In the heart of Huntsville and growing in the Wiregrass, one biotech non-profit is actively nurturing the future of innovation. HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a thriving ecosystem where discovery, entrepreneurship, and collaboration fuel the growing biotech economy in the southeast.
For the more than 50 life science companies that choose to locate at HudsonAlpha’s Huntsville campus, the benefits are clear from day one. The Institute offers far more than premium lab and office space. It provides a built-in community of fellow innovators, researchers, and entrepreneurs who understand the challenges of advancing science in today’s competitive landscape.
Whether a company is developing a point-of-care diagnostic test, engineering solutions to benefit the agriculture industry, or launching a new therapeutic, success is accelerated by proximity to others engaged in complementary work.
At HudsonAlpha, these proximity-based interactions, also known by the Institute’s co-founder, Jim Hudson, as “collisions of brilliance,” aren’t the exception; they’re built into the culture.
This reality is evident in the Institute’s newest resident associate company: Veil Genomics, a startup founded by three HudsonAlpha geneticists. It was launched from their collaborative laboratory innovation to efficiently and accurately scale genomic sequencing.
“Veil Genomics spun out of two HudsonAlpha faculty labs located at the epicenter of the latest generation of long-read genomic sequencers,” said Josh Clevenger, PhD, co-founder of Veil Genomics. “That capability and our collaboration will power our company’s ability to make a global impact faster.”
HudsonAlpha also recognizes that starting and growing a biotech company requires more than technical resources. That’s where the Institute’s suite of shared infrastructure and highly tailored programming and mentorship comes in. In recent months, the Institute has begun to further expand its capabilities in fostering innovative ideas and commercialization, a conscious effort to be even more hands-on in the translational journey of a technology. Combined with flexible leasing options and scalable spaces, the result is an environment designed for growth through R&D output, revenue, headcount, and impact.
“As both a launchpad for translational research and a landing spot for life science ventures, HudsonAlpha provides the ecosystem and support needed to turn discovery into real-world impact,” said Dillon Fritz, PhD, HudsonAlpha’s Vice President for Economic Development and Commercialization.
By blending cutting-edge research, entrepreneurial expertise, and a culture designed for collaboration, HudsonAlpha continues to fuel the southeast’s biotech economy and set the stage for discoveries with global reach. Companies at HudsonAlpha gain more than lab space; they tap into a thriving community of scientists, startups, and industry leaders all working side by side.
For innovators ready to move faster, grow smarter, and make a lasting impact, HudsonAlpha offers its entrepreneurial support system at its flagship location in Huntsville or at its secondary location as the anchor tenant in Dothan’s Wiregrass Innovation Center, set to open in early 2026.
To learn more about joining the HudsonAlpha ecosystem, visit www.hudsonalpha.org/innovate/expand/.
