Leading Texas Organizations Combine Their Annual Life Sciences Conferences
New life science companies to be featured on March 8, 2012.
Houston, TX (February 13, 2012) – Three leading Texas life science organizations today announced that they will combine their annual conferences into a single, large annual event for the life sciences industry in the state, the Texas Life Science Venture Forum.
The event hosted by BioHouston, the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship (Rice Alliance) and the Texas Healthcare and BioScience Institute (THBI) will be held on March 8, 2012, at Rice University’s BioScience Research Collaborative, 6500 Main Street, Houston, in conjunction with invitation-only events the day before and after the conference.
The Texas Life Science Venture Forum is designed to support life sciences entrepreneurs in the state of Texas, connect entrepreneurs with potential investors and strategic partners, provide an educational vehicle for the life science community, and to showcase the vibrancy of the existing life science community in Texas. We expect to showcase 40+ promising new life science start-up companies in front of more than 50 life science investors.
“Our organizations share many of the same goals in supporting life sciences entrepreneurs in our state,” said Brad Burke, managing director of Rice Alliance. “We think we can reach more businesses and have a much bigger impact by combining our efforts.”
The meeting is expected to be the only event of its kind in the state, bringing the new Nature Publishing Group’s SciCafe to Texas on March 7. The SciCafe has been running in Boston and San Francisco for over three years. This prestigious event brings “up and coming” academic investigators into contact with the venture/business community.
“We are encouraged by the progress we’ve seen to date and Texas continues to be a fertile environment for some of the most innovative and promising medical technology,” said Jacqueline Northcut, president and CEO of BioHouston. “We believe that together we will attract more investors to create a larger, more vibrant life science community within our state.”
In addition to providing much needed support to entrepreneurs, the conference is meant to acknowledge and build upon existing advances in the Texas life science community.
To register for the event and to view the conference agenda visit www.txlifescienceventureforum.org
About BioHouston
BioHouston, Inc. is a non-profit tax-exempt [501(c)(3)] corporation founded by Houston area academic/research institutions. BioHouston’s mission is to foster an environment that stimulates activities which make the Houston region a global competitor in the life science industry.
About the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship (Rice Alliance) is Rice University’s nationally-recognized initiative devoted to the support of technology commercialization, entrepreneurship education, and the launch of technology companies.
About the Texas Healthcare & Bioscience Institute
The Texas Healthcare & Bioscience Institute (THBI) is focused on advocacy as well as industry vitalization. THBI works with government and industry leaders to recruit the life sciences to Texas and to promote effective government legislation on the behalf of the industry at the state and federal level.
Ann Tanabe
COO
BioHouston, Inc.
6500 Main Street, Suite 1040
Houston, TX 77030
Phone: (713) 874-9300
Email: ann.tanabe@biohouston.org
www.biohouston.org
Mary Lynn Fernau
Director of Marketing
Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
Phone: 713-348-5374
Email: mlfernau@rice.edu
www.alliance.rice.edu