Life Science Washington Institute

What Life Science Washington Institute does

Life Science Washington Institute (operating as LSW Institute / Life Science Washington Entrepreneurship and Venture Services) is a Seattle-based non-profit organization chartered out of Life Science Washington to support the life science entrepreneurial community in Washington state. Founded in 2017 and operating with 11–50 employees from 188 East Blaine St, Suite 150, the organization delivers pro-bono entrepreneurship and venture services to early-stage life science researchers, entrepreneurs, and companies working across Medical Devices, BioPharma, and Digital Health. Its program portfolio spans milestone-based mentoring (WIN Mentoring Program), open Startup Assistance Consulting, SBIR/STTR grant application support, Grant Writing Workshops, and grant pass-through programs (Matching Fund Grant, WA Competes Grant), supplemented by investor-facing forums (Strategic Investor Spotlights, VIP Forums), the Executive Insights Series, Career Development Workshops, the DRIVe Accelerator, and the World IP Day 2025 program. The Entrepreneur Startup Guidebook, last updated April 2023, provides flowcharts, templates, and curated advice and serves as the organization's signature content asset.

The business model is a non-fee, non-profit services model: there are no publicly disclosed prices and no revenue figures, with all core services delivered pro-bono. The organization is sustained through its parent entity Life Science Washington, a nonprofit foundation, together with corporate sponsorships (notably Perkins Coie as presenting sponsor of the Entrepreneurial Achievement Award), grants, and program-specific funding. Customer concentration is structurally low — there is no individual paying customer to lose — and the user base is segmented horizontally across early-stage entrepreneurs, academic researchers spinning out companies, and emerging ventures in three verticals, all within Washington state. The organization does not operate technology products or APIs; its distribution runs through its website (lsw-evs.org), a LinkedIn company page with 2.7M followers, an email newsletter, and recurring in-person events including the annual Life Sciences Leadership Gala.

Name

Life Science Washington Institute

Legal name

Life Science Washington Institute

Website

https://lswinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Science Entrepreneurship Support Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship, Startup Incubation & Pitch Programs (EDAMAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

Keywords

• Life science mentoring
• Entrepreneurship consulting
• Startup advisory services
• Grant writing assistance
• Venture development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Entrepreneurship and Venture Services: The organization provides pro-bono consultation services to life science companies and operates as a chartered entity of Life Science Washington to support and develop the entrepreneurial community. Revenue model is not explicitly disclosed in available sources.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Life Science Washington Institute delivers pro-bono entrepreneurship and venture services to Washington state life science entrepreneurs and early-stage companies, including milestone-driven mentorship through the WIN Mentoring Program, one-on-one startup assistance consulting, SBIR/STTR and grant writing assistance, executive and investor education programs, and grant funding programs (Matching Fund Grant, WA Competes Grant). Its offering is anchored by the Entrepreneur Startup Guidebook, a curated digital resource containing flowcharts, business plan and pitch deck templates, and customer survey frameworks tailored to medical devices, biopharma, and digital health ventures.

Product overview

Life Science Washington Entrepreneurship and Venture Services (LSW EVS) is a non-profit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services to support life science researchers, entrepreneurs, and companies in bridging the gap between discovery and commercialization. The organization provides multiple interconnected programs including the WIN Mentoring Program for early-stage mentorship, Startup Assistance and Consulting services, SBIR/STTR grant assistance, and various funding programs (Matching Fund Grant, WA Competes Grant). Additional offerings include the Entrepreneur Startup Guidebook with templates and resources, Executive Insights Series, Strategic Investor Spotlights, VIP Forums, and Career Development Workshops. The services span from educational resources and pro-bono consulting to grant writing support and investor connections, creating a unified ecosystem for life science entrepreneurship development in Washington state.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WIN Mentoring Program A milestone-focused mentorship program in which entrepreneurs of early-stage life science ventures are matched with an all-star team of seasoned volunteer mentors. It is for Washington state life science founders seeking structured commercialization guidance.
• Startup Assistance Consulting Pro-bono consultation services offered to life science companies to help develop the Washington life science entrepreneurial community, including startup kit, business plan, and pitch deck preparation. It is for founders with ideas they are looking to grow into businesses.
• SBIR/STTR Assistance Program Assistance program for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant applications, helping Washington life science startups access non-dilutive federal funding.
• Entrepreneur Startup Guidebook A comprehensive digital guidebook with resources for entrepreneurs working in Medical Devices, BioPharma, and Digital Health, including flowcharts, step-by-step action items, templates for business plans, pitch decks, and customer surveys, plus curated advice from serial entrepreneurs. It is delivered as a self-serve digital resource.
• Matching Fund Grant A matching fund grant program to support life science startups in Washington state that have secured SBIR/STTR federal funding.
• WA Competes Grant Grant program supporting competitive life science companies in Washington state.
• Executive Insights Series A program providing executive-level insights and guidance for life science entrepreneurs in Washington state.
• Strategic Investor Spotlights Program connecting Washington life science startups with strategic investors in the life science sector.
• VIP Forums Exclusive forums for networking and knowledge sharing among life science professionals in Washington state.
• Career Development Workshop Workshops focused on career development for life science professionals in Washington state.
• Grant Writing Workshops Virtual workshops providing training on grant writing for life science entrepreneurs, supporting SBIR/STTR and other competitive grant applications.
• DRIVe Accelerator An accelerator program supporting life science innovation and entrepreneurship in Washington state.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported ProfoundBio through its journey to $1.8 billion acquisition by Genmab A/S
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Perkins CoiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 November 2025Perkins Coie is a presenting sponsor for the Entrepreneurial Achievement Award at the Life Sciences Leadership Gala, providing support for recognizing outstanding life science entrepreneurs in Washington state.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• JLABS (Johnson & Johnson Innovation): Global network of life science incubators operated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation offering lab space, mentorship, and resources to early-stage biotech entrepreneurs. Comparable as a life science entrepreneur support program at greater scale and corporate backing.

Emerging players

• IndieBio: Biotech-specific accelerator providing seed funding, mentorship, and lab space to life science startups. Comparable as a life science entrepreneurship program, though differentiated by taking equity and offering wet-lab infrastructure.
• MBC BioLabs: San Francisco Bay Area incubator providing lab space and programming for early-stage life science startups. Comparable as a life science entrepreneur support platform, though differentiated by providing physical lab infrastructure.

Direct peers

• MassBio: Massachusetts life science industry association that supports biotech entrepreneurs through programming, networking, and policy advocacy. Directly comparable as a nonprofit regional ecosystem builder for early-stage life science ventures.
• BioNJ: New Jersey's life science trade association that serves member companies and entrepreneurs through education, networking, and advocacy. Closely comparable in mission and structure to Life Science Washington Institute as a state-level industry builder.
• BioGenerator: St. Louis-based nonprofit that supports life science startup creation through mentoring, consulting, and seed funding. Highly comparable in structure and function as a regional life science entrepreneur support and venture development organization.
• BioEnterprise / Global Center for Medical Innovation: Cleveland-based nonprofit supporting medical device and health innovation commercialization through mentoring, consulting, and accelerator programming. Highly comparable in function as a regional medtech/biotech commercialization support organization.
• California Life Sciences (CLS): California's statewide life science industry association offering advocacy, networking, and entrepreneurship programs. Directly comparable as a regional industry body supporting life science founders with services and resources analogous to Life Science Washington Institute.
• Springboard Enterprises: Nonprofit accelerator supporting life science and healthtech entrepreneurs, particularly women founders, through mentoring and investor connections. Comparable in mission as a nonprofit life science entrepreneurship support organization.

Regional players

• NewYorkBIO: New York State's life science industry association serving biotech entrepreneurs through advocacy, education, and networking. Comparable as a state-level nonprofit ecosystem builder, but operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/27160066
• Xx.com/lswinstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/lswinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Life Science Washington Institute