UC Davis, Partners Launch Scale-Up Program to Help South Korean Startups Enter U.S. Market
UC Davis, in partnership with FLANN, Wexford Science & Technology and the Greater Sacramento Economic Council have launched the Scale-Up Program to help South Korean life sciences startups enter the U.S. market.
The nine-month program, which recently kicked off, is part of the Gateway to America initiative, led by the UC Davis Innovation and Economic Development Office (IEDO) and is designed to support international ventures by connecting them with the research, clinical and innovation resources of the Aggie Square ecosystem.
Participating companies will collaborate with UC Davis Health researchers, clinicians and subject-matter experts and receive support for U.S. product and market validation, proof-of-concept and commercialization planning, investor engagement, grant guidance and strategic partnerships. The program will also provide targeted programming at Aggie Square and opportunities to explore research collaboration, clinical validation and technology co-development.
“South Korea continues to produce innovative biotechnology companies with strong global growth potential. Through the Scale-Up Program and our close partnership with UC Davis, Aggie Square, and the Greater Sacramento innovation ecosystem, we will provide these companies with the expertise, resources, and local networks they need to establish and grow their businesses in the region.” said Hyun Jong Kim, CEO of FLANN. “Our goal is to create landmark success stories in Sacramento that demonstrate how Korean innovation can thrive in the U.S. market and contribute to the region’s growing life sciences ecosystem.”
For UC Davis, the program offers a pathway to build sponsored research opportunities, expand industry partnerships with faculty and strengthen the university’s international visibility, all while supporting research and technology development with potential benefits for patients.
“Programs like this provide an important bridge between promising companies and the expertise across UC Davis and UC Davis Health,” said George Baxter, Chief Innovation and Economic Development Officer for UC Davis. “It creates opportunities to advance technologies, develop new partnerships and bring new ideas into the UC Davis innovation ecosystem.”
Current participants, including startup BioSpero, as well as prospective participants from South Korea will visit Aggie Square in December where they’ll meet with university leadership, clinicians and key opinion leaders.