The Austin Technology Incubator has created an additional focus in the area of Bioscience, and hired Jessica Hanover to be the director of the initiative. Bioscience is now the third area of vertical focus for the ATI, joining clean energy, and IT/wireless.

There is one company in the bioscience incubator so far, Terapio, which is focused on theraputics around a particular protein that can make cells deals with toxins better. Terapio was one of two companies that recently received funding from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (ETF).

Over the next 12 months the bioscience initiative is looking at a two-part strategy. Part one is to develop and grow a solid bio-related environment here in Austin that is friendly toward key people such as investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers. The second part is focused on practical things like helping to start companies, getting funding, creating a business plan, and hiring talented people.

Before coming to Austin Jessica was living in San Francisco, doing consulting work with Fox Hollow Technologies in Redwood City in the areas of internal strategic planning, and pipeline management. She was also previously a technical stock analyst in the biotech space with Robert W. Baird.