Altitude Lab

How Does Altitude Lab Work, and What Can It Do for Your Startup? Altitude Lab is a two-year accelerator program designed to equip biotech founders with the resources, mentorship, and network needed to scale sustainably and drive innovation in Utah’s life sciences ecosystem. To date, we’ve helped 30+ companies shape the future of medicine. Altitude Lab's Program: - Month 1: Build Your Technology - Month 12: Secure Funding - Month 18: Expand Your Team - Month 24: Graduate & Scale Visit our website to learn how Altitude Lab can help you develop your technology, connect with investors and advisors, and grow your company. Learn more -> https://lnkd.in/dJ5zDcU #biotech #startups #healthcare #lifescience

Big wins for Altitude Lab companies at BioUtah’s E&I Summit! Yesterday, four Altitude Lab startups took the stage in the E&I Summit Shark Tank, with Monere and Sethera Therapeutics earning top honors! Their groundbreaking innovations are pushing the boundaries of healthcare and biotech. Salt Lake City is cementing its place as a national biotech leader, and the E&I Summit showcased the unstoppable momentum of Utah’s life sciences ecosystem—from thought-provoking discussions to game-changing pitches. The future of biotech in Utah has never looked brighter! #Biotech #HealthcareInnovation #Entrepreneurship #EcosystemGrowth #Startups Kelvyn Cullimore, Gabriele Niederauer, PhD, Freyya, Mou Nandi, Karsten Eastman, Kapil K. Sharma, MS, MBA, MSF, Vira Regen Inc.

💡 "90% of our companies get seed financed." - Chandana Haque Altitude Lab’s Executive Director, sat down with Naresh Sunkara Ph.D. on the Lab to Startup podcast to talk about how Altitude Lab came to be, the new pre-seed venture fund, and how Altitude helps founders turn scientific breakthroughs into investable companies. Some highlights below: 🔹 Why Now to Launch a Fund? "When this crisis trickled down to our founders, we felt that the risk-reward was worth it—the risk of taking on a new fund, building it from the ground up, was worth it to support this immediate need. There are lots of small funds out there, but they don’t necessarily pinpoint a need. That’s what we did in this moment—found where our money and efforts could make the biggest difference, and we went for it." 🔹 What Was Altitude Lab Modeled After? "Coming from the Bay Area, where there are lots of incubators and accelerators, Utah lacked that infrastructure. Recursion raised its hand to help build that, and I pulled from the best examples—Doug Crawford from QP3 and my first startup, a Stephen Quake company—where the focus was on value inflection points, not just learning business processes. At Altitude, we don’t waste time on endless valuation exercises—we put our founders in front of serial entrepreneurs and experienced executives who can give them real, practical advice to get traction with investors." 🔹 What Criteria Do We Use to Select Startups? "I wish we could just say, ‘Hell with the markets, this scientific advancement is important for humanity, and we’re going to bet on this horse.’ But the markets haven’t been that opportunistic. So, I always do three gut checks: 1️⃣ The Founder – Do they have conviction in their idea and technology but also the ability to hear advice and decide what to take or leave? 2️⃣ The Science – If we’re looking at an Alzheimer’s therapeutic, has this technology accounted for all the recent clinical trial failures? Is there a real differentiation that sets it apart? 3️⃣ The Market – Can I name five investors who would back this idea? "At the end of the day, our #1 job at Altitude is to create access—helping founders reach the milestones they need and find the money to keep going. We try not to get distracted by everything else." 🎧 Listen to the full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/e_zTsZPq #Startups #Biotech #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #LabToStartup

📈 Utah’s Healthcare Startup Investment is on the Rise! Since 2020, Altitude Lab has been a driving force in building the backbone of Utah’s life science ecosystem, raising $155m in funding—and the momentum is only growing. This past year, Altitude Lab companies accounted for 41% of all healthcare investments in 2024 (Pre-seed -> Series A). Notable Altitude Lab alumni Peel Therapeutics and Rebel Medicine are leading the charge, closing their first tranche of Series A rounds and shaping the future of medicine. Utah’s biotech scene is thriving, and we’re just getting started! #Biotech #HealthcareInnovation #VentureCapital #Startups #AltitudeLab

We’re honored to receive the Ecosystem Excellence award at this year’s Best of BioHive event! 🎉 This recognition reflects the incredible founders, mentors, and partners who make Altitude Lab a thriving hub for biotech innovation. A huge thank you to BioHive Utah for celebrating Utah’s growing life sciences ecosystem and to everyone who contributes to our mission of building the future of health. 🏆 We had a fantastic time connecting with so many inspiring leaders and celebrating the momentum of our biotech community! ✨ A special shoutout to Katherine Matsumoto, PhD from Recursion, who was named Storyteller of the Year—congrats, Katherine! 👏 She’s also been an incredible resource for Altitude Lab, taking the time to help our startups strengthen their storytelling. #BestOfBioHive #Ecosystem #BioHive #AltitudeLab #BiotechInnovation #utahbiotech #utahstartups #StartupCommunity #BioTech

"SBIR funded startups are 10-15X more likely to go earn venture capital with 65% raising more than $5M." – Chandana Haque. Our Executive Director, Chandana Haque, shares a firsthand perspective on the critical role of SBIR funding in fostering innovation and maintaining the U.S.’s leadership in medical and healthcare advancements in her latest blog post - Creating a Beacon During a Time of Uncertainty for the Biotech Community. Drawing from her experiences at SBIR-backed company Fluidigm Sciences, Inc. (now Standard BioTools), she highlights the necessity of these programs in translating scientific breakthroughs into real-world impact. The numbers speak for themselves. With an estimated 1,500 health-related startups in financial limbo due to federal funding policy shifts, the need for action is urgent. That’s why Altitude Lab is stepping up and launching a pre-seed fund in collaboration with biotech leaders Chris Gibson (Recursion), David Bearss Ph.D. (Halia Therapeutics, Inc.), and Chandana Haque. This initiative aims to support the next generation of groundbreaking biotech startups during this period of uncertainty. Join us in supporting scientific innovation—because the future of healthcare depends on it. The Altitude Lab Fund 👉 https://lnkd.in/ghK6CuPk #Biotech #Innovation #SBIR #StartupFunding #AltitudeLab #HealthcareLeadership #SBA

As thousands of healthcare startups are caught in limbo by The National Institutes of Health funding cuts, one company is offering a potential lifeline: Altitude Lab, a biotech accelerator started by Recursion in Salt Lake City, has created a pre-seed venture fund targeting startups with promising science but no federal dollars. Read more how this new fund will support Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) reviewed companies that demonstrated merit but are stuck in funding uncertainty: https://lnkd.in/eJ4Rurcb

“The future of American health care innovation is hanging in the balance.” In an op-ed in STAT, Recursion co-founder and CEO Chris Gibson discusses the recent policy changes that have added uncertainty to critical funding paths, including the NIH Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program – and why it’s time for industry to step up. Around 1,500 health care-related startups with SBIR funding are now in limbo, Chris writes. “These companies — many of which could be the next great American medical breakthrough — now face an uncertain future because they are stuck between halted funding and a lack of private investment.” He shares how these recent policy changes drove him to establish a new pre-seed venture fund – the Altitude Lab Fund – for early-stage startups impacted by SBIR funding freezes, and he calls on others to do the same, writing: “Those of us in the industry with the resources to help should step up to help keep the money going for the next generation of innovators.” Read in full 👇

Did you know? Altitude Lab Edition At Altitude, we’re on a mission to build Utah’s biotech economy. Here’s how: ✅ We’ve launched a Pre-Seed Venture Fund to bridge capital gaps for life science startups affected by recent federal policy shifts. ✅ Since 2020, our companies have raised $150M+ to fuel the future of biotech. ✅ We’ve backed 30+ startups in our ecosystem. ✅ We’ve expanded our investor network to a national level, bringing the best to our companies and region. ✅ We offer grants and fellowship opportunities to lower the barriers of launching a company. Breaking into biotech isn’t easy—but you don’t have to do it alone. Whether you need funding, lab space, or a community of experts, Altitude is here to help. Let’s build the future of medicine together. Apply to Altitude Lab: https://lnkd.in/ec6J4Ye9 P.S. Did you know? Utah ranks #1 in innovation capacity & outcomes. The future of life science innovation is being built here—let’s make it happen. University of Utah Article - https://lnkd.in/ewT3FJku #venturecapital #healthtech #startups #innovation #funding #lifescience #biotech #techbio #UtahBiotech

🚀 Introducing the Altitude Lab Fund! Chris Gibson and I announced Altitude Lab's pre-seed venture fund at Demo Day 2025. The fund aims to support SBIR-reviewed biotech startups impacted by federal funding changes. With $100K–$250K in investment capital, 12 months of lab and office space, and access to Altitude Lab’s exclusive accelerator program, we’re dedicated to empowering the next wave of biotech innovation. Learn more about how we’re driving life science innovation and supporting high-potential startups here : https://lnkd.in/gTnwZDZf https://lnkd.in/g54Ki7sM  #AltitudeVentures #BiotechInnovation #StartupFunding #SBIR #HealthTech #LifeSciences #BiotechStartups #SaltLakeCityBiotech #VentureCapital #InnovationEcosystem