Fannin Innovation Studio

Established in 2014, Houston-based Fannin is among the most active early-stage product development groups in the life sciences, with a dozen programs/platforms at different stages of development. Fannin advances its pipeline both internally and through Fannin-founded entities with a combination of investor and grant funding. Mission Statement To develop early-stage pharmaceutical and medical device assets that address vital unmet medical needs. Our Approach Our approach to commercializing academic research complements the traditional paths of out-licensing the technology to industry or spinning it out as a standalone VC-funded startup. In our hybrid approach, Fannin serves as both the management team and the early investor, collaborating with the academic inventors to advance the technology, leveraging grant funding when appropriate. We evolved this approach as a way to address the biotech development gap in places like Houston, which have a powerful research engine but lack the critical mass of commercialization seen in the biotech hubs of Boston and San Francisco. In the last decade, Fannin has brought in more than 35 programs, of which a dozen are active, including three in the clinic. Fannin has had approximately $260 million invested across our programs, with $75 million from grant funding and $185 million from investors.