A2 Biotech consulting firm increases federal investment in local start-ups

If you're trying to start a business, ingenuity is good. Creativity is nice. But money is better.

Since 2005, Biotechnology Business Consultants in Ann Arbor have helped bring a staggering $39 million in federal funding to Michigan start-ups. Husband and wife Michael and Lisa Kurek, partners in the firm, specialize in tooling start-up grant proposals for Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health guidelines. And it's paying off for local start-ups - while those agencies typically grant proposals at a rate of about 18 percent, 40 to 50 percent of BBC's clients make the cut.

"What we do is to help companies identify sources," Michael Kurek says. "And we help with structuring a proposal, writing it, and we do training around the state."

Life sciences companies in the early stages of development often aren't eligible for other types of funding, Kurek says - but funding early start-ups are crucial for the state's diversifying economy.

"In 99.9 percent of cases, the technology is too early even for an angel investment," he says. "Generally they want to see a little more feasibility demonstrated, but if you have to get into lab you need some cash."

BBC has recently received its second contract from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to work their magic. Such contracts make sense - Kurek notes that every federal dollar spent funding a start-up is money the state doesn't have to spend.

In recent years, BBC's workload has increased, and the company - starting with two consultants - added three more. Kurek says he's not sure if BBC will add staff in the near future, saying it depends on the amount of work headed his way.

Source: Michael Kurek, BBC
Writer: Nancy Kaffer