Why Rice is launching a venture studio in Houston’s emerging biotech ecosystem

The founders of Rice University’s new venture studio believe they can incubate and launch multiple new biotechs each year, capitalizing on a maturing biotech ecosystem in Houston while also hoping to fuel its continued growth.

Houston follows a long list of regions aiming to build a biotech hub on the back of excellent science and major medical institutions, and it will face similar challenges, most notably a relative dearth of local serial entrepreneurship and a lack of familiarity for investors...