Incubator's Progress in Developing New Firms Runs Ahead of Schedule — Nidus Has 4 Other Clients, Seeks More
Virginia Baldwin Gilbert
Of the Post-Dispatch

The Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise opened less than two years ago in Creve Coeur with two startup companies and a mission to "assure the commercial success of startups and early stage life science companies."

At the time, Robert Calcaterra, chief executive, predicted that companies would need five to 10 years to be ready to graduate.

But Nidus is already talking to two companies - Quick Study Radiology Inc. and TSV Industries Inc. - about graduating at the end of this year. "It verifies that we're doing a good job of selecting companies and helping them prepare themselves to succeed," Calcaterra said.

Nidus's other clients include:

• Colliant LLC - formed to develop a market for some biotech crops that Monsanto Co. decided not to focus on, such as citrus fruits, coffee and trees that are used for lumber.
• Divergence LLC - a biotech company studying ways to combat parasitic nematodes.
• Shurjo Medical Technologies Inc. - developing a medical device it hopes will help detect and diagnose cancer.
• Apath LLC - working on finding a new drug to treat hepatitis C.

Calcaterra expects to announce another company soon.

Besides providing space and equipment, Nidus helps client companies build a strong management team, secure the patents or licenses needed to protect intellectual property, firm up their business plans and get financing.

Potential investors look at all those areas when considering a startup's strength.

So far, Nidus has helped attract more than $25 million in angel and venture funds for its client firms, including the new, unidentified company, Calcaterra said.

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