Boehringer Ingelheim signs multi-year strategic sponsorship agreement with Biolabs Global to support the launch of BioLabs in Heidelberg. BioRN, the leading non-profit membership network supporting the Life Science Cluster in the Rhine-Neckar region has been working with Biolabs over the past year to adapt the US start-up incubator model to the German research and biotech environment. The BioLabs Heidelberg site is expected to open for innovative life science start-up companies in 2021.
BioLabs Global is the premier life-sciences and biotech co-working company founded in 2010 and operates laboratories in key life science clusters, making it the most successful life-science incubator operator in the US. Boehringer Ingelheim embraces the power of partnership and diversity of minds across the life-science community to create more breakthrough therapies that change patients’ lives. The new sponsorship is part of Boehringer Ingelheim’s unique “Grass Roots” program aiming at connecting the company with entrepreneurs and facilitating information sharing and open dialog.
Through the sponsorship, Boehringer Ingelheim provides expertise and offers guidance to start-up companies at the Heidelberg site. Boehringer Ingelheim will also be offering ‘Golden Tickets” to the companies once per year during the term of the sponsorship. In partnership with BioLabs, Boehringer Ingelheim has awarded numerous entrepreneurs with one year of free lab space through the BioLabs’ ‘Golden Ticket’ program.
Ioannis Sapountzis, Ph.D., Global Head of Business Development and Licensing at Boehringer Ingelheim said, “We are delighted to support BioLabs’ expansion into Europe and are looking forward to supporting the young innovative life science companies moving into BioLabs’ startup incubator. We have an excellent long-term relationship with BioLabs and BioRN and highly value their initiatives and programs which reflect and enable our commitment to foster emerging science to bring more medical breakthroughs to patients.”
“We are thrilled to have Boehringer Ingelheim as a sponsor of the site, their decision to support this project demonstrates the strong commitment to the amazing scientists and entrepreneurs in the region. Their partnership with BioRN and BioLabs Heidelberg will provide a significant boost to the biotech start-up ecosystem in the Rhine-Main-Neckar area.” said Julia Schaft, managing director at BioRN.
Johannes Fruehauf, founder of BioLabs said, “We are eager to partner again with Boehringer Ingelheim, building on years of successful partnership in the US, to expand our program to Europe. Boehringer Ingelheim has proven to be an excellent partner and mentor to many of our startups, and has already partnered with several companies out of our network. Together, we will build a strong center of entrepreneurship and medical innovation in Heidelberg to complement and build upon the excellent academic environment already present.
