CoMotion
CoMotion Labs is a multi-industry incubator program at the University of Washington that provides early-stage startups with physical workspace, mentoring, and networking resources across specialized sectors like life sciences, hardware, and technology.
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Facts
- HQ
- Seattle
- Sectors
- University innovation/technology transfer, Incubation, Climate tech
Community
Home for Startups, Entrepreneurs & Innovators
- Workspace
- Online forum
- Events
- Membership program
- Mixed
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Workspaces
- Startup Hall, 1100 NE Campus Pkwy, Seattle, WA 98105
What's next
Cecilia Aragon, First Latina U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team Member, Becomes UW Data Scientist and Startup Co-founder
Cecilia Aragon, the first Latina on the U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team and author of 'Flying Free,' shared her journey from stunt pilot to data scientist and Seattle startup co-founder at the Bellevue Women’s Leadership Conference.
Archive: How to Get Investors to Really Listen to Your Pitch (Fundamentals for Startups)
(https://comotion.uw.edu/) When it comes to getting a crucial callback from a potential funder, an effective presentation goes a long way. In this talk, Ken Horenstein, founder and general partner of Pack Ventures; Elizabeth Cross Nichol, program and grant manager at Life Science Washington; and Elisa La Cava, principal at Trilogy Equity Partners shared insights on what they listen for when taking a pitch from a startup. UW and Microsoft alumnus Ken Horenstein invests in UW-affiliated projects; Elizabeth Cross Nichol is a former clinician and hospital administrator; and Elisa La Cava, formerly of Madrona, focuses on early-stage tech companies.
University of Washington’s CoMotion Innovation Arm Moving to Condon Hall Near Startup Hall in 2023
The University of Washington's innovation arm, CoMotion, will relocate from the Blume building to Condon Hall near Startup Hall later this year, expanding its space and event capabilities. Startup Hall is part of the Portage Bay Crossing neighborhood, which aims to foster research, education, and entrepreneurship.
NLM Photonics Secures $1M from Tokyo Ohka Kogyo and Hamamatsu to Boost Hybrid Electro-Optic Technology Commercialization
Seattle-based NLM Photonics raised $1 million in funding led by Japanese companies Tokyo Ohka Kogyo and Hamamatsu Photonics to advance commercialization of its hybrid electro-optic modulation technology. The investment aims to accelerate development of semiconductors that handle more data with less power and includes collaboration on shelf-stable inks using NLM’s proprietary materials.
Monod Bio Raises $25M to Develop Protein-Based Molecular Biosensors for Disease and Industrial Detection
Monod Bio, a spinout from the University of Washington's Institute for Protein Design, raised $25 million to develop protein-based molecular biosensors that emit light upon binding their targets, with applications in health diagnostics and biotechnology. The technology, co-founded by Daniel-Adriano Silva, Alfredo Quijano Rubio, and David Shoultz, uses Rosetta software and has shown promise in detecting molecules related to COVID-19, cancer, and heart attacks.
Pack Ventures launches 506(c) pre-seed fund to back University of Washington founders, pledges 10% of returns to UW
Pack Ventures (Pack VC), a pre-seed and seed 506(c) fund, launched to invest in University of Washington-affiliated founders and broaden accredited investor access; leaders pledge 10% of personal fund returns to UW and will host an online introduction for accredited investors on Feb. 17.
Monod Bio, a UW IPD spinout led by ex-Neoleukin team, raises $6M to commercialize de novo protein biosensors
Monod Bio, a University of Washington Institute for Protein Design spinout led by former Neoleukin Therapeutics team members, raised $6 million to commercialize de novo-designed protein biosensors that emit light when they detect targets like viral proteins, toxins, antibodies, or cardiac troponin. The company aims to adapt these sensors for easy, point-of-care formats (e.g., at-home tests or wearables) after demonstrating detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, botulinum toxin, HER2, and troponin in research published in Nature.
T-Mobile equips University of Washington’s CoMotion Labs with 5G; becomes Pacific Northwest’s first 5G hardware incubator
T-Mobile installed a 5G network at the University of Washington’s CoMotion Labs, making it the Pacific Northwest’s first 5G-equipped hardware incubator and adding the 5G Open Innovation Lab as a member to give its startups campus access.
UW Spinout Somalytics Launches Carbon-Nanotube Paper Sensors to Detect Eye, Hand and Body Movement
Somalytics, a University of Washington spinout, launched with ultrathin flexible sensors made from carbon nanotubes embedded in specialized paper that detect human gestures, eye movement and body signals from up to 20 cm away. Co-founded by UW researchers Jae-Hyun Chung, graduate students Zhongie Qian and Viggy Sak, and led by CEO Barbara Barclay, the company received undisclosed seed funding from IP Group and support from UW’s CoMotion.
Modulus Therapeutics, spun out of the Allen Institute for AI, raises $3.5M to engineer enhanced NK cell therapies
Modulus Therapeutics, a Seattle cell-therapy startup spun out of the Allen Institute for AI, raised $3.5 million in seed funding to use lab research and machine learning to engineer enhanced natural killer (NK) cells for anti-tumor therapies. Founders Max Darnell and Bryce Daines aim to develop a discovery platform to generate NK cell product candidates for larger cellular therapy companies.
BECU and UWs CoMotion Admit Joola, PYT Funds, Bumper and Stack to Third Annual Year-Long Seattle Fintech Incubator
Four Seattle startups—Joola, PYT Funds, Bumper, and Stack—were selected for the third annual year-long fintech incubator run by BECU and the University of Washingtons CoMotion, receiving support, mentorship, training, and space. Each company offers a distinct fintech product: Joola (co-savings/rewards), PYT Funds (education financing matchmaking), Bumper (Gen Z investing app), and Stack (API for brands to connect with brokerages).
MicrobiomX raises $1M pre-seed to commercialize stool collection, processing and capsule-encapsulation device
Seattle startup MicrobiomX raised $1 million in a pre-seed round to develop a device that collects, processes and extrudes stool into capsules for clinical fecal microbiota transplantation and offers microbiome analysis services. The company, launched in 2020 from UW and Seattle Children’s Hospital research after a $50,000 CoMotion grant, aims to simplify messy current stool-processing methods used for FMT and autologous FMT.
Creative Destruction Lab launches CDL-Seattle at UW Foster School with Microsoft partnership to back computational health startups
Creative Destruction Lab is launching CDL-Seattle at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business this fall, focusing initially on computational health through a partnership with Microsoft, UW engineering and CoMotion. The program was selected by a UW Innovation Roundtable working group and backed by local investors to scale and fund seed-stage deep-tech startups.
Creative Destruction Lab to launch nine-month, equity-free Seattle accelerator with Microsoft and UW for 20–25 computational health startups this November
Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is launching a Seattle hub this November at the University of Washington to run a nine-month, equity-free accelerator for 20–25 computational health startups in partnership with Microsoft and UW’s business, engineering, and computer science schools; UW students can shadow the program. The program is funded by founding members, enforces objective milestones with the possibility of booting nonperforming companies, and stems from UW’s Innovation Roundtable efforts led by Emer Dooley and others.
AltPep, UW spinout led by Valerie Daggett, raises $23.1M Series A to develop early-detection and therapeutics for Alzheimer’s
Seattle biotech AltPep, spun out of the University of Washington in 2019 and led by founder/CEO Valerie Daggett, raised $23.1 million in a Series A to develop detection tools and preclinical therapies for Alzheimer’s and other amyloid protein diseases. The company’s technology, based on UW-licensed research into alpha-sheet protein structures, will support early detection efforts and expansion into a new 7,500 sq ft Seattle lab.
University of Washington launches Husky FAST Start to standardize licensing for spinouts after 35-startup pilot
The University of Washington launched Husky FAST Start, a standardized licensing process with template term sheets and agreements to speed and cut costs for startup license negotiations, after piloting it with 35 startups. The move, timed with the Bayh-Dole Act’s 40th anniversary, aims to help UW founders commercialize innovations from a university that has spun out 73 startups in five years and signed over 5,000 commercial licenses.
University of Washington taps Justin Dunnicliff as NSIN university program director; Meredith Han named VP of Product at FlyHomes
The University of Washington partnered with the Department of Defense’s National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) and named UW alumnus Justin Dunnicliff as university program director to run NSIN programs at UW, connecting students to DoD-related research and employment opportunities. The article also notes Meredith Han, an early Amazon employee and angel investor, has become VP of product at FlyHomes.
University of Washington-Patented Electrostatic Foam Filter Halves Energy Use, Agentis Air to Commercialize Device
The University of Washington received a U.S. patent for an electrostatic air filtration technology that uses disposable foam cartridges to capture airborne pollutants, including viruses, while halving energy use and lowering maintenance. Agentis Air, a UW spinoff in Columbia, Md., is commercializing the system for homes and businesses and is working with testing labs to quantify pathogen removal.
A-Alpha Bio wins $620,472 NSF Phase II SBIR to develop molecular-glue discovery system
Seattle startup A-Alpha Bio received a $620,472 NSF Phase II SBIR grant to develop a system that identifies molecular glues which tag disease-causing proteins for cellular degradation, aiming to target previously 'undruggable' proteins for diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer and autoimmune disorders.
Lyssn launches AI-powered telehealth platform to transcribe and assess therapy sessions amid COVID-19 demand
Seattle startup Lyssn launched a telehealth platform that uses AI to transcribe and analyze therapist-patient conversations to evaluate use of evidence-based practices, aiming to meet rising mental health demand amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Boundless CEO Xiao Wang and Angel investor Dan Rosen urge startups to shift to 'wartime' survival, extend runway to 18 months
Startup leaders must shift from rapid-growth mindsets to survival strategies amid the COVID-19 shock, learning from past downturns and peers. Leaders like Dan Rosen and Xiao Wang recommend extending cash runway, cutting and renegotiating expenses, and using government programs to preserve teams and prepare for recovery.
Leading a startup through the crisis
For startup leaders accustomed to building their businesses in boom times, the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic goes beyond mere setback, into the realm of complete shock. But even in these unprecedented times, there are lessons to be learned from past downturns, and from the steps other startups are taking to navigate the current crisis. "We have a whole generation of people who never went through anything that looked like a dislocation or a downturn," says Dan Rosen, chair of the Alliance of Angels, an investor, biophysicist and veteran tech executive who has been through multiple economic cycles. "This…
BlueDot Photonics wins $1M DOE grant to commercialize solvent-free perovskite panel manufacturing and halve production costs
BlueDot Photonics received a $1 million DOE award to develop a solvent-free, high-throughput manufacturing process for perovskite solar panels that aims to cut production costs by about 50% and enable scalable, high-efficiency panels.
The Global Innovation Exchange
Two years ago, the University of Washington and China's premier tech school, Tsinghua University, announced a first-of-its kind project: The Global Innovation Exchange. It's an innovative new approach to teaching entrepreneurship and it's approaching its official launch. On this episode of the GeekWire podcast, we speak with GIX Co-Director and UW's VP of innovation strategy Vikram Jandhyala about the new project and how it's setting out to disrupt the innovation economy. Follow all our coverage and learn more about GIX at GeekWire.com Thank you to this week's sponsors: The University of Washington Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more…
