Transforming a scientific idea into a biotechnology company often depends on the strength of the surrounding innovative ecosystem. In this talk, Tom Schirris shares the journey of founding QTM BioSciences (“QTM”) and how strategic alliances accelerated its development. 

The company began in a small laboratory at Pivot Park, where its core technology was developed while bootstrapping with personal resources. Access to shared infrastructure, specialized facilities, a collaborative life sciences community, and an open entrepreneurial spirit enabled rapid early progress. 

Today, QTM collaborates with pharmaceutical and biotech partners to quantify how drugs distribute inside cells and reach their pharmacological targets. This case illustrates how science parks and strategic collaborations help startups grow into investable biotech ventures. QTM now applies its platform technology to measure intracellular drug exposure across modalities including antibody–drug conjugates, peptides, oligonucleotides, small molecules, and nanoparticle-based therapeutics.