Polsky Center Teams with Orange Grove Bio to Catalyze Biotech Innovation at UChicago

The strategic partnership between the Polsky Center and Orange Grove Bio represents a significant step forward in bridging regional gaps in venture capital funding and accelerating the translation of scientific breakthroughs into life-changing treatments.
The University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation has signed a strategic agreement with Orange Grove Bio (OGB), an integrated biopharmaceutical company, to support pipeline development, entrepreneurial training, and funding opportunities.
The agreement brings together OGB’s experience in the diligence and financing of novel therapeutics with the University’s industry-leading research to catalyze the successful commercialization of new ideas.
“The University of Chicago boasts superior academic prowess and researchers who are at the top of their field,” said Rich Ganz, senior venture partner at Orange Grove Bio. “Our shared resources will maximize the chances of moving groundbreaking work from the lab to the clinic with the goal of benefiting patients in need.”
As part of the agreement, OGB plans to license promising life sciences technologies from the University – developing them into new products to enhance human health.
“The partnership will give the team at Orange Grove Bio an inside look at the novel work being done at the University of Chicago and provide our researchers with opportunities to gain industry-informed perspectives on their innovations,” said Samir Mayekar, managing director of the Polsky Center. “We share a commitment to advancing scientific discoveries and strengthening the biotech ecosystem in Chicago, particularly on the South Side.”
OGB plans to have a senior team member local to Chicago in support of this commitment. “Having an Orange Grove Bio location on the South Side would enable us to closely interact with the academic teams at the University. When we build a startup, we do it at the researcher’s house,” added Ganz.
A founder of several life sciences companies, Jeffrey Hubbell, Eugene Bell Professor in Tissue Engineering and vice dean and executive officer at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, called the partnership a “valuable addition to the University’s resources.”
“The detailed feedback their team is able to provide helps inform what additional studies or data we should pursue to empower successful external financing,” Hubbell said.
OGB has a significant bench of scientific expertise in addition to the business talent necessary for supporting early company formation.
“We always try to go to great lengths to make sure that we inform the PIs about why we made a particular decision and what the gaps were in terms of information or data that would have helped us overcome those gaps,” Ganz explained.
In collaboration with the Polsky Center, OGB also will help lead new educational opportunities, including a mix of workshops, seminars, and networking events.
“My hope is that through these programs faculty who are interested in starting their own company or commercializing their research can use the knowledge that we provide to make that process a little easier,” said Amanda Hutchins, manager of university relations at OGB.
Additionally, OGB will lead a PhD internship program. The yearlong program will be fully remote and feature a “career exploration rotation” through which interns spend time with an OGB team member to learn more about their role.
“Working with the Polsky Center, we’ll be able to leverage our collective expertise to push forward new therapeutics to really improve patient health,” added Hutchins. “I work with universities all over, but none of them have the Polsky Center. I think it’s going to be an incredible experience.”
// About Orange Grove Bio
Orange Grove Bio is an integrated biopharmaceutical company dedicated to investing in groundbreaking technologies and developing therapies to profoundly improve patient lives. Founded to bridge regional gaps in venture capital funding, the leadership team combines seasoned pharma executives and healthcare investment and operational experts who actively participate in guiding growth-stage companies to success. For more information, visit orangegrovebio.com.