Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse

Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse (PLSG) is an investment firm based in the South Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that provides resources and tools to entrepreneurial life sciences enterprises in Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania in order to advance research and patient care.

Since PLSG began operations in 2002, it has assisted more than 435 life sciences companies and has affected more than 10,000 jobs in western Pennsylvania. PLSG has provided 34 companies with office or laboratory space, and 14 have been relocated to Pittsburgh from outside of the region. PLSG has invested over $20 million in 77 companies, which has leveraged over $1.5 billion in additional capital to the region.

PLSG guides researchers, entrepreneurs and emerging companies through the challenges faced in early stages of company development. They provide support to companies developing product and service innovations in biotechnology tools, diagnostics/screening, healthcare IT, medical devices and therapeutics. PLSG also helps in the expansion of more mature life science companies, by supporting new product and market developments and connecting them to investors.^[1]

Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse grew out of an original plan known as BioVenture, developed by CMU and Pitt.^[2] The initiative received a major boost in 2001 when money from the state's settlement with the tobacco industry was pledged to create a life science greenhouse in Western Pennsylvania.^[3] In 2003, Pittsburgh Biomedical Corporation, a non-profit established in 1988 by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, consolidated with PLSG.^[4]

Today, PLSG exists as a partnership between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the regional foundation of community. Their state mission is to "create, nurture and help establish a globally dominant life sciences industry in western Pennsylvania." ^[1]

Programs

Capital Investment Programs:

PLSG’s Technology Development Fund is a program designed to benefit the local economy. The Early Stage Fund is geared toward seed and early-stage life sciences companies, and works to achieve rapid company formation and technology commercialization milestones. Portfolio companies Cohera Medical, ALung Technologies and Personal Health Recording for Quality of Life have all seen success from the funds.[1]

In addition to funding, PLSG’s Business Growth Programs help regional innovators make entry to market and sustain company growth.

Venture Capital Partnerships help to guide VC firms and angel investors to opportunities within PLSG Portfolio companies. Since start of operations in 2002, PLSG has committed over $20 million into 77 life sciences companies and have attracted over $1 billion in additional capital for these emerging businesses.¹

Business Growth Programs:

PLSG helps companies at every stage move from laboratory to marketplace, to realize their full potential. They assist in creating a management team and business model that can build and sustain companies through commercialization milestones.

Companies already generating product or service revenue can also growth their success with PLSG programs for market expansion, new product or service development, workforce development, investor relations and industry collaboration.¹

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[1] http://www.post-gazette.com/business/2014/04/05/Business-Briefs-143/stories/201404050019

Portfolio

Biotechnology Companies:

· Applied Isotope Technologies[1]

· Celsense[2]

· Crystalplex[3]

· Falcon Genomics[4]

· Immunetrics[5]

· MS2 Array[6]

· SpectraGenetics[1]

Diagnostics:

· Advanced Technology Healthcare Solutions

· Cernostics[1]

· Intelomed[2]

· NanoLambda

· RedPath Integrated Pathology[3]

Healthcare IT:

· Better Body[4] Image

· Blenderhouse[5]

· Brainstage[6]

· Caliber Infosolutions[7]

· Chronic Health Metrics

· Hability[8]

· Health Monitoring Systems[9]

· MedRespond[10]

· MedSage Technologies[11]

· Mymedcoupons.com[12]

· NewCare Solutions[13]

· PHRQL[14]

· Treatspace[15]

· Well Bridge Health[16]

Medical Devices:

· ALung Technologies[17]

· BioSafe[1]

· Carmell Therapeutics[2]

· ChemDAQ[3]

· Circadiance[4]

· Cohera Medical[5]

· Flexicath[6]

· Medrobotics[7]

· NeuroInterventional Therapeutics

· Neuro Kinetics[8]

· Quantum Ops[9]

· ReGear Life Sciences[10]

· Rinovum[11]

· Rubitection Inc.[12]

· Separation Design Group[13]

· Spinal MetRX

· Starr Life Sciences[14]

· Vytrace

· Wright Therapy Products[15]

Therapeutics:

· ATRP Solutions[16]

· Biomed Research & Technologies

· Cognition Therapeutics[17]

· Complexa[18]

· Knopp Biosciences[19]

· Launchcyte[20]

· Lipella Pharmaceuticals[1]

· LSEC

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[1] http://www.lipella.com/

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[1] http://biosafe.com/

[2] http://www.carmellrx.com/

[3] http://www.chemdaq.com/

[4] http://www.circadiance.com/

[5] http://www.coheramedical.com/

[6] http://www.flexicath.com/

[7] http://www.medrobotics.com/

[8] http://www.neuro-kinetics.com/

[9] http://quantumops.com/

[10] http://regearlife.com/

[11] http://rinovum.com/

[12] http://rubitection.com/

[13] http://www.separationdesign.com/

[14] http://www.starrlifesciences.com/

[15] http://www.wrighttherapy.com/

[16] http://www.atrpsolutions.com/

[17] http://www.cogrx.com/

[18] http://www.complexarx.com/

[19] http://www.knoppneurosciences.com/

[20] http://launchcyte.com/

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[1] http://www.cernostics.com/

[2] http://intelomed.com/

[3] http://www.redpathip.com/

[4] http://www.betterbodyimage.com/story.php

[5] http://blenderhouse.com/home/

[6] http://www.brainstage.com/

[7] http://www.caliberindia.com/

[8] http://www.hability.net/index.php

[9] http://www.hmsinc.com/

[10] http://www.medrespond.com/

[11] http://www.medsagetechnologies.com/

[12] https://www.innovationworks.org/Our-Companies/Alphabetical-Listing/Portfolio-Details/ArticleId/899/MyMedCoupons-LLC

[13] http://silentalertmonitor.com/index.html

[14] http://www.phrql.com/

[15] https://www.treatspace.com/

[16] http://wellbridgehealth.com/

[17] http://www.alung.com/

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[1] http://spectragenetics.com/about-us/

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[1] http://sidms.com/about

[2] http://www.celsense.com/about.html

[3] http://www.crystalplex.com/#start

[4] http://www.falcongenomics.com/

[5] http://www.immunetrics.com/

[6] http://ms2array.com/

References

External links

• Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse

Video

• WQED OnQ feature on the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse