Non-profit seed investor Bridge to Cures launches in Wisconsin to support life science spin-outs.
Bridge to Cures (BC), a non-profit looking to provide mentorship and seed stage investments to academic spin-outs in the Wisconsin area, has launched with aims of providing an annual pot of $280,000.
BC has already received $140,000 from the state’s Wisconsin Economic Develop Corporation, and is now seeking private donations to make up the remainder. The fund will be an evergreen model, with all proceeds from its investments going back into the fund to support future innovations, and plans to invest in four firms per annum, with a new pot raised each year.
While the fund is looking to support Wisconsin life science advances generally, which in the past have included adding vitamin D to foods thus curing rickets in the US and the widely used anticoagulant Warfarin, its focus will be on university spin-outs. Partners with the non-profit include Medical College of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Concordia University, Marquette University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, and BloodCenter of Wisconsin.
