Draft:Fannin Innovation Studio
This draft is not written from a neutral point of view. Wikipedia articles must be written neutrally in a formal, impersonal, and dispassionate way. They should not read like a blog post, advertisement, or fan page. Rewrite the draft to remove:
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
|  |
Comment: In accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, I disclose that I have been paid by my employer for my contributions to this article. WikiEditorAndWriter (talk) 17:58, 4 October 2026 (UTC)
Fannin Innovation Studio (also known as Fannin) is an early-stage life sciences development group based in Houston, Texas.[1] The company develops and commercializes biomedical technologies by working with scientists, investors, and academic institutions primarily within the Texas Medical Center ecosystem. [2]
History and Business Model
[edit]Fannin Innovation Studio developed from AlphaDev, a company founded by Leo Linbeck III in 2005 after identifying a lack of commercialization of life sciences research in Houston.[1][2] Linbeck later recruited physician and life sciences entrepreneur Atul Varadhachary and chief financial officer Mark Worscheh, and the company was renamed Fannin Innovation Studio.[2]
Fannin uses a shared-management model in which it works on multiple technologies simultaneously.[1] The company uses a management team of entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers to develop technologies and their business plans.[1][2] When a technology reaches a stage requiring a full-time management team and outside investment, Fannin can spin it out into a separate company.[2]
Fannin has used government, state, federal, and philanthropic grants to fund research and development. It has also generated revenue through licensing fees and equity interests in companies associated with its development activities.[1][2]
In 2014, Fannin had eight companies in its portfolio. The portfolio included Procyrion, Pulmotect, and BreviTest Technologies.[2][3]
Talent Development
[edit]Fannin has operated paid internships and fellowships for graduates and postgraduate researchers associated with Houston's research institutions. The programs were intended to give participants experience with entrepreneurship and commercialization.[2]
Portfolio Companies and Technologies
[edit]Procyrion
[edit]Procyrion developed the Aortix System, a catheter-delivered heart pump designed for patients with heart failure and worsening kidney function. The technology was brought to Fannin Innovation Studio in 2007, and Fannin's team worked on its development before the product was spun out into Procyrion.[4]
By 2019, Procyrion had raised more than $59 million.[5] The Aortix System received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Breakthrough Device designation.[4]
Pulmotect
[edit]Pulmotect was spun out of Fannin in 2012 and developed an inhaled drug intended to protect against pneumonia. The company had completed human trials by 2019.[4]
In 2020, Pulmotect received FDA authorization to begin two Phase 2 clinical trials of its COVID-19 treatment.[6]
BreviTest Technologies
[edit]BreviTest Technologies was one of the companies developed through Fannin Innovation Studio. The company developed point-of-care blood-testing technology.[7]
In 2021, BreviTest developed a finger-stick test for measuring COVID-19 antibody levels using a desktop analyzer and proprietary testing cards. The system used cloud computing to process results and was designed to provide results in approximately 15 minutes.[1][7]
Goldenrod Therapeutics
[edit]Goldenrod Therapeutics was founded in 2020 as a Fannin portfolio company to oversee development of 11h, a drug candidate for substance use disorders.[8] Fannin licensed 11h from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in June 2020.[8]
In 2022, the National Institute on Drug Abuse selected 11h for evaluation through its Addiction Treatment Discovery Program.[8]
Financing
[edit]In February 2015, Fannin announced a $7.3 million funding round intended to expand its biotechnology company portfolio.[9]
In July 2019, Fannin Partners, the parent company of Fannin Innovation Studio, closed a $5.25 million funding round.[10] The company reported that this brought its total amount raised to more than $115 million from government and foundation grants, angel investors, venture capital firms, and strategic partners.[10]
In 2020, Leo Linbeck III estimated that Fannin had raised approximately $150 million through funding rounds and grants and was involved in about a dozen projects at different stages of development.[1]
Recognition
[edit]In 2020, the Houston chapter of the U.S. Small Business Administration awarded Leo Linbeck III, Atul Varadhachary, and Mark Worscheh its Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Recipient of the Year award.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 King, Danny (Sep 11, 2020). "Fannin Innovation Studio constructs a new model". Houston Chronicle.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Tomlinson, Chris (Nov 13, 2014). "Startup studio overcoming an entrepreneur shortage". Houston Chronicle.
- ↑ Harms, Natalie (Nov 5, 2019). "Houston biomedical startup granted $1.5M, Chevron taps into Plug and Play, and more innovation news". Innovation Map.
- 1 2 3 Leinfelder, Andrea (July 30, 2019). "Medical device firm Procyrion passes key FDA milestone". Houston Chronicle.
- ↑ Mathews, Chris (Jul 11, 2019). "Houston medical device co. raises $30M for clinical trials". Houston Business Journal.
- ↑ "CTI Partners With Pulmotect On Two Phase-2 Trials Targeting COVID-19". www.ctifacts.com. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- 1 2 Tomlinson, By Chris (2021-12-01). "Houston startup develops test that can measure your immunity level in 15 minutes". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- 1 2 3 "Houston biotech commercialization company tapped for prestigious federal program - InnovationMap". houston.innovationmap.com. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ Martin, Joe (Feb 24, 2013). "Exclusive: Fannin Innovation Studio closes multimillion-dollar round". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- 1 2 Leinfelder, Andrea (2019-07-29). "Fannin Innovation Studio closes $5M fundraising round". Chron. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- provide significant coverage: discuss the subject in detail, excluding routine coverage like product launches, staff appointments, or financial reports and listings in databases or listicles;
- are reliable: from reputable outlets with editorial oversight;
- are independent: not connected to the subject, such as press releases, the subject's own website, or sponsored content.
Please add references that meet all three of these criteria. If none exist, the subject is not yet suitable for Wikipedia.