Davis for a New Research Program on Cacao
Mars Wrigley, a segment of Mars, Inc., held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new research facility in Davis, California, to celebrate the ongoing research partnership between Mars and UC Davis. Working in partnership with UC Davis Departments of Plant Sciences, Plant Pathology, Nutrition, and the Agricultural Sustainability Institute, the School of Veterinary Medicine, and other campus programs, Mars will continue to advance cacao, peanut, and mint production, with research on crop genetics, sustainability for an uncertain future, and disease control.... Read More
UC Davis Claims Top World Ranking in Veterinary Science
UC Davis tops the world in veterinary science, according to the 2020 QS World University Rankings. The new rankings also placed UC Davis second in the world and first in the nation in agriculture and forestry. Demonstrating the breadth of its excellence, the university was ranked in all five of the broad subject categories: life sciences and medicine, natural sciences, engineering and technology, arts and humanities, and social sciences and management. Additionally, the campus was among the top 50 universities in the world in six of 48 disciplines. Nationally, the campus captured top 20 rankings in 10 subjects.... Read More
New Cryo-Electron Microscope Powers Biological Sciences Discovery
UC Davis launched a new cryo-EM facility that holds a $2.5 million microscope, which is available to all campus researchers. Cryoelectron microscopy, or cryo-EM, is a new technology in structural biology that allows biologists to capture three-dimensional movies of biological molecules down to the scale of single atoms.... Read More
UC Davis, Santa Cruz Collaborate to Speed Wound Healing With a Novel Smart Bandage
UC Davis is collaborating with UC Santa Cruz and Tufts University researchers to develop innovative technology for improving the healing of serious wounds, such as blast wounds from explosions and chronic wounds from diabetic patients. The project is funded with a contract of up to $16 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The team will use a combination of approaches involving bioelectronic devices, machine learning, and regenerative medicine in an effort to achieve precise control over the physiological processes involved in wound healing. ... Read More
Veterinarians Use Artificial Intelligence to Aid in the Diagnosis of Addison’s Disease
Veterinarians at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine developed an algorithm utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to detect Addison’s disease, a rare, life-threatening illness in dogs. Addison’s disease, also known as hypoadrenocorticism, is a condition that results in a lack of critical hormones, which are needed to maintain health. Routine blood work was used to train an AI program to detect complex patterns from more than 1,000 dogs previously treated at UC Davis.. ... Read More
Startup News
Arcadia Biosciences Receives U.S. Patent for High Fiber Wheat with Improved Yield
Arcadia Biosciences announced the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded the company a patent for a yield-improving allele for high fiber, resistant starch wheat. This innovation, which represents the latest patent in Arcadia's GoodWheat™ portfolio of non-genetically modified wheat varieties, was developed through ArcaTech, the company's proprietary technology platform.... Read More
Verdeca Showcases HB4 Drought Tolerant Soybeans to Growers and Enrolls Early Adopters at Expoagro in Argentina
Verdeca, a joint venture between Arcadia Biosciences Inc. and Bioceres Crop Solutions Corp., showcased pre-commercial soybean varieties carrying the drought tolerant HB4® trait to more than 150,000 South American growers at Expoagro 2020. The HB4 stack is Verdeca's newest product release from its pipeline of traits developed to benefit soybean producers through quality improvement, stress mitigation and management practices.... Read More   
Novoheart Named 2020 Venture 50 Company Ranked Among Year’s Top Performing Stocks in Life Sciences
Novoheart announced that it has been named a 2020 Venture 50 Company, ranked among the TSX Venture Exchange’s top 50 best performing companies. The ranking comprises ten companies from each of five key industry sectors. Novoheart is one of the ten best performers within the Clean Technology and Life Sciences sector.... Read More
Tule Vision App Allows Growers to Obtain Midday Leaf Water Potential Readings by Taking Short Videos of Their Vines (Wine Business)
Tule Technologies launched the Tule Vision app to help growers obtain water potential readings and obtain stress levels of vines by taking short video of plants. Photos from that video are then fed into a model to give leaf water potential readings for these vines. Using the App is less error prone than relying on pressure chamber readings and allows growers to obtain instant data.... Read More
Engage3 Founder Ouimet Steps Down From Management (Sacramento Business Journal)
Engage3's founder Ken Ouimet has stepped down as company's CEO but will continue to remain on company's board of directors. Edris Bemanian, the COO of the company, will become the new CEO.... Read More
Startup Career Opportunities
Career Opportunities at Evolve Biosystems
Evolve Biosystems is currently hiring for two research associates and a management position.... Learn More
Career Opportunities at Sage Therapeutics
Sage Therapeutics is hiring for a wide range of positions from staff scientist to senior-director level positions.... Learn more
Career Opportunities at Novoheart
Novoheart is currently hiring for an engineer, a research assistant, and  scientists .... Learn more
Career Opportunities at Arcadia Biosciences
Arcadia Biosciences is hiring for bioinformaticians, a marketing communications associate, and a senior analytical chemist.... Learn more
Career Opportunities at AnimalBiome
AnimalBiome is currently hiring for an animal care specialist and a laboratory technician.... Learn more
News from the DRIVE Network
Hacker Lab Application
Hacker Lab began accepting applications for its Pathways Scholarship Program. The program is designed to help low-income individuals in the Sacramento region to learn new skills, access tools, and gain mentorship. The applications are due March 31, 2020.... Read More
Regional Innovation News
Mental Health Startup Says It's Ready for U.S. Launch After Recent Acquisition (Sacramento Business Journal )
Wellin5, a Vacouver-based mental health startup, which recently opened its US headquarters in Sacramento, acquired an online journaling and mental health app company Therachat. The acquisition, which adds about 5,000 therapists, will enable Wellin5 to operate in the US . ... Read More
Warning Signals in the Silicon Valley Economy (Silicon Valley Business Journal)
According to the Silicon Valley Index, an annual overview of region's economic health, Silicon Valley is showing numerous signs of a decline in the number of startups, dip in the VC activity, slowing job growth, and continued net-out migration.. ... Read More
Innovation Insight
How To Lead Your Startup Through The Coronavirus Pandemic (Forbes)
The COVID-19 pandemic has created ample uncertainty for for all companies regardless of industry or size. Startups, in particular, are more vulnerable since they most likely do not have the resources that a larger corporation does to survive. In order to maximize their chances of survival, startups should practice maximum flexibility, communicate comprehensively, and put people first.... Read More
Findings from AgriFoodTech Investing Report (AgFunder)
According to the 2019 AgFunder Agri-FoodTech Investing Report, foodtech and agtech startups raised $19.8 billion in venture funding across 1,858 deals, a 4.8% decline in dollars and 15% decline in deals since 2018. While both the US and China shows signs of retraction, European investments continued its upward trajectory with a 94% increase in VC funding.... Read More
Secretary Perdue Announces New Innovation Initiative for USDA
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture announced the Agriculture Innovation Agenda, a department-wide initiative to align resources, programs, and research to position American agriculture to better meet future global demands. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will stimulate innovation so that American agriculture can achieve the goal of increasing production by 40 percent while cutting the environmental footprint of U.S. agriculture in half by 2050.... Read More
A Decade-Long Scorecard for Women Raising Venture Capital Shows Progress, But Is It Enough? (Inc.)
Over the last decade, women-led entrepreneurship has been on the rise. Women are raising more money and opening businesses at a faster rate. For example, women-owned businesses in the United States accounted for 40% of all US businesses in 2018, which is up from 29% in 2007. When it comes to money raised, all-female teams raised $6 billion in 2019 (from $1 billion in 2010). Despite this increase, the share compared to all-male teams have remained unchanged..... Read More
Funding Opportunities
VentureWell E-Team Grants
Application Deadline: March 20, 2020.... Learn More
Elemental Exelerator
Application Deadline: March 26, 2020.... Learn More
Contrary Accelerator
Application Deadline: April 1, 2020.... Learn More
Rosenman Innovators
Application Deadline: April 14, 2020.... Learn More
Cleantech Open Accelerator
Application Deadline: April 29, 2020.... Learn More
Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams Challenge
Application Deadline: June 1, 2020.... Learn More
Arrow Capital Student-Run Venture Fund for UC Startups
Application Deadline: Ongoing.... Learn More
IndieBio Accelerator
Application Deadline: Currently accepting.... Learn More
Open SBIR/STTR Grant Topics. ... Learn More
Educational Opportunities
UC Davis Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship 20th Annual Big Bang! Business Competition Workshops Series
Workshop Dates: Through April, 2020.... Learn More  
2020 Sacramento Emerging Leaders Program
Application Deadline: March 20, 2020.... Learn More
UC Davis Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship National Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy
Dates: July 13-16, 2000.... Learn More
UC Davis Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship UC Entrepreneurship Academy
Date: September 15-17, 2020.... Learn More
California Life Sciences Institute FAST Advisory Program
Application Deadline: Ongoing.... Learn More
Regional Events
Please check event websites for the latest updates regarding any cancellations or postponements due to COVID-19
The Forum: The Essential Networking Event Powered by Seed Central
Date: Monthly, every second Thursday.... Learn More
AgStart Office Hours
Date: Ongoing.... Learn More
Hacker Lab Hands-On Education
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
1 Million Cups
Date: Weekly (Wednesdays).... Learn More
Industry Events
Please check event websites for the latest updates regarding any cancellations or postponements due to COVID-19
Emerging Leaders in Food & Ag (Denver, CO)
Date: March 30, 2020.... Learn More
Venture Summit West (Santa Clara, CA
Date: May 5-6, 2020.... Learn More
Women's Global Trade Empowerment Forum (Dallas, TX)
Date: May 27-28, 2020.... Learn More
BIO International Conference (San Diego, CA)
Date: June 8-11, 2020.... Learn More
Forbes AgTech Summit (Salinas, CA)
Date: June 24-25, 2020.... Learn More
TechConnect World Innovation Conference & Expo: SBIR/STTR, Nanotech, and AI (National Harbor, MD)
Date: June 29-July 1, 2020.... Learn More
Institute of Food Technologist Annual Event & Food Expo (Chicago, IL)
Date: July 12-15, 2020.... Learn More
Silicon Valley AgTech Conference (San Jose, CA)
Date: August 10, 2020.... 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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