Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship

ILSE is a life science technology accelerator, business incubator, and a research institute on the Kean Union campus that works in partnership with innovators, academic and biomedical institutions, and global public-private partnerships and non-profits such as CARB-X and American Type Culture Collection.  ILSE provides know-how, diagnostics and therapeutics expertise, business strategy, startup funding expertise and research support to our partners’ portfolios.

ILSE operates a sizable and growing incubator on campus, and our services and support are complemented by consulting expertise via a network of global life-science experts and R&D service organizations.

ILSE supports innovators from the discovery phase all the way to NDA submission, and startups from incorporation to commercialization.

ILSE’s mission is to improve human health and create economic opportunities by attracting scientific innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders to foster the bioeconomy and translate early innovation into medically and commercially viable solutions.  We aim to enrich the culture of entrepreneurship in New Jersey and beyond and train the next generation of entrepreneurs through partnership with Kean and other education and workforce initiatives.

ILSE supports the Office of Science and Technology by connecting Kean to the life sciences industry and to experts in various fields related to STEM research and education.  ILSE also has an international reputation for life science startups and business acceleration and promotes early stage innovation on campus in collaboration with faculty.  Through funding and other mechanisms, ILSE provides support to faculty and students as well as research infrastructure, and identifies potential areas for collaboration and grant funding.  ILSE and member companies also host interns through Career Services as well as the Summer Research Internship Program through the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF).

ILSE was founded by Kean in 2014 to bring world-class research to Kean and to support the University’s research enterprise and students’ enrichment by increasing interactions with the life sciences industrial community.  With a one-time seed investment from Kean, ILSE established research activities, resources, and programs to support faculty, industry research and student training.  Since 2015, ILSE has been self-supporting through grants, collaborations, incubation, acceleration, and research income.  ILSE and partner companies fund faculty research and collaborations and contribute to student engagement through internships, employment, and mentorship.  ILSE continues to invest in Kean core facilities and the research infrastructure for the university; in 2023, ILSE was awarded $2.5M by the US Small Business Administration to expand the incubator on campus, enabling Kean and ILSE to deepen ties, train entrepreneurs and students, and create more opportunities for faculty, the University and the life science community.