Roanoke City Council accepted a $1 million U.S. Small Business Administration grant to purchase advanced laboratory equipment for RoVa Labs, a biotechnology startup incubator. RoVa Labs combines biomedical research facilities with business development support. Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine were instrumental in securing the grant.
“The health and life sciences industries are poised for significant growth in Roanoke,” said City Manager Valmarie Turner. “RoVa Labs is a launchpad for turning new discoveries into thriving businesses. We’re creating a life sciences ecosystem that will create jobs, attract investors, and help improve quality of life for everyone in our city.”
RoVa Labs has grown to house research nine tenants since opening in May 2026. The new federal grant funding will be used to purchase equipment to attract even more biotechnology entrepreneurs. Located on South Jefferson Street, RoVa Labs links downtown with a growing cluster of health and life sciences centers in the Roanoke Innovation Corridor, including the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, the Virginia Tech Carillion School of Medicine, Carilion Clinic Center for Simulation, Research, and Patient Safety, and the Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
“This award serves as another foundational building block for the establishment of RoVa Labs. It’s very rewarding to see our hard work and the work of our partners gaining recognition and bringing investment to our city,” said Marc Nelson, Director of Economic Development.
RoVa Labs is part of a broader regional strategy to position Roanoke as a hub for biotechnology, life sciences, healthcare innovation, and research commercialization. The facility was created in partnership with Carillion Clinic, the Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance, Virginia Western Community College, and the Virginia Tech Foundation. The City of Roanoke received $15.7 million in 2023 from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to create shared lab space in the building that Carilion contributed as matching local funding. The City facilitated and managed the project and contributed a $1.9 million match through American Rescue Plan Act funds.
