Alexandria LaunchLabs, NYC's Premier Life Science Startup Platform, Celebrates Grand Opening and Awards Inaugural $100,000 Entrepreneurship Prize

NEW YORK, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE), an urban office REIT uniquely focused on collaborative life science and technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, today celebrated the Grand Opening of Alexandria LaunchLabs^® at the Alexandria Center^® for Life Science – New York City and awarded its inaugural Alexandria LaunchLabs $100,000 Entrepreneurship Prize. The Grand Opening was held in connection with the NYC Life Science Innovation Showcase, an annual event organized by Alexandria, in partnership with the New York Academic Consortium. The Innovation Showcase provides select NYC-based academic entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their work to biopharma executives, investors and other community stakeholders.

Alexandria LaunchLabs is NYC's premier, full-service startup platform created to satisfy key unmet needs for turn-key office/laboratory space and access to strategic risk capital for seed-stage life science companies, many of which have spun out of NYC's academic medical institutions. The unique platform provides member companies with plug-and-play office, laboratory and co-working space; first-class support resources; shared equipment and services; creative amenities; and strategic programming. In addition, Alexandria LaunchLabs' on-site management team provides member companies with best-in-class resources to enhance their growth trajectories. With a strong background in life science, entrepreneurship, venture capital, laboratory operations and investor relations, the Alexandria LaunchLabs team offers deep expertise in early-stage company building. This fully integrated platform is intentionally designed to accelerate both the commercialization of translational research and the growth of life science companies in NYC.

"We are providing new life science companies with a one-of-a-kind solution and an unmatched opportunity to be located at the Alexandria Center, NYC's first and only life science campus," said Blake L. Stevens, Ph.D., general manager of Alexandria LaunchLabs. "Our team is excited to work closely with our member companies as they pursue their cutting-edge science."

To date, 13 initial member companies have been accepted to Alexandria LaunchLabs from a competitive pool of over 115 applicants, indicating strong demand for Alexandria's wet laboratory and office space. Each member company is extensively vetted and accepted based on the quality of its technology, foundational IP, business strategy, financing plan and management team. Current member companies represent a broad array of focus areas, including 3-D printing of living tissues, computational drug discovery, gene therapy based cancer vaccines and synthetic genome engineering.

These member companies will have the opportunity to apply for seed funding through the Alexandria Seed Capital Platform, which is led by Alexandria Venture Investments and backed by a deeply experienced advisory board of leading biopharma and venture capital executives.

"Alexandria is proudly committed to providing dedicated startup space as well as significant human and strategic risk capital to ensure the continued growth and success of the NYC life science cluster," said Jenna Foger, senior principal of science and technology of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. and Alexandria Venture Investments. "Through Alexandria LaunchLabs and our Seed Capital Platform, we will help catalyze the next generation of life science companies in NYC to develop biomedical breakthroughs that will treat and cure so many otherwise life-threatening diseases."

In celebration of the Grand Opening of Alexandria LaunchLabs, Neochromosome was selected as the winner of the inaugural $100,000 Alexandria LaunchLabs Entrepreneurship Prize by an esteemed group of strategic partners from the NYC biopharma and venture capital community.

Neochromosome was founded by Jef Boeke, Ph.D., director of New York University Langone's Institute for Systems Genetics, and Joel Bader, Ph.D., interim director of the High Throughput Biology Center at Johns Hopkins University. The company's mission is to address a broad array of applications that cannot be met using gene-at-a-time engineering. Neochromosome designs, builds and optimizes entire synthetic chromosomes that augment a host cell's genetic information, analogous to upgrading a computer's operating system.

"We are delighted to be selected for the inaugural Alexandria LaunchLabs Entrepreneurship Prize," said Dr. Boeke. "It's a great reward to see that scientific advances made in our research labs could lead to products and medical advances that will change the world."

"New York City has always been a premier location for breakthrough scientific ideas and access to visionaries willing to invest in them," said Dr. Bader. "Alexandria LaunchLabs fills a crucial need for lab space at the intersection of high tech and biotech. We are excited to build our new projects on LaunchLabs' foundation and to join the LaunchLabs community."

Alexandria LaunchLabs is cultivating homegrown life science startups and raising the bar for entrepreneurship in NYC as well as creating new demand in the NYC life science cluster by attracting new talent and solidifying a pipeline for the future growth of the cluster's rapidly growing life science ecosystem.

About Alexandria LaunchLabs^® at the Alexandria Center^® for Life Science – New York City
Alexandria LaunchLabs is New York City's premier, full-service startup platform designed to satisfy key unmet needs for plug-and-play space and strategic risk capital for seed- and early-stage life science companies in New York City. Located at the Alexandria Center for Life Science – New York City, Alexandria LaunchLabs provides move-in-ready office/laboratory space, first-class support resources, shared equipment and services, creative amenities and access to startup capital through the Alexandria Seed Capital Platform—all of which are critical for accelerating the growth of seed- and early-stage companies in New York City. The Alexandria LaunchLabs team continues to accept applications for future members. To submit an application, please visit apply.launchlabsnyc.com.

MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES:  

• Shared wet laboratory and office spaces, starting at $1,995 per month
• Full-service operations and management
• Strategic programming and mentorship
• Connectivity with Alexandria's robust life science network
• Access to seed capital
• Shared laboratory equipment
• Comprehensive IT/AV package
• Open café, lounge and conferencing spaces
• Access to Alexandria Center campus amenities and services

About Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE), an S&P 500^® company, is an urban office REIT uniquely focused on collaborative life science and technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, with a total market capitalization of $14.5 billion and an asset base in North America of 28.2 million square feet as of March 31, 2017. Founded in 1994, Alexandria pioneered this niche and has since established a significant market presence in key locations, including Greater Boston, San Francisco, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland and Research Triangle Park. Alexandria has a longstanding and proven track record of developing Class A properties clustered in urban life science and technology campuses that provide its innovative tenants with highly dynamic and collaborative environments that enhance their ability to successfully recruit and retain world-class talent and inspire productivity, efficiency, creativity and success. For more information, please visit www.are.com.

CONTACT: Joel S. Marcus, Chief Executive Officer, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc./Alexandria Venture Investments, (626) 578-9693

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SOURCE Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.