Summer 2024 is here! Just as the academic year finished with a flurry of activities, The InQbation Lab is in full swing with our summer offerings! We continue to build, develop, and grow our programs and resources at The Q as well as those offered in partnership with Northwestern Medicine, Kellogg School of Management, Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy, and the Farley Center for Entrepreneurship. Together, we work to strengthen the Northwestern fabric to help bring our pioneering discoveries to benefit the world through translation and commercialization. Details below!

2024 N.XT FUND CYCLE

The N.XT Fund, Northwestern's $10M gap fund, is currently OPEN. Northwestern startups with active options/licenses are encouraged to apply for up to $150k in funding. Investments should be aimed at de-risking technologies to reach a value inflection point to attract potential partners and investors.

2024 NM-Q MEDICAL DEVICE STUDIO

Northwestern Medicine and Northwestern University, through the Mansueto Institute and The InQbation Lab, are partnering in a second year to help move medical device innovations from the napkin drawing stage to an initial prototype, working with engineering design firms. NM clinicians are invited to apply.

SUMMER FARLEY-Q ENTREPRENEURSHIP 101 BOOTCAMP FOR RESEARCH SCIENTISTS

The Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and The Querrey InQbation Lab are co-hosting a two-day summer workshop for McCormick scientists interested in exposure to entrepreneurship concepts at both a general and more practical level. Scientists will hear from panels consisting of entrepreneurial faculty and former PhD students who became founders of startups. The workshops provide students the opportunity to think about their own research with a translational lens and, through live workshops, mock customer discovery, and collaborative brainstorming, distill and communicate their technology, the value of it, and the impact of its potential commercial product. Dates for the bootcamp are August 1 and 2, 2024. If you are interested, please complete THIS FORM.

2024-2025 Q ENTREPRENEURSHIP FELLOWSHIP

The Q is accepting applications for the next cohort of Q Entrepreneurial Fellows (EF). EFs partner with Northwestern faculty to advance innovations towards commercialization. During the one year program, Fellows undertake technical development and define commercialization plans. EFs are supported with a one year salary (plus benefits), a $10k stipend, and access to resources like mentoring, instruction and coaching. For more information or to apply, visit the EF WEBSITE.

2024 SUMMER ENTREPRENEURIAL FELLOWS PROGRAM

The Q Summer Entrepreneurial Fellow Program provides summer entrepreneurial fellowship opportunities to Northwestern graduate students in PhD, MD or MBA programs. Please join us in welcoming 2024 KQ Residents Max Engle KSM '25, Minji Kim KSM '25, and Artpith Gattu 'KSM'24 who are continuing their work from the spring quarter and FSM student Bhaargavi Ashok FSM '27.

2024 Q SUMMER SCHOLARS PROGRAM BEGINS THIS MONTH

The Querrey InQbation Lab is proud to host the Q Summer Scholars Program for a second year! Through the 8-week internship, Northwestern startups offer Northwestern undergraduates the opportunity to join their entrepreneurial team offering technical or business support in a experiential and collaborative environment. Competition grew this year with over 40 applications for 10 spots. Congratulations to this year's 10 summer scholars: Andrew Basinger '25, Andrew Chin '25, Mackenzie Lanning '26, Aarav Lodha '26, Maura Madden '25, Irene Martinez '25, Katrina Peterson '25, Angelina Shi '25, Julia Song '25, and Cheryl Tang '26.

INVO PRACTICUM INTERNSHIP

We'd like to express our gratitude to our 15th cohort of INVO Practicum interns! Pictured from left to right: Zijun Gao (PI Prof. Samuel Stupp, Weinberg), Jorie Budzikowski (PI Prof. Wendy Murray, McCormick), Irtaza Haider (Kellogg), Karlin Compton (PI Prof. Carole LaBonne, Weinberg), Mara Fattah (PI Prof. Nathan Gianneschi, Weinberg) and Qining Wang (PI Prof. Jennifer Dunn, McCormick). They have contributed immensely to support INVO activities with technology disclosure assessments, market analyses, marketing one-pagers, and preparation of non-confidential technology materials for industry conferences.

Applications for the 2024-2025 academic year open on July 1, 2024. For more information on the program, please visit the INVO Practicum website.

Amphix Bio (Prof. Samuel Stupp, McCormick) is raising $10M in Seed funding, to launch first-in-human clinical trials in 2025. Their supramolecular therapeutics platform triggers targeted regenerative signaling pathways and provides an extracellular scaffold to support tissue growth. Their first two programs are regenerative therapies for spinal fusion surgery and acute spinal cord injury.

Affix Medical (Prof. Riad Salem, Feinberg) is raising $500k in Pre-Seed funding to continue on their mission to improve percutaneous drain management for all patients with indwelling lines/tubes/catheters. Their flagship product is a drain fixation device that mitigate the need for suture fixation, expedites dressing changes, and decreases rates of tube-related complications. This device is tailored specifically to long-standing percutaneous drains placed by Interventional Radiologists and was developed in collaboration with interventional radiologists at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Inomagen Therapeutics (Prof. Rishi Arora, Feinberg) is raising a $5M Seed round to continue its development of a non-viral gene therapy to improve the treatment of atrial fibrillation. In conjunction with the company’s ongoing SBIR Fast Track grant award, the funds will be used to develop its novel transcatheter cardiac gene delivery system, optimize its proprietary plasmid vector, conduct therapeutic dose response studies, and continue building the team with a goal of filing an IND and initiating clinical study in 2026. 

Syenex (Prof. Josh Leonard, McCormick) is raising $10M to (i) integrate their delivery designs with 3 CDMOs, (ii) support the approval of 5 partner INDs, and (iii) secure a first-in-human readout for their lead T cell delivery composition. Since incorporating in May of 2022, the company has raised $5M, launched two T cell delivery products, and secured over 20 partners with a first-in-human trial expected to initiate before year end.

Temprian Oncology (Prof. Caroline LePoole, Feinberg, Prof. Sonbinh Nguyen Weinberg) is raising $300k in Seed funding to demonstrate proof of concept in the treatment of melanoma in vivo. Temprian Oncology is developing lipid-based nanoparticle supercarriers to deliver active ingredients to metastatic melanoma tumors. This novel approach combines chemo- and immunotherapy into an off-the-shelf product suitable for delivery in remote geographic locations.

INVESTORS: Contact the InQbation Lab for more information regarding these investment opportunities.

NU STARTUPS: To share your fundraising/milestone news, email inqbationlab@northwestern.edu.

2024 KQ Entrepreneurial Residents give their final presentations

Congratulations to our 2024 KQ Entrepreneurial Residents! For 2nd year, Kellogg MBAs were embedded in university research centers and institutes, working closely with our scientists to better understand the respective markets for their innovations-- from solar cells, batteries and nylon recycling to VR devices, prosthetics and synthetic melanin.

A shout out to our Kellogg students-- Arpith Gattu, Brendan Hastings, Samantha Lee, Max Engle, Minji Kim, Jorge Solis, Christopher Chang and Karl Wang-- for their hard work AND to our research scientists and PIs-- Bin Chen & Prof. Ted Sargent, Samuel Pennell & Prof. David Dunand, Yosi Kratish & Prof. Tobin Marks, Matthew Flavin & Prof. John Rogers, Prof. Matty Major, and Prof. Nathan Gianneschi and Dr. Kurt Lu -- for their incredible scientific discoveries and sharing them with future business leaders.

2024 FoundHer Fellows travel to San Francisco

In a 2 day visit to SF, FoundHer Fellows, Ashima Shukla, Jacqueline Burke, and Rebecca Keate, networked with investors in life sciences. In back-to-back meetings, they delivered pitches and received feedback. A special thank you to FoundHer mentors, Michelle Hoffman (CBC), Lilli Zakarija (EdgeOne Medical), Dimitra Georganopoulou (Qral Ventures), for their weeks of dedication to female entrepreneurship and joining this journey. Thank you for supporting Northwestern and our female scientist entrepreneurs!

"Yes And!" Scientist Entrepreneur Bootcamp Series Concludes

We completed our “Yes And!" Scientist Entrepreneur Bootcamp Series! led by Heather Barnes (Improv@Work). The four improv-based workshops were designed to support Northwestern scientists in honing critical entrepreneurship and communication skills. The first two workshops focused on refining science communication and negotiations. The final two focused on leadership and networking. The InQbation community is grateful for the engaging scientists who participated and the useful insights and activities that Heather brought to each session!

OUP Webinar | Finding your Startup CEO, Part I

Join Osage University Partners for a two-part webinar series on finding a CEO for your academic startup company. REGISTER HERE

Q Founder Series | Building Financial Statements for Hardtech Startups

Join Mitchell Meersman of Bridge Bank to introduce concepts in financial statements analysis, walk through a case study, and model out different scenarios for hardtech companies. REGISTER HERE

FoundHER Stories | A Fireside Chat with Janice Chen

Learn about Dr. Janice Chen's journey spinning out Mammoth Biosciences, a startup co-founded with her PI, Nobel Laureate Prof. Jennifer Doudna, while at UC Berkeley. Mammoth seeks to harnesses the diversity of nature to power next generation CRISPR products. REGISTER HERE

Q Founder Series | SBIR/STTR: A Program Supporting Innovation in R&D

Join Kris Parmelee for an introductory overview of the SBIR/STTR program, which represents the largest single source of non-dilutive funding from the government.

REGISTER HERE

FoundHER Stories | A Fireside Chat with Mariana Matus

Learn about Dr. Mariana Matus' experience spinning out Biobot Analtyics, her startup that analyzes sewage with molecular technologies and AI for early warning health threats, based on her doctoral research at MIT while working with Prof. Eric Alm. REGISTER HERE

WOMEN IN BIO CAREER FAIR

Women in Bio is hosting a Summer Career Fair on Thursday, June 27, 5:30-8pm. This event brings together job seekers, recruiters, and those who want to explore their options for an evening of workshops and networking opportunities from leading companies in the Chicagoland life sciences industry. REGISTER HERE

PHD FOUNDERS TRACK PROGRAM by The Dorm Room Fund

The Dorm Room Fund launched The PhD Founders Track Program, a 6-week program for students explore what it means to commercialize emerging tech and prepare to consider fundraising. Meetings will be remote on Sunday afternoons starting mid-June and will have guest speakers with a focus on investors and founders that started doctoral programs. The application cycle is now open to PhD students or candidates that are considering commercializing tech that they are working on. Click HERE to learn more information or APPLY ONLINE.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT NORTHWESTERN NEWSLETTER

SUBSCRIBE to the Entrepreneurship at Northwestern Newsletter. This newsletter is a monthly roundup of university-wide news featuring the launches, raises, and milestones of our students, faculty, and alumni! This snapshot celebrates the wide-ranging impact of the Northwestern community and enables us to stay in touch with our Wildcat entrepreneurs.

Please share your own milestones through the newsletter.

Visit the Querrey InQbation Lab to learn more.

Previous Q newsletters may be found HERE.

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