FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Forward BIOLABS Announces Round 2 Awardees of the Innovation to Commercialization Pipeline (ICP) Program

Madison, WI [10/14/2026] — Building on the momentum of its inaugural 2025 awards, Forward BIOLABS, in partnership with BioForward Wisconsin, is announcing the Round 2 award recipients of the Innovation to Commercialization Pipeline (ICP) program. Ten additional biohealth companies from across Wisconsin have been selected to receive ICP funding.

The latest awardees reflect Wisconsin’s diverse and growing biohealth ecosystem, spanning medical devices, diagnostics, therapeutics, and life sciences. ICP provides founders support to access critical resources that reduces go-to-market risk. The ICP Award Committee, a panel of experienced industry leaders and investors from Wisconsin's biohealth ecosystem, selected awardees through a competitive review process.

ICP is part of Forward BIOLABS’ project within the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub.  “The ICP program is a unique, State-of-Wisconsin-supported initiative that is making a meaningful difference for young companies with the ambition to become commercially successful,” said Laura Hilty, Principal at HealthX Ventures and ICP Award Committee member. “The ICP program demonstrates Wisconsin’s strong commitment to building a nationally competitive biohealth ecosystem by identifying and supporting companies with a high potential for success, ultimately attracting the interest and investment of the broader venture capital community.”

Since the ICP program's inception, several awardees have reached key fundraising, regulatory, commercial, and strategic milestones. Examples of achievements among ICP recipients include:

• Refined Sciences was acquired by Steridose

• Axio Biopharma, Estrigenix Therapeutics, Retham Technologies, Sonoptima, and VibeTech have recently secured rounds of capital

• Roddy Medical successfully launched SecureMove nationwide, an FDA-approved, wearable, single-use medical device designed to secure and organize medical tubes, lines, and cords

• Soul Mobility received FDA Class II clearance for its power-drive attachment designed to integrate with manual wheelchairs

Round 1 awardee Archeus Technologies’ CEO, Evan Sengbusch, commented, “The ICP award helped us achieve key objectives and move one step closer to commercialization. Since our award, we have dosed the first patients in our second Phase 1 clinical trial that advances our portfolio of small-molecule radiopharmaceutical therapies in oncology. The ICP award has helped accelerate our progress as we work to develop therapies that can ultimately improve and save lives.” 

These are just a few examples of progress being made by ICP awardees that demonstrate how ICP funding has helped companies advance critical commercialization goals. “The evidence is in - by supporting milestone-driven projects, ICP is strengthening Wisconsin’s pipeline of companies positioned to attract follow-on investment.  Importantly, these achievements are not solely the result of ICP funding; they reflect each team’s continued efforts to build momentum by successfully executing on a series of company-specific milestones. The goal is not only better solutions for patients, but also to build companies that become Wisconsin’s next employers,” said Jessica Martin Eckerly, CEO and Co-Founder, Forward BIOLABS.

ICP Round 2 Awardees

• aMBR Genomics - Developing a novel liquid-biopsy platform that detects cancer-associated midbody remnants and their molecular cargo, with the goal of enabling earlier, more accurate cancer detection from a simple blood sample.

• BiaCure Therapies - Focused on a significant and underaddressed therapeutic gap: the large share of fungal nail infection patients who have no viable treatment option and are forced to endure chronic pain with walking, compromised mobility, and a meaningful decline in quality of life. 

• Cellular Logistics - Developing iCFX, a first-of-its-kind cardiac biomaterial therapy that helps the heart repair itself and prevents progression to heart failure after a heart attack.

• CIAN (CIlia ANalysis) - Developing diagnostic products for conditions associated with blood flow changes that are sensed by cilia, a hair-like organelle. 

• FAR Biotech - A quantum drug discovery company applying its unique QuantumAI technology to identify novel therapeutics for hard-to-drug diseases with high unmet medical need. 

• Plumb Pharmaceuticals - Producing extended-release formulations. Plumb’s first indication delivers naltrexone for over 12 weeks after a single injection to treat addiction, three times longer than current products. 

• Roboheal Innovations - Developing wheelchair-mounted assistive robots to help powered wheelchair users to perform activities of daily living more independently.

• Sanacor - Developing therapies that target mitochondrial dysfunction in cardiometabolic diseases. Sanacor’s mitochondrial biology platform extends into neurodegeneration, oncology, and rare mitochondrial disorders.

• Tundra Targeted Therapeutics - Developing a new cancer drug for patients with lymphoma or leukemia.  It is designed to treat difficult cases while minimizing the risk of complications and excessive pain.  Tundra’s first Phase 1 clinical trial is underway. 

• Vivid Microscopy – Developing live-cell research tools for measuring oxidative stress and cellular health. Its expanding portfolio of cellular-health assays supports drug discovery and advanced cell-based research.

"We are delighted to receive this ICP award, which provides valuable support at an opportune time as we scale up ahead of our pivotal clinical trial, anticipated to begin in 2027," said Laura King, CEO of BiaCure Therapies. "Our treatment for onychomycosis, or ‘nail fungal infection,’ utilizes a novel high frequency energy algorithm to non-invasively deliver a safe and effective treatment to millions of patients. This award brings us one step closer to commercialization.”

About Forward BIOLABS: Forward BIOLABS is a premier coworking life science innovation hub that empowers early-stage biotech startups to launch and scale quickly. Headquartered within University Research Park in Madison, Wisconsin, Forward BIOLABS has supported more than 60 startups by providing fully equipped, professionally maintained shared laboratories and office spaces, removing the barriers of time, cost, and complexity typically associated with starting a biotech company. As it expands its footprint in Madison and pilots a presence in Milwaukee, Forward BIOLABS continues to foster a collaborative, entrepreneurial ecosystem that accelerates scientific breakthroughs and drives innovation across Wisconsin.

About BioForward Wisconsin: BioForward Wisconsin is the unified voice of the state’s biohealth industry and the lead organization for the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub. Representing more than 260 member organizations across a fully integrated health solutions network—including biopharma, medical device, diagnostics, digital health, research institutions, and healthcare systems—BioForward drives initiatives that deliver measurable impact. In 2026, BioForward is focused on turning momentum into measurable outcomes by strengthening entrepreneurship, accelerating company growth, advancing talent and workforce development, and elevating Wisconsin’s position as a nationally competitive and globally relevant biohealth powerhouse.

Media Contact:
Bianca Fung
[email protected]