Press Release: Yoo & Co. Accelerators at the WearTech Center
The following press release was thoughtfully crafted by the team at 10to1 Public Relations:
In a strategic move to boost health care innovation and better support local startups, Yoo & Co. Accelerators (YCA) is now co-locating with the Arizona WearTech Applied Research Center, located in Park Central at 3110 N. Central Ave, in Midtown Phoenix within the Phoenix Medical Quarter. Being in the same space allows for YCA, a leading Arizona-based business accelerator for early-stage bioscience-based technology startups, and the Arizona WearTech Center to foster organic collaborations between their respective models.
The Arizona WearTech Center and YCA both provide funding and support for local start-up companies to develop their products. The two organizations have helped nearly 3 dozen companies to-date bring their technology into the market, whether it be moving through the WearTech Center’s applied research model or leveraging YCA’s entrepreneur and business assistance services.
“Co-locating with the WearTech Center is a deliberate move for us. We’ve been actively engaged with startups requiring access to clinical partners and talent in the medical research community,” said Chris Yoo, Ph.D., Founder of Yoo & Co. Accelerators. “Our two respective organizations are aligned in the mission to help Arizona innovators build successful startups, bring technologies to market at an accelerated pace, and that help people live healthier lives.”
The Arizona WearTech Applied Research Center is located at Park Central which is part of the Phoenix Medical Quarter, a ‘bioscience hub’ that includes bioscience, health care and education organizations such as Creighton University, Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center Campus, RadNet, Alliant School of Nursing, WCUI Smith Chason and DMG Children’s Rehabilitative Services. The proximity to these current and potential partners allows for greater collaboration. The bioscience advancements happening in the area is further accelerated by the Medical Device Manufacturing Multiplier Strategy Development Consortium grant awarded to the Greater Phoenix Economic Council as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration’s Tech Hubs program.
“Welcoming Yoo & Co. Accelerators to our space is a testament to our commitment to driving innovation in Arizona’s biomedical landscape,” said Wes Gullet, Director of Operations at the Arizona WearTech Center. “This move will amplify our impact and help Arizona continue to lead the charge for transformative healthcare solutions providing healthcare access, equity, and economic security.”
About the WearTech Applied Research Center
The WearTech Applied Research Center was created by Partnership for Economic Innovation (PEI) in 2019 to help launch a future-of-health technology ecosystem around Arizona’s thriving biomedical scene. The Center offers an engineering lab and community space for innovation teams bringing disruptive IP to life. Their process connects entrepreneurs and industry to world class research teams and resources, helping through the idea generation, project formation, research prototyping validation, and commercialization of products. The WearTech Center is able to work towards its mission of growing Arizona’s wearable tech ecosystem with support from key partners including the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation, Startup AZ Foundation, the City of Phoenix, and Arizona Commerce Authority.
About the Partnership for Economic Innovation
Partnership for Economic Innovation is a passionate collective of business and community leaders dedicated to accelerating Arizona’s economic opportunities. We believe innovators are problem solvers who come from anywhere, if they have access to pathways to do so — which is why PEI is investing in community-building technology and R&D designed to make Arizona more resilient and empower innovators to bring world-changing ideas to market. PEI initiatives include:
Applied Research Centers aligned with Arizona’s key technology domains are accelerating the development of emerging technology products with the potential to fuel growth industries and create quality jobs for Arizonans.
The Connective, Greater Phoenix’s internationally acclaimed Smart Region collaborative, convening cities, industries and entrepreneurs to lay the open innovation groundwork to solve regional challenges.