Accelerating Startups Through Local Clustering and International Networking

Eager BioGroup has developed a novel approach to accelerate the growth of early-stage biotech companies. Eager works with clusters of companies in similar fields, creating a critical mass that can leverage technological and business development. Currently Eager houses clusters in three areas: alternate delivery systems, cardiovascular drugs and agro biotech.

Based in Ashdod, south of Tel Aviv, Eager also closely networks with overseas bio-accelerators in Germany and France which were designed along the lines of the Eager model. This enables accelerated screening, mentoring, business development and fundraising activities.

Eager’s success can be seen in the way that its managerial structure provides added value to both individual companies and clusters. Within a single year, Eager created a portfolio that grew in value from $1.5 million to more than $10 million through additional investments by third parties.

Eager, is headed by Max Herzberg, PhD, who is actively involved in hands-on management of the clusters. One of the founding fathers of Israeli biotech, he established Orgenics Ltd, a leading in-vitro diagnostic company, and co-founded D-Pharm Ltd, a leading Israeli rational drug design and delivery company. Max Herzberg also serves in an executive capacity at the German and French bio-accelerators. The European organization, EMBLEM, is located in close proximity to the European Molecular Biology Laboratories in Heidelberg in Germany, while the French one is part of the famous Pasteur Institute in Paris.

The management teams of the German and French accelerators also contribute to the development of the Israeli projects. One of the leading figures is Dr Christian Policard, who has been a Chief executive at many large pharma companies including Sanofi Synthelabo and today is head of applications and industrial development at the Pasteur Institute.

Eager, EMBLEM, and Pasteur Biotop together form a closely-cooperating network strengthened through a collective informal Scientific Advisory Board of scientists and academics.

The bio-accelerator network is able to accelerate not only technology but deal flow. The three Eager clusters include:

* Alternative Delivery systems: This cluster includes Transdermics Ltd and its affiliate Pharmaderm, a leading developer in the field of Insulin Delivery for Diabetes. The company is currently in Phase II Clinical trial.

* Cardio-Vascular Cluster: This cluster comprises Medicard Ltd, which specializes in Site Directed Gene Therapy and particularly in Angiogenesis. Medicard developed a distinct Promoter permitting gene-expression linked to physiological conditions. Medicard-affiliated CardImmune Ltd looks at Atherosclerosis as an autoimmune disease and develops modulators of the Immune Response allowing for an impressive reduction of the formation of Plaque in Arteries.

Eager currently is considering adding another company to this cluster, a startup at the cutting edge of the intersection of software and heart physiology.

* Agro-Bio Cluster: Israel is well known for its agricultural achievements and continues to be a rich source of outstanding Agro-Biotech technologies. Consequently Eager invested in Eager-Agro Ltd, which through its Fertiseeds affiliate is creating “green” genetically modified plants so as to render them “all female” for one generation. These plants are the recipients of pollen from chosen male species thus rendering the creation of Hybrid seeds, even to a big crop, possible. Varigreen Ltd creates new varieties of strawberries.

Further details about the Eager BioGroup Ltd can be viewed at their Pharmalicensing profile here.

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