Forward BIOLABS, a Madison co-working laboratory and office for life science startups, announced on Monday that it is expanding to strengthen Wisconsin’s biohealth ecosystem for young companies. Backed by the state of Wisconsin in support of the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub, these efforts include expanding Forward BIOLABS’ Madison facility, piloting a presence in Milwaukee and launching a new statewide program.
The larger Madison facility will be located in the MG&E Innovation Center at University Research Park. Expanded infrastructure will include capabilities focused on chemistry and additional life sciences equipment tailored for seed-stage companies.
The biohealth startup hub in Milwaukee will share a co-working office with BioForward Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub in the UW Milwaukee Innovation Accelerator. The move aims to enhance the network in the area and support young companies’ growth.
As part of this pilot, a dedicated advisory group will play a pivotal role in guiding the development of Forward BIOLABS in the greater Milwaukee area. A newly created position will lead Forward BIOLABS’ Milwaukee presence and the upcoming Innovation to Commercialization Pipeline (ICP) program.
Co-led by BioForward Wisconsin and Forward BIOLABS, the ICP program is designed to support statewide scalable young biohealth companies with navigating the journey from discovery to market. It will offer participants opportunities to apply for company-specific support that “de-risks” scale-up and further investment. The ICP program directly addresses commercialization and capital-access gaps identified during the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub strategic planning process, and it builds on priorities outlined in the state-supported Tech Hub portfolio.
