How do I communicate my innovation/technology to Accelerator?
How is Accelerator different from any other incubator?
Where do Accelerator companies come from?
What type of technologies will Accelerator fund?
What is the size of investment that Accelerator will make in portfolio companies?
What resources will be available to Accelerator Companies?
How much space is available to Accelerator companies?
How long will Accelerator Companies remain in the Accelerator facility?
How long does the review process take?
What are the costs to an Accelerator Company?
What are the benefits of becoming an Accelerator Company?
How do I communicate my innovation/technology to Accelerator?
A submission form is available on the Accelerator web site at Submit Plan. This submission form will ask for contact information and a short (500 words or less) description of your innovation/technology. > back to top
How is Accelerator different from an incubator?
Accelerator is much more than an incubator. Accelerator is a syndicate of venture capital investors who will invest in every Accelerator Company. Accelerator will not be under pressure to increase occupancy of its facility to offset fixed costs, enabling Accelerator to be extremely selective in its investments. Accelerator will provide, through its staff and affiliated consultants and service providers, all of the business management and operational infrastructure required by Accelerator Companies, freeing them to focus exclusively on technology development. Through its affiliation with ISB, Accelerator will provide Accelerator Companies access to a world-renowned research institution, its faculty & staff, and it core scientific facilities and expertise. This combination of resources should provide Accelerator Companies with the greatest likelihood of success, avoiding many of the classic mistakes and delays encountered by early-stage start-up companies. > back to top
Where do Accelerator companies come from?
There are no constraints as to where geographically and from what type of source Accelerator Companies will come from other than that the Accelerator will only invest in technologies/innovations which will benefit from affiliation with the ISB. Consequently, Accelerator companies may come from almost anyplace globally, and from sources that will likely include academia, non-profit institutions (including ISB), and commercial entities (i.e. biotech companies). > back to top
What types of technologies will Accelerator fund?
The Accelerator is looking for leading-edge nascent technologies and innovations around which the next generation of great biotechnology and life sciences companies will be formed, and which will benefit from affiliation with ISB. > back to top
What is the size of investment that Accelerator will make in portfolio companies?
The venture capital investors backing Accelerator have made an initial commitment of $21.8 million for investments in Accelerator Companies. The current projection is that this money will be invested over a 3-year time period, in approximately 6-8 companies. This means that the average investment size will be ~$2 million; however, the standard deviation around that average could be significant, with investments potentially ranging from very small amounts up to several million depending upon the particular demonstrated needs of each Accelerator Company. > back to top
What resources will be available to Accelerator Companies?
The resources provided by Accelerator and its investors will be comprehensive and should enable Accelerator Companies to focus on technology development. These resources will include: capital (invested in Accelerator Companies); business management (accounting, human resources, business development, network administration, etc.); scientific expertise (access to the faculty, staff, and core facilities of the ISB); facilities (lab/office space at the Accelerator); as well as access to an array of previously vetted service providers (legal, intellectual property, audit, etc.) and vendors (reagents, equipment, etc.). > back to top
How much space is available to Accelerator Companies?
The Accelerator, located in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle, will initially occupy 18,000 sq ft within a 165,000 sq ft building at 1616 Eastlake Avenue East. Within the 18,000 sq ft of Accelerator, there will be a number of suites consisting of laboratory and office space, as well as common spaces (i.e. glass wash/autoclave, lunchroom, reception area, conference rooms, etc.). The suites have the flexibility to be interconnected, allowing an Accelerator Company to occupy as little as one suite but to be able to grow to occupy adjacent suites. > back to top
How long will Accelerator Companies remain in the Accelerator facility?
The Accelerator itself will provide one round of investment in an Accelerator Company, with the investment tied to a well-developed and specific set of Research & Development goals and milestones and associated timeline (typically in the 12-24 month range). Accelerator itself will not provide any further financing rounds, but it is likely that, if an Accelerator Company has been successful in achieving its milestones in a timely manner and on budget, that the venture capital investors behind Accelerator (Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., Amgen Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, MPM Capital, OVP Venture Partners, and Versant Ventures) will wish to participate in future financing rounds for these emerging Accelerator Companies. > back to top
How long does the review process take?
The length of the review process will vary depending upon the complexity of the due diligence, which will primarily be focused on evaluation of the technology and underlying intellectual property. It is not in the interest of Accelerator to prolong any evaluation process beyond what is necessary. > back to top
What are the costs to an Accelerator Company?
Accelerator Companies will pay rent for their space in the facility pursuant to the terms of a lease between the Accelerator Company and Alexandria. Accelerator Companies will pay a management fee to Accelerator to offset a portion of the cost incurred by Accelerator in providing business management services, etc., to the Accelerator Companies. Accelerator Companies will pay fair market value to access core facilities and infrastructure at ISB. Accelerator Companies will pay aggressive pre-negotiated rates to access the array of consultants vetted by the Accelerator. The operational costs for Accelerator Companies will be significantly lower, and the facilities and services will be superior to what they would likely have access to outside of Accelerator. > back to top
What are the benefits of becoming an Accelerator Company?
The benefits of becoming an Accelerator Company are many. To name a few: affiliation with ISB and access to ISB faculty, staff, and core facilities; access to capital, as well as company-building expertise and an extensive industry network, from the venture capital firms invested in Accelerator; experienced biotech start-up management from the Accelerator staff; and state-of-the art purpose designed laboratory/office space. > back to top
