Ventures Building Opens to Life Science Startups

A former REI employee and her team have taken over the property that once housed REI's headquarters. To accommodate life science startups during this pandemic, they're opening it up to remote work arrangements and welcoming back former REI employees.

Kimmel founded Worklife Ventures in 2019, a venture capital firm dedicated to the "changing work" sector. Since then, she has built an impressive portfolio of companies revolutionizing how people do their jobs.

The location

The Ventures Building, a 14,000 square foot refurbished lab space in Kent, UK, opened to life science startups due to an acute shortage of lab space. Part of Pioneer Group's larger Kent Science Park project, this aptly named venture was specifically designed to address common UK life science company lab space shortages.

This location is ideal for the area's rapidly expanding cluster of tech and biotech firms. It's less than one mile from the University of Kent, renowned for its world-class research facilities.

Edinburgh, home to one of the country's top life sciences schools, is just a few miles away. This abundance of top-tier academic institutions has generated an eager community of creative faculty eager to apply their skillsets to real-world projects.

As a result, the area is home to numerous tech and life science companies such as AMD, BioBest, Cambrex, as well as the newly opened Kent Science Park. Already an incubator for agritech, biotech and medical technology businesses, Kent Science Park has the potential to become a US-style supercluster with access to state-of-the-art research equipment, facilities and services.

However, this rapidly growing region is facing a shortage of lab spaces. If the property market continues to deteriorate, life science companies could find it challenging to secure a new residence soon. Therefore, this presents an ideal opportunity for an innovative developer to construct state-of-the-art facilities that could fuel growth in the region.

Pioneer Group designed The Ventures Building with a range of innovative features like an interactive display system that lets entrepreneurs view their data in various ways through intelligent software. It also has high-speed internet connection to help companies stay organized while keeping costs down. Furthermore, there's an impressive lobby and bar area which could attract prospective tenants looking for high-end workspaces.

The space

Kent University is a major hub for research and teaching in the fields of natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. Established as a college in 1846, it has since blossomed into an expansive university with over 13,000 students and staff of 5,000. On campus there are various buildings worth visiting such as Gulbenkian complex which houses both mainstream and non-mainstream film screenings as well as lectures.

This building also houses the University's regional cinema, screening both new and archive films throughout the day. Furthermore, there's a cafe/bar and restaurant facility open to both students and the public that are free to enjoy.

Life science startups can find plenty of space in the Ventures Building. Already, several life science companies are tenants in this building.

One such company is Form Bio, a software provider in the computational biology space. After starting at Colossal Biosciences, their software seeks to simplify workflows in gene therapy and biotech fields.

Belgian biotech firm Orionis recently secured a private round of funding, enabling it to pursue R&D and expand its pipeline with cancer-fighting platforms dubbed A-Kine and Allo-Glue. These platforms aim to address core disease vulnerabilities.

Finally, eTheRNA is endeavoring to discover and develop a variety of mRNA-based drug therapies. With a more expansive vision than Moderna, they are creating an end-to-end platform for discovering, developing, manufacturing and commercializing these therapeutics.

Although the financial landscape remains murky, some startups have managed to successfully navigate it. A recent study discovered that startup performance is determined by potential absorptive capacity - or how much VC investment a firm receives during its early stage of growth. Examining 363 firms listed from 2000-2007, researchers discovered that potential absorptive capacity was positively associated with startup performance while realized absorptive capacity did not show an equal correlation.

The deal

Life science startups now have access to a newly renovated lab space in Kent, designed by UK-based Pioneer Group to address the shortage of laboratory spaces for this sector in several parts of the country. With this 14,000 square foot facility, they hope to address some of these issues head-on.

Pioneer Group announced the opening of their building to both scaleups and life science startups alike, filling a void between Oxford and Cambridge - home to many of the region's life science industries - where many scaleups currently operate.

Ventures Building strives to be an all-inclusive service provider for startups, providing everything from business advice and coaching, through funding and legal support. It also has a bespoke deal sourcing service unique in the industry that it claims helps its portfolio companies close deals quickly and efficiently.

Venture Building differs from traditional business models in that it takes a more flexible approach. It leverages the best elements of both worlds to create something new that can work well for many startup businesses.

Faster and more efficient than traditional processes, the platform hopes to attract the kind of talent necessary for its success.

Many firms looking to invest in a startup will want to consider the Venture Building model. By employing experienced personnel, they can save time on hiring tasks and focus on perfecting their product or service.

Venture Building can also assist entrepreneurs with their business planning and marketing strategy, which are often challenging for smaller startups to comprehend. Yet these two elements are crucial elements in determining a company's success - so don't delay!

Additionally, it can manage its deals and deal flow more efficiently, enabling it to make decisions quickly and with greater precision. This is essential since startups typically compete against hundreds of other ventures for funding.

The future

The South East of England is a hub for life science research, yet a shortage of lab space continues to limit development. That's according to Bidwells Property Consultants' report which revealed almost no lab availability in the region despite high demand.

Kent amid is on track to become a US-style supercluster, and having dedicated lab space for startups to test their ideas and take them forward is key. This will be especially advantageous to life science companies looking to expand as well as those already established who need additional room to accommodate their expanding teams.

Biotechs have seen their share of venture investment surge dramatically over the past few years. Yet the risk of a startup failing still exists, particularly in an uncertain world where entrepreneurship remains highly valued.

Although capital may have increased, a company's success still relies on its ability to build an efficient team and develop a business model that fits with the target market. Fortunately, there are experts available who can assist companies in turning these ideas into commercially successful enterprises.

A startup builder, also known as a venture builder, is an industry expert who turns ideas into successful businesses. They typically provide financial resources as well as expertise in areas such as finance, marketing, management, technology, operations and legal concerns.

These professionals possess the essential entrepreneurial and leadership abilities required to launch a business venture. These specialists may be classified as either individual or corporate venture builders.

One of the biggest obstacles a startup faces is finding reliable partners. A venture builder can serve as both its lead investor and strategic adviser, helping it achieve its objectives.

For example, a venture builder might collaborate with a startup to identify the top talent and connect them to relevant networks. It could then assist the team in acquiring necessary funding to expand the business and accelerate its progress.

Another example of a venture builder is Satgana, which invests in climate technology and impact technology startups across Europe and Africa. These ventures are creating technologies with positive effects on society.