Business View Civil and Municipal | March 2021

9 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL MARCH 2021 SEVEN ARIZONA BIO STARTUPS EARN $30K THROUGH FLINN FOUNDATION ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM Five Phoenix, two Tucson firms to receive personalized learning plan, other benefits Artificial intelligence to assist Alzheimer’s disease caregivers, rapid virus screeners, a headband to monitor for concussions, and new technologies for surgeries and drug discovery are some of the innovations of the participants in the 2021 Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program. Seven Arizona-based firms will each receive $30,000 in funding support through a non-profit partner, a personalized learning plan to help advance the company, and connections with the state’s bioscience leaders in business, research, and policy. The Flinn Foundation has competitively selected 47 bioscience firms in Arizona since 2014 to participate and provided nearly $1.4 million in support for the program. “We are thrilled to welcome these seven Arizona startups into our program, which we believe will accelerate their path to success in the biosciences and lead to innovations that will improve the lives of Arizonans and people around the world,” said Tammy McLeod, Flinn Foundation president and CEO. The 2021 program winners, including five from the Phoenix area and two from Tucson, are: Botanisol Analytics Botanisol Analytics of Phoenix is developing rapid, digital virus screeners for COVID-19 and other pathogens. The portable device can be operated anywhere by minimally trained, non- medical personnel and provides results about chemical and biological threats in less than 10 minutes. A laser is used to detect molecular signatures and allows for real-time analysis in the field. LabPair LabPair is a web application that matches scientists with incomplete, complementary work, thereby improving their collective chances of publishing and receiving funding. The Tucson- based company will be especially impactful for biomedical research, as it will help eliminate redundancy, increase the pace of research, and result in more impactful studies. Movement Interactive OPENING L INES