Aracari Biosciences, a life sciences startup whose technology helps develop anti-cancer drugs, has expanded to new headquarters in Irvine Spectrum District.
“We are very pleased to be staying in the Irvine community where we can tap into a diverse and exceptionally talented workforce,” says Dr. Chris Hughes, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Aracari.
The move follows three years of incubating at University Lab Partners, a nonprofit wet lab at UCI Research Park that supports medtech companies with access to research and business mentoring at an economical cost.
ULP Executive Director Karin Koch says it’s always bittersweet to graduate companies that have incubated at the lab, which was founded in partnership with UCI Beall Applied Innovation – Irvine’s hub for entrepreneurs. But that’s the goal.
“We wouldn’t have a successful community without these alumni,” she says. “Our goal is to prepare them all to leave the nest.”
While at ULP, Aracari invented vascularized micro-organs to grow tumors for testing anti-cancer drugs. This technology allows companies and researchers to quickly identify effective drug candidates.
As a result, the company has undergone a “growing demand from pharmaceutical customers for testing novel drugs,” says Chairman and Co-Founder Dr. Wes Hatfield. “This move will allow us to expand our customer base.”
