medicines-discovery-catapult-and-the-francis-crick-institute-partner-to-support-kq-labs’-accelerator-program
Medicines Discovery Catapult and the Francis Crick Institute Partner to Support KQ Labs’ Accelerator Program

Medicines Discovery Catapult and the Francis Crick Institute Partner to Support KQ Labs’ Accelerator Program

Posted inGenetics

Officials at KQ Labs say the accelerator helps UK startups de-risk their innovation by providing mentoring and access to industry and investor networks. [Michael Bowles, KQ Labs]

Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) and the Francis Crick Institute formed a strategic partnership to support the delivery of KQ Labs, founded and hosted by the Crick. The KQ Labs program is an annual five-month accelerator for up to ten U.K.-based startups building science-backed, data-driven, scalable solutions in drug discovery, digital health, and precision medicine.

Since 2018, KQ Labs has supported 70 startups, and KQ Labs alumni have raised over £219 million in investment to date. Applications for the next program will open on July 1.

Through this new partnership, MDC says it will contribute expertise and funding to help scale KQ Labs’ national impact. Drawing on its national networks, MDC will help extend the program’s reach to promising early-stage ventures across the U.K., according to CEO Chris Molloy, PhD, adding that it will also offer drug discovery and translational support to help participating companies validate their ideas and strengthen their commercial readiness.

“Young biotechs are the high-risk heartbeat of our sector, and they deserve industry-class translational support to make them fit to fund and grow,” said Molloy. “As a national Life Sciences service, that is what MDC is here for.”

“Data-driven approaches offer the key to unlock significant advancements in healthcare,” added Nicola Heron, PhD, chief strategy officer, MDC. “The U.K.’s brightest biotechs are applying groundbreaking AI, machine learning, and advanced computational techniques to find new ways to treat disease, opening an exciting avenue for drug discovery innovation.”

“A key strategic objective for the Crick is to support biomedical research endeavors across the U.K.,” noted Stephen Mayhew, chief business officer, the Francis Crick Institute. “KQ Labs is a key part of this mission, and this new partnership with MDC will allow us to scale its impact even further.”