Life sciences investment group opens office at Worcester incubator
Photo | Courtesy of Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives
Business and political officials celebrated the opening of Conifer Life Sciences at Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives. Conifer cofounders Peter Li (center, holding scissors) and Jean Qiu (second from left in front) were joined by, among others, Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty; State Rep. John Mahoney; and State Sen Michael Moore.
The investor group Conifer Life Sciences has opened at the Worcester incubator Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, joining a growing number of organizations seeking to provide funding for startups and early stage companies in Central Massachusetts.
Conifer is the first investor group to locate at MBI’s current location on Briden Street and the second in its 40-year history, according to a Thursday press release from MBI.
Conifer is led by wife-and-husband team Jean Qiu and Peter Li. Qiu is the founder of Nexcelom Bioscience, a Lawrence-based company developing products to count and analyze cells in scientific research. After growing her company to 150 employees, she sold her business for $260 million in cash in 2021 to a company then-known as PerkinElmer.
As the heads of Conifer, they partner with burgeoning startups, joining in as co-founders while providing seed funding, marketing, financial planning, human resources, and more.
They have already funded three MBI companies, according to MBI. In the past 40 years, MBI has incubated nearly 200 companies, resulting in the creation of 1,857 jobs.
Conifer joins a growing number of investors in the Central Massachusetts entrepreneurial ecosystem, looking to fund startups from the region. In January, Beverely businessman Cliff Rucker launched a new entrepreneurial hub called Auxilium Worcester, which includes potential funding for participating companies.
Brad Kane is the editor of Worcester Business Journal.
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