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WisBusiness: Iowa start-up moves to Wisconsin in hopes of growing in Midwest’s biotech haven
12/22/2009

By Victor Dupuy
For WisBusiness.com

AimsBio is a biotechnology company that aims to re-root itself in the fertile start-up soil of Madison.

AimsBio, which focuses its research on tapping into potential drugs obtained from the world of leaf surfaces, has moved from Ames, Iowa to Madison. It is a biotechnology company that develops pathogen control products, diagnostic kits, and analytical services for the agricultural and health markets.

AimsBio has relocated to University Research Park on Madison’s West Side. When asked what prompted the move of the company from Iowa, CEO Colin Shepherd said Madison has become the best spot in the Midwest for biotech. He also said he preferred the area’s quality of life and recruitment opportunities.

“From our perspective, it is basically a no-brainer to be in Madison if you are in the Midwest and want the best biotech environment,” Shepherd said. “The decades of hard work by everyone involved to develop it is paying off, and I keep hearing on a monthly basis of someone relocating their company to Madison.”

Shepherd also mentioned that the angel and venture capital market in Wisconsin and Madison in particular made it that much more appealing to move north from Ames. AimsBio’s move is still not quite completed, but Shepherd remains enthusiastic about the decision.

“In all the conversations I've had with people and potential employees, many if not all would relocate to Madison in a heartbeat,” he added.

AimsBio’s business model is to discover new compounds and then work with larger firms in order to fully market their discoveries.

The phyllosphere is the biological world contained within plant and leaf surfaces. AimsBio looks to utilize a new type of plant science to discover cures for diseases. The company’s chief science officer, Ryan Shepherd, has abundant experience with phyllosphere biology.

The company claims to already have found compounds that have market potential. The model holds three main divisions within the company: pharma, health and analytics.

Shepherd hopes to take on some major diseases with the compounds discovered and extracted within AimsBio’s research. The markets in particular that are of focus are agriculture, to help keep farm crops healthy, and human health care.

-- Dupuy is a student in the UW-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication.


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