Project BioTech Launchpad Wins South Dakota Biotech Distinguished Collaborator Award

Project BioTech Launchpad isn’t just nurturing the next generation of South Dakota startups—it also won the Distinguished Collaborator Award at South Dakota Biotech’s 2025 Summit and Annual Meeting.

Begun in 2024, Project BioTech Launchpad provides early-stage and emerging companies with up to $10,000 in no-cost legal services. Ballard Spahr Mergers and Acquisitions Group attorneys Amy L. Arndt, Kelly L. Herrmann, and Brooke A. Harms work with lawyers across the firm, especially those on the Life Sciences Industry Team, to provide Project BioTech Launchpad participants with training and resources on topics like raising capital, the stages of a merger or acquisition transaction, and fundamentals of intellectual property.

So far, Project BioTech Launchpad has helped eight cohorts. They include a company that uses artificial intelligence to make movement assessments in health care settings, a provider of virtual reality games for physical therapy solutions, and a venture studio that supports early-stage innovators through strategic planning, commercialization, and product development support.

“As an office and as a firm, we’re committed to helping our clients overcome challenges and thrive,” Amy said. “These companies are the future not only of South Dakota, but of their respective industries as well. It’s nothing short of inspiring to work alongside them and watch them grow.”

South Dakota Biotech’s Distinguished Collaborator Award recognizes organizations that advance South Dakota’s biotechnology industry by building effective, collaborative relationships in academia, with governmental organizations, and throughout industries.

“Ballard Spahr’s contributions have not only accelerated the growth of early-stage biotech ventures but have also strengthened the foundation of our entire bioscience community,” South Dakota Biotech Executive Director Joni Ekstrum told Sioux Falls Business.

For media inquiries, please contact Will Ashenmacher at 612.371.5792.