As the year came to a close, TEDCO delivered a clear signal to Maryland’s innovation economy: life sciences and medtech remain a top priority.
In Q4 2025, TEDCO deployed a strategic mix of direct early-stage investments and SBIR/STTR matching funds, supporting companies across therapeutics, medical devices, digital health, and biomanufacturing-adjacent life sciences. Together, these investments reflect TEDCO’s unique role as both a first-check funder and a capital multiplier for science-driven startups.
Below, we break down the key Q4 investments — and why they matter for founders, talent, and the broader ecosystem.
Major Q4 2025 Life Science & MedTech Investments
VerImmune — $500,000
Fund: Maryland Equity Investment Fund (MEIF)
Focus: Cancer immunotherapy platforms
VerImmune received the largest life science investment of the quarter, securing $500,000 from TEDCO’s MEIF to advance its Virus-inspired Particle (ViP) technology. The platform aims to harness immune memory to improve cancer treatment outcomes, positioning VerImmune within Maryland’s growing cohort of platform-based biotech innovators.
NasaClip — $250,000
Fund: Pre-Seed Builder Fund
Focus: Non-invasive medical device innovation
NasaClip is developing a hands-free, painless device for treating nosebleeds, designed for both clinical and at-home use. TEDCO’s support helps move the company closer to commercialization while reinforcing the state’s strength in practical, patient-friendly medtech solutions.
LASARRUS — $75,000
Fund: Pre-Seed Builder Fund
Focus: Remote patient monitoring for COPD
LASARRUS is building wearable technology to enable continuous, remote monitoring of COPD patients, improving care management while reducing hospital utilization. Though smaller in size, this investment highlights TEDCO’s commitment to early validation capital for data-driven healthcare startups.
Natáur — $250,000
Fund: Pre-Seed Builder Fund (Social Impact Funds)
Focus: Bio-based taurine production
Rounding out Q4, Natáur secured $250,000 to advance its work producing sustainably manufactured, bio-based taurine—a widely used compound in health, nutrition, and wellness applications. The investment underscores TEDCO’s expanding view of life sciences, embracing biomanufacturing and ingredient innovation as key components of Maryland’s future bioeconomy.
Expanded SBIR/STTR Matching Funds Awards (December 2025)
In mid-December, TEDCO announced $875,000 in SBIR/STTR Matching Funds awarded across 13 Maryland companies, spanning two quarterly funding cycles. The program continues to serve as a critical capital multiplier—helping founders extend the impact of federal SBIR and STTR awards during key R&D and commercialization phases.
Below are the life science and medtech companies included in that December announcement:
Kubanda Cryotherapy — Phase II match
SBIR/STTR awardee working at the intersection of medtech and therapeutic applications.
Rise Therapeutics — Phase II match
SBIR/STTR awardee advancing therapeutic innovation.
miRecule — Phase II match
SBIR/STTR awardee developing next-generation therapeutic approaches.
Prompt Diagnostics — Phase II match
SBIR/STTR awardee focused on rapid diagnostic solutions.
Evon Medics — Phase II match
SBIR/STTR awardee advancing medical device innovation.
Isoprene Pharmaceuticals — Phase II match
SBIR/STTR awardee developing novel pharmaceutical technologies.
LASARRUS Clinic & Research Center — $75,000 Phase II match
Matching funds tied to a confirmed NIH SBIR Phase II (R44) award, reinforcing TEDCO’s earlier pre-seed investment.
Looking Ahead: Why Q4 Feels Like a Launchpad for 2026
Zooming out, TEDCO’s Q4 activity didn’t happen in a vacuum — it arrived at a moment when the broader biotech market is quietly resetting.
After two years of capital discipline, 2025 began to show early signs of thaw:
- Public markets stabilized, giving later-stage investors clearer benchmarks.
- Big Pharma deal-making rebounded, particularly around platform technologies, diagnostics, and capital-efficient assets.
- Federal non-dilutive funding remained strong, with SBIR/STTR continuing to serve as a lifeline for early science.
- And perhaps most importantly, founders adjusted — building leaner, milestone-driven companies designed to survive long cycles and emerge stronger.
That context matters.
Because when risk capital re-enters the market — as many expect heading into 2026 — it won’t chase hype. It will follow validated science, disciplined teams, and ecosystems already doing the work.
That’s exactly where TEDCO shows up.
By writing early checks, matching federal dollars, and supporting companies before momentum is obvious, TEDCO helps ensure that Maryland startups are ready when the next wave of private capital accelerates. Q4’s investments weren’t just about closing out the year — they were about positioning founders for what comes next.
If 2026 becomes the year when life science investment meaningfully rebounds, there’s little doubt TEDCO will be part of that story — not reacting to the market, but helping shape it.
And for Maryland’s life science founders, that steady presence may be one of the most valuable signals of all.