CodiKoat, is a start-up, pioneering an anti-viral coating technology that has attracted the interest of the UK Central Government in fighting the COVID pandemic and other viral infections. It originally took a single bench in the centre’s laboratory space, but has grown rapidly, employing 15 scientists and has expanded to take a dedicated laboratory facility of 6 benches as well as a large office to house its full team.
Matin Mohseni, a co-founder of CodiKoat says: “We are proud to be the first lab customer of The EpiCentre and to grow our team to a point where we can occupy six lab benches and the largest office space in the centre. CodiKoat’s mission is to create a safer world for all and the environment, and we believe The EpiCentre has been and will continue to be a valuable resource in this journey. We look forward to continuing our growth by occupying more space at the centre in the near future.”
The EpiCentre has successfully attracted a number of life science and bio-tech companies in the 12 months since it opened, with all 16 of its inclusive laboratory benches within a shared space now occupied. As a result, Oxford Innovation is now in discussions with the building’s owner Jaynic to explore the option of converting more space into labs, looking in particular at dedicated labs as grow on space within the centre.
The significant take up of space is in line with Central Government thinking on the life science sector. This year, UK life sciences companies raised a record-breaking total of £6.6bn in the first 10 months of 2021 creating a solid foundation to support the Life Science Vision launched by Prime Minister Boris Johnson this summer, with the target of making the United Kingdom the leading global hub for life sciences.
Centre manager, Kelly Boosey, says: “This is a really exciting time for us despite continuing COVID concerns as there is currently huge demand for laboratory space in Cambridgeshire and across the UK. We benefit from proximity to Cambridge but at the same time we are able to offer more cost-effective packages as well, ample parking and additional services including on-site café Cool Beans.
“Codikoat’s expansion is all about supporting small and medium sized businesses to scale and grow. This is an excellent example of the service we offer beyond the facilities and space which includes lab, office, co-working plus meeting rooms. The business support provided by our Innovation Director, and within the strong the eco-system we are building, makes all the difference. It provides additional guidance, signposting connections and can even go as far as providing 1-2-1 coaching and mentoring.
The laboratories at The EpiCentre have a mix of customers including CodiKoat, Halo Labs, Biotix, TA Instruments, Analog, Amphista Therapeutics and also our newest addition MuliplAI Health. These companies are playing a key role in the development of existing and future technologies and The EpiCentre is delighted to be supporting them.