Four Tucson firms picked for Flinn biotech startup program

Four Tucson-area biotech startup companies with ties to the University of Arizona were among six startups picked for a statewide bioscience entrepreneurship program sponsored by the Phoenix-based Flinn Foundation.

Local startups chosen for Flinn’s 2024 Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program are:

BioBolt Medical Corp., which has patented a new kind of surgical staple to keep surgical mesh in place;

Oro Valley-based Macula Vision Systems, which is developing microscopy technology to automate clinical laboratory analysis and artificial intelligence-based interpretation;

Metfora Diagnostics, advancing a metabolite-targeting blood test to diagnose four lung diseases; and

Precision Epigenomics, which has developed a single-draw blood test for earlier and more accurate diagnoses of multiple types of cancer.

The other two startups picked for the 11th cohort of the program are Dr. Fossum’s Pet care, a Carefree-based company developing new, natural treatments for itching in dogs; and Phoenix-based Dx4Liver Inc., developing a blood test for liver disease.

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The selected startups will receive $30,000 each through the Arizona Bioindustry Association, a program partner that also will help the companies develop a personalized learning plan and provide other support services.

The startups also will get a one-year membership on Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee, which guides Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap, the state’s long-term strategic plan spearheaded by Flinn.

All four of the Tucson-area Flinn program participants have been fostered by the UA Center for Innovation, the school’s high-tech business incubator.

BioBolt, Macula Vision Systems and Metfora are current members of the UACI, and BioBolt and Metfora were founded around technologies developed at the UA.

Precision Epigenomics, launched in 2019 as DesertDx with the help of Tech Launch Arizona, is an alumnus of the UACI.

Nine other UACI startups have been selected for the Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship program since its inception.