PHILADELPHIA--(January 24, 2012) – The University City Science Center started off the new year by welcoming four new companies into its Port Business Incubator in Philadelphia, PA. Three of the four companies, Immunocore, Kwelia and MedCity Media have taken desk space in the Bullpen, the Port’s newest co-working space, which opened in November 2011. Pharmaceutical Press is occupying office space in the Port’s Hubert J. P. Schoemaker Lab at 3624 Market Street.
Immunocore, the sister company of current Port resident Adaptimmune, is a privately owned biotechnology company developing innovative biological therapeutics for the treatment of a range of serious diseases. Its T cell receptor technology exploits the power of the body’s own immune system to find and kill diseased cells. Based in the United Kingdom, Immunocore has chosen to establish offices at the Science Center because of its collaborative relationship with the University of Pennsylvania.
A graduate of DreamIt Ventures’ latest cycle, Kwelia, has taken three desks in the Bullpen. Kwelia takes the guesswork out of managing apartment complexes. The company compiles a database of rental market data and using a proprietary model, crunches the numbers. The result is real-time and user-friendly analysis on critical market assumptions such as rental rates and lease duration.
“We chose the Science Center’s Port Business Incubator because we had a positive experience being incubated here through DreamIt Ventures. Beyond the state-of-the-art facilities, we were attracted to the space because of its proximity to a large pool of talent at Drexel and the University of Pennsylvania and the ability to be around other young companies that are doing cool things” explains Kwelia Founder & CEO, John Njoku. “The free coffee doesn't hurt either.”
MedCity Media creates content for those with a vested interest in healthcare. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, MedCity has quickly become a go-to resource for healthcare and life science innovators and influencers. The company offers two primary products – MedCityNews.com and a complete range of custom content services.
Pharmaceutical Press (PhP) is the publishing division of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, based in London, UK. Pharmaceutical Press has been producing publications on pharmacy and related disciplines since 1842. With gold standard products such as Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference, Stockley’s Drug Interactions and the British National Formulary, PhP is an internationally recognized professional and educational publisher dedicated to pharmaceutical science and healthcare. In an effort to assist with the expansion of its presence in the the U.S. market, PhP chose Philadelphia and the Science Center due to its proximity to the pharmaceutical industry and area universities including new customer, the University of the Sciences – a Science Center shareholder.
Both Immunocore and PhP are the latest participants in the Science Center’s Global Soft Landing Program, which fosters international business in the U.S. by helping global companies establish a foothold in local life sciences and IT markets.
About the Science Center
The University City Science Center accelerates technology commercialization, regional economic development, and the market availability of life-enhancing scientific breakthroughs by bringing together innovations, scientists, entrepreneurs, funding, laboratory facilities, and business services. Established in 1963 and headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, the Science Center was the first, and remains the largest, urban research park in the United States. Graduate organizations and current residents of the University City Science Center’s Port business incubators have created more than 15,000 jobs that remain in the Greater Philadelphia region today and contribute more than $9 billion to the regional economy annually. For more information about the Science Center, go to www.sciencecenter.org.
The Port business incubator offers start-up companies more than just physical resources. It also surrounds emerging ventures with the other ingredients required to grow and be successful. The Port offers its residents access to free programming including Lunch for Hungry Minds scientific presentations and Smart Talk’s business building advice. The Science Center’s Scientific Advisory Committee connects Port companies with a vast array of clinical and technical expertise and facilities. Current committee members include the senior research administrators (or equivalent) from academic, healthcare and research institutions, as well as from leading local companies in the life sciences and other industry sectors.