Our Mission.
We strive to provide high quality consulting services to our clients while simultaneously offering hands-on professional training to our consultants and empowering the local entrepreneurial community.
Our Story.
The Biotechnology and Life Science Advising (BALSA) Group is a nonprofit organization that provides consulting services for a variety of clients, ranging from individual faculty members up through multinational corporations. BALSA specializes in market research, technology assessment, competitor analysis, business plan development, and consumer-facing materials. Consultants come from diverse backgrounds, including postdoctoral research fellows, Ph.D. students, pharmacy students, law students, and MBA students in the St. Louis region.
149+
Number of Clients
BALSA has engaged with over 149 independent clients since 2011. Our clients include start-ups, universities, mid to large size companies, nonprofit groups, and business incubators.
300+
Number of Projects
BALSA has completed over 300 projects since its inception. The majority of our projects are focused on the biomedical sciences; however, we have experience in a wide array of fields, including agricultural sciences, consumer products, and science education.
>50%
Number of Returning Clients
BALSA’s high number of returning clients is a testament to the quality of our work. Since 2011, more than 50% of our projects have come from returning clients. We strive to deliver high-quality services and build a strong rapport with our clients.
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Our Capabilities
We provide data-driven solutions to promote the sustained growth of emerging technologies and scalable businesses. We specialize in market research, product innovation, intellectual property and licensing, preparation of investor facing materials, technology assessment, and business strategy. We focus primarily on the biomedical field; however, we also offer services in other fields, including agriculture, real estate, and supply chains.
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Our Team
Our team members come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including several branches of biological sciences, engineering, business, law, medicine, and pharmacy. BALSA harnesses the analytical power of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers by applying their systematic critical thinking skills to business problems in order to generate innovative, data-driven solutions for our clients.
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Our Impact
BALSA strives to have a meaningful impact within the St. Louis entrepreneurial community. Through our philanthropic arm, The BALSA Foundation, we provide financial and professional support to first-time entrepreneurs in St. Louis. The BALSA Group provides support to the BALSA Foundation through both monetary donations and volunteering time to assist with various events.