February 2023 - New Orleans BioInnovation Center

The New Orleans BioInnovation Center Welcomes Program Director

Muieen Cader to coordinate capital access & experiential learning programming

NEW ORLEANS (Feb. 9, 2023) — The New Orleans BioInnovation Center (NOBIC), a private, not-for-profit business incubator, supporting entrepreneurship and dedicated to the development of bioscience innovation throughout Louisiana, announced today the addition of Muieen Cader as program director.

“Muieen brings an array of experience in early-stage investing, with an emphasis in program development and capital deployment within underserved communities,” said NOBIC Executive Director Kris Khalil. “We’re very
excited for him to join our growing team. He will undoubtedly make an immediate impact on the biotech industry in New Orleans.”

Cader has a strong background in venture capital, having served as a Senior Associate with Garden District Ventures, where he was responsible for investment memo preparation, due diligence, LP outreach, and adding
value for prospective portfolio companies. He is actively involved in the venture capital community through his contributions to OpenVC.app and his Medium blog focused on venture capital and diversity, where he has
been recognized as a “Top writer.”

One of Cader’s first initiatives will be to build a new experiential learning programming for local graduate students and supporting early-stage companies through their milestone journeys, with a focus on supporting
biotech companies to obtain much-needed risk capital.

Outside of the office, Cader is a passionate sailor, having sailed with some of the best teams in the world.
For more information about Cader and NOBIC, visit neworleansbio.com.

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About New Orleans BioInnovation Center :
The New Orleans BioInnovation Center (“NOBIC”) is a nonprofit business incubator focused on advancing life science entrepreneurship and technology commercialization in Louisiana. The mission of NOBIC is to create a successful biotech ecosystem by providing emerging companies with customized commercialization services, premier facilities and a comprehensive support network. Through relationships with research institutions, economic development organizations and industry stakeholders, NOBIC helps its clients de-risk novel technologies, attract funding and improve global health outcomes. For more information, visit neworleansbio.com/.

NOBIC-Backed Startup Venture Acquired by International Company

The acquisition of Fluence Analytics is a major milestone for the biotech industry in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (Feb. 2, 2023) — The New Orleans BioInnovation Center (NOBIC) is excited to announce the acquisition of Fluence Analytics, a NOBIC and BioFund-supported company, by Yokogawa Electric Corporation.

The Fluence Analytics acquisition is a major milestone of success for the life sciences industry in New Orleans. NOBIC’s relationship with Fluence Analytics, formerly Advanced Polymer Monitoring Technologies (APMT), dates to 2012 when Alex Reed led the licensing and spin out of the core technology from the Tulane University Poly-RMC lab, led by Alex’s father, Dr. Wayne Reed. APMT received pro-bono company support and was housed at the New Orleans BioInnovation Center at 1441 Canal before opening a private facility in New Orleans.

The New Orleans BioFund provided the initial startup funding to support the deployment of a prototype. Subsequently, BioFund placed over eight additional follow-on capital placements in the fledgling company.

“Startup capital is often difficult to obtain for early-stage advanced technology businesses, which are inherently high-risk ventures,” says NOBIC Executive Director and BioFund Managing Director Kris Khalil. “Our initial investment with Fluence Analytics helped bridge a critical funding gap, allowing them to develop their first prototype and better position themselves for growth and success. With the returns generated from this investment, we expect to place 10 to 20 new investments in Louisiana biotech and technology startups in the coming years. This acquisition is a significant victory for Fluence Analytics, BioFund, Tulane University and the future of innovation in our backyard. We are extremely excited about what comes next.”

“NOBIC’s commercialization services and the BioFund’s capital were instrumental in the early years of our startup. We are very grateful for their support of our vision,” says Fluence Analytics co-founder and President, Alex Reed.

The BioFund financing program started as an altruistic funding vehicle to support the diversification of our local economy after Hurricane Katrina. Since then, the fund has worked closely with partners to catalyze specialized job creation, invest in the evolution of university IP, and provide experiential learning opportunities to students. Now, the fund has officially returned a multiple on investment capital and will be reinvesting this into the next generation of local advanced technology startups.

“As a New Orleans native that joined Fluence Analytics to work with Alex to scale and drive to an exit, I’m thrilled with this result and the impact it will have for future startups in New Orleans,” says Jay Manouchehri, CEO of Fluence Analytics.

For more information on Fluence Analytics and the acquisition, please visit here.

For more information on NOBIC, please visit neworleansbio.com.

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About New Orleans BioInnovation Center :

The New Orleans BioInnovation Center (“NOBIC”) is a nonprofit business incubator focused on advancing life science entrepreneurship and technology commercialization in Louisiana. The mission of NOBIC is to create a successful biotech ecosystem by providing emerging companies with customized commercialization services, premier facilities and a comprehensive support network. Through relationships with research institutions, economic development organizations and industry stakeholders, NOBIC helps its clients de-risk novel technologies, attract funding and improve global health outcomes. For more information visit neworleansbio.com.

About New Orleans BioFund:

The New Orleans BioFund was created to support small businesses in the region looking to grow, create jobs and contribute to the economic revitalization of New Orleans. The BioFund operates in all industries, but places a special emphasis on biotechnology. For more information visit neworelansbio.com/biofund.