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When Mimi Yen co-founded PhagePro in 2016 as a spinout from Tufts University, the mission was clear: “to develop antibacterials for everyone, everywhere.” Today, PhagePro is focused on infectious diseases, particularly those causing outbreaks in low-and middle-income countries. Their lead program is dedicated to preventing cholera, using a different modality to prevent disease transmission. 

In 2024, PhagePro was awarded the Ignite Golden Ticket, a milestone Mimi described as nothing short of transformative. Ignite Golden Tickets provide access to LabCentral’s state-of-the-art lab facilities in Cambridge, in addition to one year of additional entrepreneurial support through a fellowship, to high-potential founders who need access to resources. For Mimi, this opportunity was about more than just lab space. “Golden tickets are such an incredible opportunity for early-stage biotech startups to get space in Cambridge, which tends to eat up a huge part of the budget, but also a leg up in the ecosystem,” said Yen. “LabCentral sits squarely in the middle of this ecosystem, and being here is huge for reputation and networking.” 

For PhagePro, the timing couldn’t have been better. With the biotech ecosystem facing headwinds, having access to LabCentral’s resources and community has been invaluable. “Since winning the Ignite Golden Ticket, we’ve transformed ourselves,” Mimi reflected. “It’s been really nice to sit and talk with the [other cohort members] about the different strategies that everyone’s trying… and have LabCentral bring in experts for us to talk through all the different ways to keep our companies afloat.”

Through the Ignite Fellowship, Mimi connected with a mentor who opened her eyes to the importance of planning early for clinical operations. This connection directly influenced PhagePro’s growth. “We are now in the process of figuring out our early clinical development pathway in a detail-oriented way. We’ve hired a clinical operations lead and a medical lead, and that’s brought momentum to PhagePro in a way that I’m eternally grateful for.”

The Ignite Golden Ticket and Fellowship coincided with other critical wins for the company. PhagePro secured a Stage Two MassVentures award, giving them the resources to expand their team. They also tapped into LabCentral’s Biotech Ready workforce development pipeline, hiring an intern who will contribute to cholera surveillance efforts in Bangladesh.

“For us, he’s going to be working on making sure our drug is able to cover recent isolates that are ongoing in epidemics,” Mimi shared. “It’s a critical part that we haven’t been able to get to because we’ve been so busy, so it’s only because of the Biotech Ready program that we’re able to do it.”

Beyond funding and mentorship, Mimi emphasized the thoughtfulness of the LabCentral environment. “I love how thoughtful you all are in your design. There’s a level of detail—from the flow of the space to what people might need on their way to the lab—that makes me feel really cared for. It feels very welcoming, and that’s rare.” 

With more than $7M raised in non-dilutive funding to date, PhagePro is preparing to take the next big step: becoming a clinical-stage company. “We’re going to try fundraising. Most likely, we’ll need dilutive funding, and we’ll need to tap into sources of money that we haven’t done before. It’ll be a big transition for us, both in terms of our program and maturing as a company. It’s exciting and thrilling—and really scary in today’s climate—but I know that LabCentral will help us through it.”

When asked what advice she would give to the companies hoping to win the next round of Ignite Golden Tickets, Mimi’s message was clear:

• “Be very open-minded. Talk to as many people as you can about your company and be open-minded about the feedback you get.”
• “Storytelling is critical. Ignite is all about storytelling—you have to pitch in a way that’s compelling, not only for the judges, but also for the mentors you meet along the way.”

PhagePro’s story is one of growth and impact. It’s a testament to how the Ignite Golden Ticket can accelerate promising biotech startups. 

If you are a biotech entrepreneur hoping to join the LabCentral community and take your company to the next level, apply now for the 2025 Ignite Golden Ticket!