DARPA at the 20th Annual Non-Dilutive Funding Summit

The 20th Non-Dilutive Funding Summit brought together hundreds of life science industry leaders with representatives from some of the leading funding agencies including DARPA, CDMRP, ATI, NHLBI, NSCEB, NIA and more, giving attendees the opportunity to learn more in-depth about what non-dilutive funding opportunities are available and relevant for their R&D directly from the funding agencies.

Additionally, the 2024 FreeMind Elite honorees took to the stage to present about their companies research and pipelines and their journey to securing non-dilutive funding.

This free summit is hosted by the FreeMind Group. FreeMind helps companies secure non-dilutive funding for life science R&D and wins over $100 million each year for clients. Follow us on LinkedIn or get our newsletter for news about non-dilutive funding opportunities, announcements about conferences with the best partnering, and discounts for those conferences. 

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense responsible for developing emerging technologies for military use. Established in 1958 in response to the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik, DARPA’s mission is to maintain the technological superiority of the U.S. armed forces and prevent strategic surprises by advancing cutting-edge research. DARPA operates by funding high-risk, high-reward projects across a variety of fields, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cybersecurity, and robotics. Many DARPA innovations, such as the internet, GPS, and stealth technology, have had significant impacts both within and beyond military applications. DARPA collaborates with academic institutions, industry, and government agencies to push the boundaries of science and engineering.

Dr. Michael Koeris, Office Director, Biological Technologies Office

Dr. Michael Koeris joined DARPA as the director of the Biological Technologies Office in April 2024. His research and teaching focus on all aspects of chemistry, manufacturing, and control for microbiome medicines, as well as advanced cell and gene therapy approaches.

Before coming to DARPA, Dr. Koeris served as professor of bioprocessing and as a member of the Amgen Bioprocessing Center in the Department of Biological Engineering and Management at the Keck Graduate Institute. He also advised the NIH’s RADx initiative as a Portfolio Executive, assisting with the rapid development, clinical validation, manufacturing and distribution of Sars-CoV-2 diagnostic tests throughout the pandemic. Prior to joining KGI in 2020, Koeris actively started, grew, and exited biotechnology startups, both as founder and senior leader, as well as a member of the Board of Directors. He holds more than a dozen patents through the U.S. and internationally. His entrepreneurial career began by spinning out Sample6, which was recognized by Forbes as one of the 25 hottest AgTech startups in 2017 and was acquired later that year. Dr. Koeris serves as a Board Director of global, non-profit repository AddGene, and in the past served on boards of commercial biotech entities.

Koeris holds a doctoral degree in biomedical engineering from Boston University, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and biophysics from the Free University of Berlin, Germany.