A Healthier You | Life & Bioscience Businesses

Where state-of-the art laboratories stand alongside 19th-century gothic basilicas…

Covington is an historical river city but don’t let that fool you. The City is home to a thriving critical mass of life science and bioscience companies and employment, and the national outlook is robust. There is a 49.1% projected employment growth for the life science sector in Northern Kentucky between 2020-2025 (Source: JobsEQ)

That trajectory will continue with the $15 million dollar life sciences research and development facility (aka wet lab), which has the potential (and this is no exaggeration), to change the world. Not only will this type of facility house the resources often cost prohibited to startup companies, but it will also create a hub of entrepreneurial spirit and shared connections.

Life Science and Technology

WHERE STATE OF THE ART LABORATORIES AND INNOVATIVE TECH START UPS STAND ALONGSIDE 19TH CENTURY GOTHIC BASLICAS.

Covington is a historic river city but don’t let that fool you. The city is home to a thriving critical mass of life science and technology startups.
Leading the charge for innovation in The Cov is Sparkhaus, a 40,000 square foot innovation hub for high growth startups and LifeSciKY, a 12,000 square foot lab space for early- stage innovators. Both position Covington as a dynamic entrepreneurial hub where ideas and people collide to collaborate, network and build their companies.

“We doubled down on Covington. We are bringing people from all over to the city and making an impact.”
- Tony Remington, CEO & Co-Founder, Gravity Diagnostics

Highlights:

LifeSciKY

Provides cost-effective research and development facilities with shared equipment and office space for early-stage companies. Opening 2025.

LifeSciKY Website

Existing talent pool

Workers skilled in high-demand occupations with transferable credentials.

Talent pipeline

18,000 degrees and certificates granted in majors related to related majors.

49.1% projected employment growth for the life science sector in NKY between
2020-2025 (Source: JobsEQ)

The Learning Center

High tech, state of the art 400 seat auditorium at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.

LifeSciKY

LifeSciKY is a lab incubator that’s accelerating science, entrepreneurism, education, and economic development.

Located on Covington’s riverfront in the OneNKY building, it’s steps away from the historic Roebling suspension bridge that offers a stunning view of Cincinnati’s downtown skyline.
Offers for early-stage innovators:
– Flexible and affordable lab space, state-of-the-art equipment.
– Critical resources and connections.
– Exclusive events to connect with exceptional talent.
– Education focused.

Sparkhaus

Sparkhaus is a regional entrepreneurial hub and coworking space for high growth companies and venture backed startups. Located in the same spot of the first Clubhouse of Covington Industrial Club in 1911, it is designed to create a collaborative environment where people and ideas collide to build the next big success story.

Located in Covington’s central business district, 727 Madison Ave.
Space for (50,000 sqft):
– Entrepreneurs, offering flexible office space from 1-10+.
– Investors, from seed stage venture capitalist to Northern Kentucky’s largest firms, to interact with growing startups.
– Support Organizations, i.e. Blue North, Northern Kentucky’s primary entrepreneurship advocacy and resource organization.
– Café/coffee, meetings, classrooms, and presentation rooms.

Innovation Alley

Entrepreneurs will find solid support through Covington’s Innovation Alley, where organizations provide expertise that it takes to grow your idea into a sustainable business. (Companies like Microsoft and Apple started in dorm rooms or garages, so why not an alley?). Here’s what you’ll find:

Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers one to one coaching at no cost.
Aviatra Accelerators enable women to start and sustain businesses by providing resources needed for success.
African American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cincinnati (AACC) offers black entrepreneurs with business technical assistance.

Existing talent pool

Workers skilled in high-demand occupations with transferable credentials.

Talent pipeline

18,000 degrees and certificates granted in majors related to related majors.

21.5% projected employment growth for the life science sector in Northern Kentucky between 2024-2029. (Source: Lightcast)

The Learning Center

High tech, state of the art 400 seat auditorium at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.

Be in good company with a sampling of Covington’s businesses for the life & bioscience sector:

Be in good company with a sampling of Covington’s businesses for this sector:

Acute Hearing
Analytical Solutions & Providers (ASAP)
Bexion Pharmaceuticals
Biowish Technologies
CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting
Gravity Diagnostics
PPD™ clinical research business of Thermo Fisher Scientific

Life Science

Analytical Solutions & Providers (ASAP)
Bexion Pharmaceuticals
Biowish Technologies
CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting
PPD™ clinical research business of Thermo Fisher Scientific

Technology

Connectic Ventures
EGateway Capital
Flameai
NicheFire
Safewave

“I couldn’t imagine a better place to build and grow my business than right here in Covington. It has all of the elements you would want as a business owner: a vibrant, walkable community; a central location easily accessible to clients and employees on both sides of the river; and a bustling creative community that we are proud to be part of. The support and guidance the city and its staff have provided as we’ve grown over the past ten years have been invaluable.”

Shannon Boyer

Founder and President, Scooter Media

“We doubled down on Covington. We are bringing people from all over to the city and making an impact.”

Tony Remington

CEO & Co-Founder, Gravity Diagnostics

“Indy Honeycomb supplies customers from the US, Europe, Asia, and South American companies. Probably 30% of our products are exports. Being close to the CVG allows us to provide world-class service”.

Steve Barnett

CEO, Indy Honeycomb

“Covington is such a close-knit, supportive community with great business networking opportunities, as well as a large population – and that includes a growing culturally-diverse population -- to support local businesses,” said Chapman. “Covington afforded my family the opportunity to fulfill our economic and social objectives in a niche market. This is a great location to do business and build relationships and connections.”

Carolyn Chapman

Owner, Anchor Grill

"Having a state-of-the-art wet lab in Covington will be a strong asset, in addition to the SBIR-STTR match that Kentucky offers, in attracting entrepreneurs and biotech companies to Northern Kentucky."

Chuck Scheper

Chairman of the board of Bexion Pharmaceuticals

“It’s exciting to see this project move forward with collaboration from business and government leaders,”

Garren Colvin

President and CEO of St. Elizabeth Healthcare

“The new incubation lab in Covington will put our region on the map in the life sciences industry and enhance our biotech and biopharma research and development ecosystem,”

Tim Schroeder

CEO, CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services

“The Covington Life Science Lab will build on Covington’s growing reputation as a hub for high-tech advancements in this critical sector, and it will bring to fruition our vision when we started this process two years ago. Companies like Bexion, CTI, and Gravity Diagnostics are wowing the world, and we hope this lab will help many other new companies along that same path.”

Joe Meyer

Covington Mayor

Expand or relocate your business here.

We are ready to assist!

Team

Susan Smith

Business Attraction
susan.smith@covingtonky.gov
859-292-2321

Patrick Duffy

Business Retention and Expansion
pduffy@covingtonky.gov
859-292-2141