In 1998, realizing the potential demand for the vaccine design technology developed in the lab, she started EpiVax on the third floor of her house with business partner Bill Martin.

Seed money for the initial vaccine work came from foundation and SBIR grants. To date, EpiVax has generated enough money with contracts and grants to proceed without venture capital. Vaccine research is underway for HIV, TB, smallpox, influenza, HPV and other diseases.

In 2002, the focus at EpiVax also turned to pioneering the screening of protein therapeutics for success in the clinic, which today accounts for half of the business at $2.5 million a year. “Our potential for growth is probably 20 or 30 fold in the next couple of years,” De Groot says.

Full Story: Annie De Groot proves the power of one person Source: Boston Herald, October 1st, 2009 Author: Helen Graves Added on October 1st, 2009 at 12:56 pm, by Matt Mikula