Institute For Life Science Entrepreneurship

What Institute For Life Science Entrepreneurship does

The Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship (ILSE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit translational research institute founded in 2014 and headquartered in Kean University's STEM Building in Union, New Jersey. The organization operates an integrated life science innovation platform combining a wet-lab incubator, an accelerator program, and in-house microbiology R&D services. Core offerings include incubator space with shared and independent laboratory suites, a 13-week SBA-funded Entrepreneur Training Program launched in 2025, and the ATCC Center for Translational Microbiology — a multi-year, multi-million dollar partnership with ATCC focused on antimicrobial resistance, synthetic biology, microbial bioinformatics, and the microbiome. A December 2025 MOU with Rutgers University extends ILSE's reach across two of New Jersey's principal research institutions, both of which are charter members of the New Jersey Academic Drug Discovery Consortium.

ILSE's revenue model is grant-driven rather than commercial. Operating income is sourced primarily from federal and state government grants — including SBA funding for the Entrepreneur Training Program, an NJEDA $100,000 Innovation Challenge planning grant, continued CARB-X Global Accelerator Partner support, and revenue-sharing provisions tied to ATCC partnership products such as the Global Priority Superbugs Collection and the ATCC Clinical Isolates Collection (the partnership's first commercial product, launched August 2017). Tenant companies have collectively raised $43 million in grants over five years, including $8.5 million in Phase II SBIR and STTR awards secured in 2025. Ancillary income streams include incubator space rental, core research services, and consulting delivered through a global network of R&D service organizations.

The organization serves early-stage life sciences companies developing therapeutics, diagnostics, and devices, with strategic emphasis on antimicrobial resistance startups and academic spinouts. Distribution is direct via the on-site Union, NJ incubator supplemented by event-driven channels including the 1st Pitch Life Sciences competition, stakeholder forums, and symposia. ILSE is led by CEO Keith Bostian (who also serves as Associate Provost for Science and Technology at Kean University) and President Thomas Richardson (formerly VP Strategic Initiatives at BioNJ), alongside a senior team including VP of Business Development Scott A. Siegel and VP of Research Michael P. Graziano. The institute is positioned as New Jersey's leading life science innovation center.

Name

Institute For Life Science Entrepreneurship

Legal name

Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship

Website

https://ilsebio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 at Kean University in Union, NJ. It operates an incubator, accelerator, and translational research institute supporting early-stage life science startups with lab space, research partnerships, and federal grant facilitation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Union

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Federal Funding: ILSE supports companies in obtaining SBIR and STTR grants from federal sources. Companies in the ILSE community have received multiple Phase II grants totaling $8.5 million. ILSE also received continued support from CARB-X as a global accelerator partner.
2. Incubator and Accelerator Services: Provides startup services, incubator space, and accelerator services to life science companies. ILSE has incubator space with shared and independent lab and office facilities available at their campus location.
3. Research and Consulting Services: Core research services including molecular and microbiology R&D. Also provides consulting expertise through a global network of life-science experts and core lab network of R&D service organizations.
4. Entrepreneur Training Program: Funded by the US Small Business Administration, the ETP provides hands-on, mentor-guided learning with leadership development for life sciences entrepreneurs.
5. NJEDA Planning Grant: Awarded $100,000 planning grant in partnership with Union Township to expand outreach to life science entrepreneurs and university programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ILSE is a nonprofit life science innovation center that combines a translational microbiology research institute with a startup incubator, accelerator, and entrepreneur training programs. It sells wet-lab incubator space, shared core facilities, microbiology and molecular R&D services, business strategy and grant-writing support, and access to a global consulting expert network. Its anchor offering is the ATCC Center for Translational Microbiology, established through a multi-year, multi-million dollar partnership with ATCC focused on antimicrobial resistance, synthetic biology, microbial bioinformatics, and the microbiome.

Product overview

ILSE is a non-profit life science innovation center providing a platform for discovering, incubating, and accelerating early-stage life science companies. The organization operates as a hub combining a research institute with startup and acceleration support. The core offerings include Core Research Services (molecular and microbiology R&D), a Biotech Launchpad for startup success, and a Lab & Consulting Network of global experts. The platform includes an Incubator with shared and independent lab/office space, the ATCC Center for Translational Microbiology (research partnership with ATCC), the CARB-X Accelerator Partnership for AMR research, and an Entrepreneur Training Program (13-week intensive venture studio training). Additional services include Custom Training Programs, Core Facilities access, and a Translational Research Competition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Core Research Services Full suite of molecular and microbiology R&D services supporting life science research and development needs for startups and entrepreneurs.
• Biotech Launchpad Startup support program providing comprehensive services including business strategy, consulting expertise, and access to a global network of life-science experts to ensure the success of biotech startups.
• Lab & Consulting Network Global network of consulting experts and core lab service organizations that complement ILSE's in-house R&D and business expertise for life science companies.
• Incubator Space Wet laboratory incubator space for early-stage life science companies with access to core facilities and analytical instrumentation at the ILSE BioCenter in Union, NJ.
• Core Facilities Shared and independent laboratory and office space with core analytical and research instrumentation available to scientists and researchers at the ILSE BioCenter.
• ATCC Center for Translational Microbiology Research center focused on antimicrobial resistance, synthetic biology, microbial bioinformatics, and the microbiome, established through a partnership with ATCC to support translational microbiology research.
• CARB-X Accelerator Partnership Global accelerator partnership contributing to combating the global antimicrobial resistance crisis through the Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator, providing knowhow, diagnostics expertise, and business strategy support.
• Entrepreneur Training Program Intensive 13-week program combining hands-on mentor-guided learning with leadership development to build the next generation of life sciences companies. Funded by the US Small Business Administration.
• Custom Training Programs Training and custom programs offered by ILSE experts for entrepreneurs in the life sciences.

Quantifiable outcome

• $43M raised in grants by ILSE companies over 5 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rutgers UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2025Memorandum of Understanding to support and advance research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in New Jersey. Partnership leverages Rutgers' world-class research depth spanning biomedical sciences, engineering, chemistry, pharmacy, agriculture, computational biology with ILSE's capabilities in pharmaceutical and diagnostic development, startup incubation, acceleration, venture-readiness, and entrepreneur training. Both are charter members of the New Jersey Academic Drug Discovery Consortium.
• ABLE (Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2021Memorandum of Understanding with leading Indian biotechnology organization announced by Choose New Jersey to support cross-border life sciences collaboration and business development.
• C-CAMP (Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2021Joint webinar collaboration with CARB-X and ILSE to showcase competencies of leading CROs in India and how Product Developers can leverage advantages of working with Indian CROs.
• Union TownshipminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2018Partnership with Union Township to expand outreach to life science entrepreneurs and university programs. Awarded $100,000 NJEDA Innovation Challenge planning grant through this partnership.
• ATCCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2015Multi-year, multi-million dollar partnership establishing The ATCC Center for Translational Microbiology at ILSE. Initial funding supported recruitment of 10-12 person scientific team and research operations. Focus areas include antimicrobial resistance, synthetic biology, microbial bioinformatics, and microbiome research. Partnership includes provisions for sharing product and licensing revenues.
• CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILSE is a CARB-X Global Accelerator Partner contributing to combating the global AMR challenge. ILSE provides knowhow, diagnostics expertise, business strategy, and other support to CARB-X's growing portfolio of innovative antibacterial development projects. ILSE has received continued support from CARB-X and U.S. Department of Health.
• Kean UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILSE is located in Kean's STEM building at Union, NJ. Kean University is a founding member of ILSE. ILSE CEO Keith Bostian also serves as Associate Provost for Science and Technology at Kean University.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ATCC: Global biological materials resource and standards organization that established the ATCC Center for Translational Microbiology at ILSE. Comparable as a larger established life sciences organization with overlapping AMR and microbiology capabilities.
• CARB-X: Global nonprofit accelerator advancing antibacterial R&D. ILSE is a CARB-X Global Accelerator Partner providing support to CARB-X's portfolio; comparable as a larger antibacterial R&D ecosystem participant with related mission.

Direct peers

• LabCentral: Cambridge, MA-based nonprofit life science incubator providing shared wet lab space and acceleration services to early-stage biotech startups. Directly comparable to ILSE's incubator + accelerator hybrid model serving founders with wet lab infrastructure and translational support.
• BioGenerator: St. Louis-based nonprofit life sciences startup generator that creates and supports early-stage biotech companies with lab space, funding, and business expertise. Highly comparable hybrid incubator/accelerator model to ILSE.
• IndieBio: Biotech accelerator providing capital, lab space, and mentorship to early-stage life sciences startups. Comparable to ILSE's biotech accelerator services though structured as a for-profit with venture funding.
• Princeton Innovation Center BioLabs: Princeton-area biotech incubator (operated by BioLabs) providing shared wet lab infrastructure and accelerator services. Comparable to ILSE's incubator offering in the broader New Jersey life sciences ecosystem.
• JLABS by Johnson & Johnson Innovation: Global network of life science incubators providing lab space, equipment, and resources to early-stage biotech startups. Operates in the same incubator/accelerator category as ILSE with deeper capital backing from a major pharma.
• BioBAT Innovation Center: NYC-based life science and innovation center offering wet lab incubator space and support services to early-stage biotech companies. Operates a similar nonprofit-supported incubation model to ILSE in the NY/NJ corridor.
• New Jersey Innovation Institute: NJIT-affiliated nonprofit innovation hub supporting startups and technology commercialization across multiple sectors including life sciences. Comparable to ILSE as a New Jersey-based university-affiliated innovation center.

Others

• BioNJ: New Jersey's life sciences trade association representing the state's biotechnology ecosystem. Comparable as a NJ life sciences ecosystem enabler where ILSE's president (Thomas Richardson) previously served as VP Strategic Initiatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-life-science-entrepreneurship
• Xx.com/ilse_bio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute For Life Science Entrepreneurship