TORONTO, Oct. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rockcliffe Labs Inc. Rockcliffe Labs, a Canadian biotech venture platform, announces the launch of its first dedicated program to transform breakthrough scientific discoveries into scalable companies. This launch makes Rockcliffe Labs the first facility of its kind in Canada, with a mandate to create 100 biotechnology and life sciences businesses over the next decade.
Creation of 100 design companies
Rockcliffe Labs was founded with the mission of creating an industrializing company. The goal is not to develop individual success stories, but to apply a structured system that can create 100 businesses with global impact. Every company starts with a clearly defined global problem that is coupled with intellectual property, entrepreneurial leadership, and capital allocation from the outset.
With a goal of reaching 100 companies, Rockcliffe Labs provides discipline, scalability and diversification. The platform is designed to iteratively transform Canadian research results into globally competitive businesses that can attract partnerships, secure capital and compete internationally.
Canadian Universities Partnership
As part of its launch, Rockcliffe Labs has partnered with a leading Canadian university to conduct 7.5% continuing interest rate in enterprises created under a jointly developed licensing program. This agreement provides Rockcliffe Labs with preferential access to intellectual property pipelines including new biomarkers, therapeutic targets and biomanufacturing innovations.
The 7.5% stake structure ensures the university's participation in long-term value creation, providing Rockcliffe Labs with simplified licensing terms and rapid access to commercialization opportunities. This alignment strengthens the foundation of the 100-company plan, anchoring it in Canadian research while positioning the businesses for global expansion.
Closing Canada's commercialization gap
Canada ranks among the world's leaders in biotechnology and life sciences research, but has historically lagged in converting discoveries into global companies. Rockcliffe Labs was created to bridge this gap by bringing operational expertise, capital markets readiness and commercial partnerships directly into the scientific innovation process.
The platform ensures that Canadian achievements are not only published, but also transformed into businesses that compete internationally, drive economic growth and attract global capital.
Four venture factories
The 100-company roadmap is structured around four integrated ventures:
- Biomanufacturing plants – Creating companies that scale microbe- and algae-based systems to produce pharmaceuticals, APIs, nutraceuticals and industrial compounds.
- Therapeutic enterprises – Creation of companies based on biomarker discoveries, new therapeutic platforms and biological products with pharmaceutical licensing potential.
- Diagnostics Ventures – Creation of businesses focused on biomarkers, companion diagnostics and artificial intelligence-based platforms for precision medicine.
- Sustainable development – Emerging companies in algae-based nutrition, agricultural biotechnology, sustainable materials and carbon capture.
Each factory is designed to sequentially produce approximately 20 to 30 companies per decade.
Rockcliffe's venture model
Rockcliffe Labs uses a closed-loop process for creating ventures:
- Problem Definition: Identify billion-dollar global health and sustainability challenges.
- IP source: Acquire or license research results using Canadian universities as key partners.
- Venture Assembly: Combine intellectual property with local entrepreneurs, academic founders and the Rockcliffe team.
- Capital integration: Integrate government programs such as SR&ED, IRAP and NSERC with institutional investors and capital market structures.
- Global scaling: Position companies for multinational partnerships, IPOs or licensing deals.
This model allows Rockcliffe Labs to systematically build companies with built-in scientific and commercial foundations.
Purchasing Algae-C
The launch of Rockcliffe Labs follows its acquisition of Algae-C Inc.biotechnology company with 14 patents and more than 600 identified bioactive compounds derived from algae. Algae-C serves as the cornerstone of Rockcliffe's biomanufacturing vertical, providing proof of concept for Rockcliffe's model.
This acquisition highlights the type of enterprise Rockcliffe intends to replicate in its 100-company roadmap: intellectual property rich, scalable, globally relevant and focused on partnerships in pharmaceuticals, nutrition and sustainability.
The path to growth to 100 enterprises
The company has developed a step-by-step action plan to reach 100 companies:
- 1–2 years: Create 5-10 businesses based on Algae-C and early university partnerships.
- 3–5 years: Expand to 30+ plants across all four plants, demonstrating repeatability of the model.
- 6–10 years: Scale to 100 businesses by building a diversified portfolio with IPOs, global partnerships and acquisitions.
This sophisticated system ensures sustainability and scalability while creating portfolio value across all businesses.
Partnerships and capital strategy
Rockcliffe Labs will work in close partnership with universities, research institutions and government programs. A recently signed agreement with Canadian universities for a 7.5% venture capital stake formalizes this strategy.
The capital structure is designed to maximize efficiency through tiered financing:
- Non-dilutive Canadian seed stage grants and tax incentives.
- Institutional and strategic investments to scale.
- Ways to enter the public capital market through RTO and IPO.
This approach ensures that ventures remain capital efficient while providing significant growth potential for founders, universities and investors.
Participation in the program
Applications for Rockcliffe Labs' first venture capital program will open in early 2026. The selected participants will include lifelong entrepreneurs and academic founders who will be included in Rockcliffe's venture creation model.
Participants will have access to Rockcliffe's integrated operating platform, licensing partnerships and investor network, allowing each business to go global and prepare to go public.
Long term results
The creation of Rockcliffe Labs and its 100-company plan aims to:
- Creating a repeatable system for commercializing Canadian and international science.
- 100 new biotech and life sciences businesses in 10 years.
- International partnerships with leading pharmaceutical, diagnostic and biomanufacturing firms.
- A diversified portfolio designed for IPOs, mergers, acquisitions and licensing transactions.
- Significant contributions to Canada's economic development, innovation ecosystem and job creation.
About Rockcliffe Labs
Rockcliffe Labs is a Canadian biotech venture platform dedicated to turning breakthrough science into global companies. Through a structured venture creation process involving 100 companies, Rockcliffe Labs partners with researchers, entrepreneurs and investors to create scalable businesses that solve global problems in health, agriculture and sustainability.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the 100-company plan, university partnerships, acquisition strategies and long-term results. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Rockcliffe Labs undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by law.
No offers or suggestions
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction. Any offer of securities will be made only pursuant to applicable offering documents in accordance with the securities laws.
Media Contact
Rockcliff Labs Inc.
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: rockcliffelabs.com
