Singularity University Announces Inaugural Synthetic Biology Accelerator Program

Startup founders will develop and launch transformative companies in the emerging field of synthetic biology at new Silicon Valley SynBio Startup Launchpad

Mountain View, CA (May 17, 2012)– Singularity University today announced the companies selected to participate in its inaugural synthetic biology accelerator program, SynBio Startup Launchpad. The program will nurture aspiring SynBio entrepreneurs seeking to apply the rapid-cycle, low-cost approaches employed by tech and biotech startups. Synthetic biology is genetic engineering using software-based design tools coupled with low-cost DNA synthesis and assembly.

The SynBio Program was conceived by Andrew Hessel, Co-Chair of SU’s Biotechnology and Bioinformatics track, and John Cumbers, Ph.D, a synthetic biologist working at NASA Ames Research Center. As Andrew Hessel explains, “advances in technology are allowing scientists to treat DNA, our genetic code, the same way people use code for software programming.”

The SynBio Startup Launchpad is Singularity University’s first formal initiative to support startups developing exponentially growing technologies. “The SynBio program brings together a powerful community seeking to support startups developing products from the emerging field of synthetic biology to address some of the world’s biggest challenges,” said Gabriel Baldinucci, Singularity University’s Vice President of Strategy and New Venture Development.

Three (3) companies have been selected for the SynBio Program: Evolutionary Solutions, Modern Meadow, and SoilGene. Evolutionary Solutions (founders Kettner Griswold and Paul Sebexen) is developing an oligo- to genome-scale synthesis device. Modern Meadow (co-founder Andras Forgacs) applies the latest advances in tissue engineering to produce a range of novel biomaterials for food and textile applications. SoilGene (founders Zachary Apte and Robert Lim) combines metagenomic and bioinformatic approaches to survey land opportunities for the natural resources and agriculture sectors.

A unique aspect of the SynBio program is its partnership with Triple Ring Technologies in Newark, California. The three selected companies will be based at Triple Ring to take advantage of its engineering and lab facilities, and their staff’s extensive expertise in life sciences innovation and commercialization. “We are excited to work with the SynBio entrepreneurs taking innovations to market in the emerging synthetic biology space,” said Joseph Heanue, Ph.D., president and CEO of Triple Ring Technologies.

The selected entrepreneurs will go through four months of comprehensive, customized mentoring and education in bringing their ideas to market. The companies receive close mentorship from a network of experienced advisors, weekly speakers on critical venture topics, networking with their peers, and valuable discounted services to launch their companies.

The first program will conclude in late August with the SynBio Companies pitching their ventures to investors and the community at “demo day” events.

About Singularity University

Singularity University’s mission is to assemble, educate, and inspire a new generation of leaders in business, science, finance, and government who strive to understand and use exponentially advancing technologies to address humanity’s grand challenges. Corporate Partners include Autodesk, Cisco, ePlanet Ventures, Genentech, Google, Kauffman Foundation, and Nokia. Since 2009, SU has hosted students and industry leaders from more than 60 countries at its campus at NASA Research Park, Moffett Field, CA.

SU offers a Summer Graduate Studies Program and numerous Executive Programs throughout the year focused on the impact and incubation of exponentially advancing technologies in the key areas of medicine and neuroscience, networks and computing systems, artificial intelligence and robotics, biotechnology and bioinformatics, nanotechnology, space and physical science, and energy and environmental systems. SU programs focus on the intersection of these areas with each other and with policy, law, and ethics; design; entrepreneurship; finance and economics; and futures studies and forecasting.

For more information about the SynBio program visit www.singularityu.org/synbio

SU Media contact: Diane Murphy (diane.murphy@singularityu.org)

SU Synbio Lab contact: Sandra Miller (Sandra.miller@singularityu.org)

 

 

Singularity University Welcomes Sandra Miller, Former Kauffman Foundation and Stanford Biodesign Executive, to Direct New Venture Activities, Including SU Labs

Mountain View, CA (May 16, 2012) — Singularity University (SU) has announced the appointment of Sandra Miller, an entrepreneurship education expert, as Managing Director of New Venture Development. Ms. Miller will be responsible for SU’s first incubation program, SynBio Startup Launchpad, while also working closely with Vice President of Strategy & New Venture Development Gabriel Baldinucci. Singularity Labs will be the model for SU’s work “after the classroom” and will encompass faculty and alumni research, new company generation and incubation, and innovation services for larger companies around the world.

“Sandra brings specialized experience to Singularity University and we are very excited to have her as a senior member of the Singularity University team. Sandra’s acumen in developing innovative entrepreneurship programs and advising early stage ventures is a perfect fit for SU, as we expand our offerings beyond education into the realm of catalyzing and mentoring companies around the world to solve humanity’s grand challenges,” said Singularity University CEO Rob Nail.

“Creating, incubating and financing companies to positively affect the lives of a billion people are central elements of SU’s vision. We call this 10^9+ impact,” said Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, SU Chairman and Co-Founder. “Sandra’s extensive experience with leading entrepreneurship and innovation programs at the Kauffman Foundation, an SU Corporate Founder, and at the Stanford Biodesign Program are well suited to support SU’s entrepreneurial community.”

“I am honored to be a play a role in realizing Singularity University’s bold mission to positively impact a billion people, and am inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of the Singularity University community,” said Miller.

Previously, Ms. Miller played a major role in the formation and growth of two world-class entrepreneurship education programs: Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation and the Stanford Biodesign Program, where she was Director and Managing Director, respectively. Sandra has advised more than 100 early stage technology-based companies and is an invited lecturer on the topics of entrepreneurship education, the commercialization of university research and related policies.

Sandra Miller has a BA from San Jose State University and MBA from Pepperdine University and completed the Women’s Director Development Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

About Singularity University
Singularity University’s mission is to assemble, educate, and inspire a new generation of leaders in business, science, finance, and government who strive to understand and use exponentially advancing technologies to address humanity’s grand challenges. Corporate Partners include Autodesk, Cisco, ePlanet Ventures, Genentech, Google, Kauffman Foundation, and Nokia. Since 2009, SU has hosted students and industry leaders from more than 60 countries at its campus at NASA Research Park, Moffett Field, CA.
SU offers a Summer Graduate Studies Program and numerous Executive Programs throughout the year focused on the impact and incubation of exponentially advancing technologies in the key areas of medicine and neuroscience, networks and computing systems, artificial intelligence and robotics, biotechnology and bioinformatics, nanotechnology, space and physical science, and energy and environmental systems. SU programs focus on the intersection of these areas with each other, and with policy, law, and ethics; design; entrepreneurship; finance and economics; and futures studies and forecasting.

For more information about Singularity University visit www.singularityu.org

Mountain View, CA — Vivek Wadhwa, a successful and well-respected Silicon Valley entrepreneur, academic and international journalist, has been honored by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as an Outstanding American by Choice for his significant contributions and achievements as a naturalized U.S. citizen. The recognition was presented to Mr. Wadhwa by Alejandro Mayorkas, Director of USCIS during the Entrepreneurs in Residence Summit at NASA Research Park on Wednesday, February 22, in Mountain View, CA. “We are very pleased to honor Vivek Wadhwa and include him among the group of outstanding individuals from more than 35 countries, who have been honored since 2006,” said Mayorkas. “I commend Vivek for his civic participation, professional achievement, and responsible citizenship, and for his demonstrated commitment to the United States and to the common civic values that unite all Americans.“ “I am touched. This shows the greatness of America,” said Wadhwa. “This country welcomes people from all over the world and assimilates them. It encourages them to challenge the norms and think outside the box. I believe that America will continue to lead the world because no other country has these critical ingredients for success”. Vivek Wadhwa, who was born in India and emigrated to the U.S. from Australia—where he studied and worked, currently serving as VP of Academics and Innovation at Singularity University (SU), where he oversees faculty and curriculum development and international outreach. Mr. Wadhwa is also a fellow at the Arthur & Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance, Stanford University; a Director at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization, and Exec in Residence, Duke University; Distinguished Visiting Scholar, and Emory University. He is also an advisor to several start-up companies and a columnist for The Washington Post and Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and writes occasionally for several international publications. “Vivek is known for pioneering change and innovation and he dedicates his life to this end,” said Dr. Peter Diamandis, Chairman, Singularity University and author of the new best-seller Abundance. “Vivek embodies the spirit of entrepreneurship – as a businessman, scholar, mentor, professor and writer – that we promote among our international students at SU.” Previous recipients of the Outstanding American by Choice recognition include Carlos M. Gutierrez, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce; Indra 
K. Nooyi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo; Elie Wiesel, Author and Nobel Peace Prize Winner; Franklin Chang Diaz, former NASA astronaut; Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State and currently Chair, Albright Stonebridge Group and Professor, Georgetown University; Gloria Estfan, singer and songwriter, and Gerda Weissmann Klein, Founder of Citizenship Counts, Holocaust Survivor, Author, and Human Rights Activist, among many others. A full list can be found at www.uscis.gov/americansbychoice. Vivek Wadhwa earned an MBA from New York University after completing a B.A. in Computing Studies from the University of Canberra, in Australia. He is founding president of the Carolinas chapter of The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TIE), a non-profit global network intended to foster entrepreneurship. He has been featured in thousands of articles in publications world wide, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, The Washington Post, The New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, and Science Magazine, and has appeared on U.S. and international TV stations, including CNN, ABC, NBC, CNBC, and the BBC.

His article for The Washington Post for February 22, can be found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-innovations/america-keep-rewarding-your-dissidents/2012/02/21/gIQA50wgRR_story.html

 

About Singularity University Singularity University’s mission is to assemble, educate, and inspire a new generation of leaders in business, science, finance, and government who strive to understand and utilize exponentially advancing technologies to address humanity’s grand challenges – and implement solutions that will positively affect a billion people within a decade. Founding Partners include Autodesk, Cisco, Google, the Kauffman Foundation, Nokia, and ePlanet Ventures and today sponsorship has expanded to include Genentech, among other large corporations and individuals. Since 2009, SU has hosted students and industry leaders from 40 countries at its campus at NASA Research Park, Calif. SU offers both graduate studies and executive programs focused on the impact and incubation of exponentially growing technologies in six key areas: medicine and neuroscience, networks and computing systems, artificial intelligence and robotics, biotechnology/bioinformatics, nanotechnology, and energy and environmental systems. For more information visit www.singularityu.org. A high-resolution photo of Vivek Wadhwa is available at: www.wadhwa.com/bio.

World Leading Biotechnology Company to Support SU Programs Aimed at Solving Humanity’s Grand Challenges

 

Mountain View, California (February 6, 2012) – Singularity University (SU), the only educational institution uniquely focused on the impact and opportunities presented by exponentially advancing technologies, has announced a new high-level partnership with Genentech, one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies.  The announcement was made on the opening day of FutureMed, a signature SU program which explores the future of medicine through rapidly developing, disruptive, and convergent technologies and how they are poised to revolutionize healthcare.

 

Genentech will join Singularity University Founding Partners Autodesk, Cisco, Google, the Kauffman Foundation, Nokia, and ePlanet Ventures at the highest level of sponsorship, in addition to becoming a Platinum Sponsor of the 2012 FutureMed Program at Singularity University.  FutureMed runs from February 6-11 on the SU campus at NASA Research Park at Moffett Field, California.

 

“We are very excited to welcome Genentech to Singularity University as our first large-scale biotech partner,” said Rob Nail, CEO of Singularity University. “It’s a tremendous opportunity to be partnered with a company so committed to cutting edge science, innovation, and improving medicine and healthcare.”

 

The new partnership between Singularity University and Genentech will also support the annual SU Summer Graduate Studies Program, a 10-week graduate-level interdisciplinary curriculum designed to facilitate innovation across a broad range of scientific and technological disciplines whose developments are accelerating exponentially. The keystone of the program, the Ten to the Ninth Plus (10^9+) Team Projects, challenge students to develop services, products, companies and organizations that have the ability to positively affect the lives of one billion people within 10 years.

 

 

About Genentech (www.gene.com)

Founded more than 30 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious or life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. Their current portfolio of pharmaceuticals includes therapies in Oncology, Immunology, and Infectious Disease. Genentech is also acknowledged for their commitment for Access To Care initiatives. Approximately $2.3 billion in free medicine has been donated through the Genentech Access To Care Foundation (GATCF) for at-risk and underinsured patients.

 

About FutureMed (www.futuremed2020.com)

FutureMed is a unique multidisciplinary and immersive hands-on experience, uniquely designed for healthcare professionals and those interested in medical related innovation. The week-long program educates and prepares physicians, senior health care executives, entrepreneurs and investors to understand and recognize the opportunities and disruptive influences of exponential and rapidly developing technologies. The implications of these technologies are poised to revolutionize medicine, healthcare, and the biotechnology industry in the decade ahead. Core tracks include Information/Data-driven and Internet enabled health care, Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Regenerative Medicine, Robotics & Future Interventional approaches, NeuroMedicine, Device & Drug development, and Entrepreneurship.

 

About Singularity University (www.singularityu.org)

Singularity University’s mission is to assemble, educate, and inspire a new generation of leaders in business, science, finance, and government who strive to understand and utilize exponentially advancing technologies to address humanity’s grand challenges. Since it was established in 2009, Singularity University has hosted students and industry leaders from 40 countries at its campus at NASA Research Park in California.

 

Singularity University offers both graduate studies and executive programs focused on the impact and incubation of exponentially growing technologies in six key areas: medicine and neuroscience, networks and computing systems, artificial intelligence and robotics, biotechnology/bioinformatics, nanotechnology, and energy and environmental systems.

Mountain View, CA (February 7, 2012) — Singularity University (SU) has announced the appointment of Gabriel Baldinucci, an experienced entrepreneur, investor, and former Virgin Group executive, as Vice President of Strategy and New Venture Development.

Mr. Baldinucci will be responsible for the development and leadership of a new venture, SU Labs, while also working closely with CEO Rob Nail to direct overall strategy for Singularity University. SU Labs will be the center for SU’s work “after the classroom” and will encompass faculty and alumni research, new company generation and incubation, and innovation services for larger companies around the world.

“We are very excited to have Gabriel as a senior member of the Singularity University team. His experience developing new ventures is a perfect fit for SU as we expand our offerings beyond education and into the realm of catalyzing and mentoring projects and companies around the globe to tackle the grand challenges that face humanity,” said Singularity University CEO Rob Nail. “Gabriel also brings a passionate, entrepreneurial spirit that is great to addition to the SU community.”

“Creating, incubating and financing companies able to positively affect the lives of a billion people is an central element of SU’s vision. We call this 10^9+ impact,” Said Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder. “This will be Gabriel’s key focus at SU Labs. His previous experience at Virgin is perfect to expand our successes during the past three years and help take this University to scale.”

“This is not going to be a typical incubator”, said Baldinucci. “We are building an innovative platform that will put our new SU companies alongside leading R&D teams from around the world, along with our incredible faculty. We will work across a company’s full life cycle in a way that helps people at different stages bring unique value to each other.”
Baldinucci was most recently a Managing Director at Palm Ventures in Greenwich, CT, where he focused on a broad range of industries with an emphasis on consumer services.

Previously, Mr. Baldinucci was a Vice President of Corporate Development at Sir Richard Branson’s’ Virgin Group, where new Virgin companies are developed and launched. During his five years with Virgin, Baldinucci often worked directly with Mr. Branson and conceived and developed new business opportunities in health & wellness, travel, retail, IT services, and media. Prior to joining Virgin, Mr. Baldinucci consulted for several startup companies and also spent two years with Goldman Sachs’ Investment Management Division in New York.

Baldinucci started his entrepreneurial career in high school by founding and successfully selling a local pizza restaurant chain. He has been quoted in Forbes Magazine and his work on entrepreneurship has been published by the Family Office Association. He is personally an investor or advisor for several startup companies and he holds a BA in Economics from Duke University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

About Singularity University

Singularity University’s mission is to assemble, educate, and inspire a new generation of leaders in business, science, finance, and government who strive to understand and utilize exponentially advancing technologies to address humanity’s grand challenges. Founding Partners include Autodesk, Cisco, Google, the Kauffman Foundation, Nokia, and ePlanet Ventures. Since its founding in 2009, SU has hosted students and industry leaders from over 60 countries at its campus at NASA Research Park, Moffett Field, CA.

SU offers both graduate studies and executive programs focused on the impact and incubation of exponentially growing technologies in six key areas: medicine and neuroscience, networks and computing systems, artificial intelligence and robotics, biotechnology and bioinformatics, nanotechnology, and energy and environmental systems.

For more information and participation in SU programs, visit www.singularityu.org