Minneapolis, MN – April 2, 2024 – The Board of Directors for the University Enterprise Labs (UEL), Minnesota’s premier life science company incubator and accelerator, today announced the appointment of Brad Larmie as Executive Director.
In this role, Mr. Larmie will oversee operations, investment strategy, programs and partnerships for the 150,000 square foot facility. UEL provides essential laboratory and workspace for 60 start-up and early-stage companies currently employing over 300 scientists, technicians, and other professionals. Since its inception, UEL has played a pivotal role in nurturing the growth of more than 175 companies. More than half of the companies that have graduated from UEL continue operations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.
“We have ambitious goals for UEL’s next phase in terms of our mission to foster Minnesota’s next generation of life sciences companies and support economic growth in the Twin Cities,” said Barbara Nelsen, Ph.D., Chair of the UEL Board. “For that, we need an equally ambitious and qualified leader. We are thrilled to have Brad at the helm of UEL. His collaborative work style and extensive experience in healthcare, along with his expertise mentoring startups, make him an ideal leader for UEL.”
Mr. Larmie’s breadth of experience encompasses sales and business development, operations, finance, management and consulting roles across a spectrum of organizations, ranging from dynamic startups to some of the largest health systems in the country. He continues to serve as a HealthTech mentor at the Founder’s Institute, the largest pre-seed accelerator in the world, which provides professional training and coaching to start-up companies.
Previously, Mr. Larmie served as a Strategy & Innovation Leader at Children’s Minnesota, contributing significantly to the hospital’s digital transformation strategy and discovering opportunities to advance innovation in pediatrics. Prior to this, he was Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at ChRi Laboratories, an analytical testing lab based in the UEL. Mr. Larmie began his career as a pharmaceutical sales rep with Novartis. He has a biological sciences degree from Marquette University.
“Starting a company is really tough and finding lab space to prove out what you’re working on is even harder when you’re early into your journey,” said Mr. Larmie. “At its core, UEL offers opportunity to founders or innovators in the life sciences. I am excited to take UEL to the next level, which will allow us to increase our contribution to Minnesota’s thriving life sciences ecosystem.”
UEL offers labs, office space and convening areas serving a range of fields in biotech, medtech, tough tech and agricultural tech. UEL has over 35 wet, dry and clinical labs to serve a wide range of scientific investigation and clinical development, product prototyping and computational or theoretical research. UEL also provides shared access to essential scientific equipment, and flexible rental and lease terms.
Current UEL tenant companies are developing and commercializing a diverse range of technologies such as drug device applications, medical devices, robotics, diagnostic tools, atmospheric carbon capture, and next generation energy storage.
About University Enterprise Labs
A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, UEL is Minnesota’s leading life science incubator. Founded in 2005, UEL has received financial support from University of Minnesota, Xcel Energy, 3M, Boston Scientific, the State of Minnesota and other organizations to fill the critical need for space young life sciences companies require to grow. The 150,000 square foot facility provides affordable and customizable laboratory and workspace, including more than 35 wet and dry labs. In addition, UEL offers support and resources to members of its thriving life sciences community. UEL has a deep commitment to fostering Minnesota’s next generation of life sciences companies. It has supported more than 175 startup companies since its inception and currently has 65 tenant companies employing approximately 300 people.
