The Roanoke City Council has accepted a $1 million U.S. Small Business Administration grant to purchase advanced laboratory equipment for RoVa Labs, a biotechnology startup incubator.
RoVa Labs combines biomedical research facilities with business development support and has grown to house nine research tenants since opening in May 2026. Officials say the new federal funding will be used to buy equipment to attract even more biotechnology entrepreneurs. The facility on South Jefferson Street links downtown with a growing cluster of health and life sciences centers in the Roanoke Innovation Corridor, including the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
"The health and life sciences industries are poised for significant growth in Roanoke," said City Manager Valmarie Turner. "RoVa Labs is a launchpad for turning new discoveries into thriving businesses." The facility was created in partnership with Carilion Clinic, the Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance, Virginia Western Community College and the Virginia Tech Foundation, supported by $15.7 million from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development in 2023 and a $1.9 million city match through ARPA funds.
Original Facebook source: Open post
Source note: Star News TV · Oct 6, 2026 10:10 PM.
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