NEW INVESTEE: FOREST CITY SYNBIO
VERGE is thrilled to announce and welcome its newest investee, Forest City SynBio (FCSB)!
Capitalizing on an up-and-coming industry, FCSB aims to support our homegrown innovators and position London (and Canada as a whole) as a leader in the global bioeconomy. Its 7,000 square foot biotechnology laboratory is set to launch at The Grove, an agri-business hub at the Western Fair District. Here, it will serve as a co-working space designed to incubate and accelerate early-stage synthetic biology (‘synbio’) ventures. FCSB will act as a pivotal support system for synbio entrepreneurs looking to drive positive environmental and health impacts by providing access to specialized lab equipment, resources, and an extensive network of advisors and investors. Through bringing synbio startups together with other like-minded entrepreneurs who believe in a more sustainable future, FCSB is creating an ecosystem of change catalysts. FCSB is starting with an initial focus on agriculture, and envisions a future expansion into the full range of synbio target industries, harnessing local infrastructure, resources, and talent to develop solutions to address the current climate crisis - a feat that requires our collective attention and effort.
FCSB is spearheaded by co-founders Shea Tough and Samir Hamadache, two leaders who each embody what it means to have entrepreneurial spirit. After meeting in 2019 through Western University’s iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) team, Shea and Samir took their shared passion for synbio and began to bring FCSB to life. What started as a volunteer collective has now grown into a full-time venture, having already raised over $100,000 in an equity crowdfunding campaign, and with the lab space under construction, they are set to welcome their first cohort of startups in 2022.
“Our mission to create sustainable impact in the Southwestern Ontario region aligned perfectly with VERGE’s social enterprise initiatives” says Co-Founder and COO, Shea Tough. “We now have a runway to build out the team and continue fundraising.”
Their belief in transforming London into the home for synthetic biology innovation is one that VERGE is excited to support, and we look forward to sharing the impact that they create in our communities!
