November 5, 2004

Retail Roundup

First start-up companies move into South San Jose's Bioscience Incubator

Bioscience start-ups Cytolution, Inc. and Manoa Medical, Inc. are the first two tenants to move into the new San Jose Bioscience Incubator and Innovation Center, located at 5941 Optical Court in the Edenvale Technology Park. The two companies are part of what will be a charter group of up to 20 to take advantage of the area's innovative breeding grounds.

Cytolution, Inc., which relocated from Virginia, is developing technology to help diagnose cervical cancer. Manoa Medical, Inc. is a Redwood City transplant and is working to develop new breast cancer surgery technology. “The San Jose center is an outstanding space that includes access to support and equipment that a life science start-up needs right at the beginning,” notes Roberta Lee, Manoa Medical’s founder and CEO.

That’s just the way the incubator was envisioned, according to San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales. “We are nurturing entrepreneurs with vision who will create jobs and opportunities for our community's long-term prosperity. Our incubators have an excellent track record for helping start-up companies grow into successful enterprises, and we are excited about doing it again in the field of bioscience,” Gonzales said.

The Bioscience Incubator, funded by a $6.5 million investment by the San Jose Redevelopment Agency, comprises approximately 36,500 square feet and includes shared facilities and equipment with wet labs, dry labs, office space, tissue culture facilities and conference rooms. It is the fourth in a series of business incubators established by the city of San Jose and the Redevelopment Agency, in partnership with the San Jose State University Foundation, over the past 10 years. Bay Area Global Access Innovation Network (GAIN) manages the Bioscience Incubator under contract with the Redevelopment Agency.

“We have a stringent process for evaluating a company’s science and business potential before they become a tenant,” said Melinda Richter, Bay Area GAIN’s managing director and vice president of strategic partnerships for the Women’s Technology Cluster. “The city’s investment will help these companies reach that potential, which will ultimately improve medical treatments and drive economic growth.”

For more information about becoming a tenant, partner or sponsor of the Bioscience Incubator, contact Richter at (415) 421-5500 ext. 102 or melinda@wtc-sf.org; or Kathleen Imhoff at (408) 960-3806 or kimhoff@bbloxsolutions.com. Open houses are held at the incubator every Tuesday and Thursday; private tours can also be arranged.