LA JOLLA, CA— HardTech Labs LLC (HTL) has partnered with La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) to establish a joint venture, HTL Life, that will converge HTL’s existing focus on software and hardware with LJI’s expertise in life sciences to develop next generation technologies for human health and wellness.
HTL Life will combine a venture fund and an accelerator program to support development of selected investment opportunities throughout the San Diego region and the world. This novel hybrid model will provide seed funding up to $250,000 with the most promising companies receiving follow-on funding as well as access to top-notch scientific, development, production and business mentoring for entrepreneurs.
“We are excited to be working with LJI—one of the top research institutions in the world in immunology. Collaboration with such a prominent organization will provide the scientific foundation required to successfully validate technologies for commercial development,” said HardTech Labs CEO Derek Footer. “San Diego has enormous potential as a technology startup ecosystem if we focus our efforts where we can succeed—by leveraging our research strengths in the life sciences and our proximity to production and engineering ecosystems across the border.”
The joint venture also includes a separate company that will focus on the development of LJI technologies intended for health and wellness, a focus founded on LJI’s expertise in immunology. The immune system affects all aspects of the human body and monitoring activity of the immune system will enable individuals to keep track of their health and make more informed lifestyle decisions.
“LJI is well-recognized for the impact of its science on our understanding of immune disease,” said Patrick Ho, VP, Chief Business Officer. “In addition, the research at LJI also has direct relevance to human wellness and HTL has access to software and hardware engineering expertise to apply knowledge gained at LJI to areas such as digital health and diagnostics.”
The HTL Life accelerator program will be housed at LJI in the UC San Diego Science Research Park. The program will include access to offices and laboratory space in addition to educational services and networking events.
About HardTech Labs
HardTech Labs creates opportunity in the San Diego region by advising and funding early-stage biotech, hardware and software companies developing health and wellness, lifestyle and agriculture products. We amplify our region’s core strengths in hard science, world-class research, and comprehensive manufacturing capabilities.
About La Jolla Institute for Immunology
The La Jolla Institute for Immunology is dedicated to increasing knowledge and improving human health through studies of the immune system. Our essential purpose is to expand our understanding of how the immune system works and to discover the causes of immune system disorders. The knowledge gained through our biomedical research can, in turn lead to the prevention, treatment and cure of a wide range of human diseases.
