‘Hardest deal is always the first one’ — Partnership adapts Motega Health tech for animal use
January 25, 2019 | Austin Barnes
A new licensing deal with Simini Technologies has unleashed disruptive potential for Lawrence-built Motega Health, the company announced Thursday.
“We are very pleased to be partnering with Simini and their team and are excited by the energy and creative thinking they are bringing to the commercial process in veterinary medicine,” said Dr. Blake Hawley, founder and CEO of Motega Health –– a biopharmaceutical and food tech company.
“The hardest deal is always the first one, just like getting that first investor. As we demonstrate traction, we show value. We increase our revenue and our long term value skyrockets –– something every investor wants,” Hawley said of the partnership, which marks the company’s first major pharmaceutical pairing –– a connection made possible through St. Louis’ Shear Kershman Laboratories, he added.
As part of the agreement, Motega Health will provide Simini Technologies –– a pharmaceutical company that licenses veterinary rights to human health drug candidates and then develops products for use in animals –– with a license that allows them to research, develop, and commercialize Motega Health’s novel therapies for animals, he said.
Simini Technologies will also assume any further research opportunities and commercial activities, Hawley further explained of the partnership.
“Long term investment allows us to dramatically accelerate our studies and market our products for licensing,” Hawley said of the opportunity to work with Simini Technologies during the early stage phase of Motega Health –– founded in 2018.
Read more about Motega Health in the news here.
“We have been able to demonstrate oral mucosal absorption with drugs and compounds previously thought impossible,” Hawley said in explanation of what drew the company’s together. “This is ground-breaking and has literally hundreds of applications.”
Disrupting the health space one innovation at a time, Motega Health is enabling drug companies to eliminate injections, pills, and tablets. A process that could align the company for exponential growth, Hawley said.
Such growth could include significant investments in the company from Kansas City investors, Hawley revealed.
“We just started our cap raise in November and have had some recent great meetings in KC, which have led to more meetings and warm introductions [with potential investors.]”
Between the company’s deal with Simini Technologies and the potential weight of a first round capital raise, Hawley is eager to see how Motega Health can evolve in the startup space, he said.
Featured Business

2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
‘Every business matters, every job matters’: How $69M in federal funds is already boosting KS entrepreneurs
Kansas will use a recent influx of federal funding to strengthen the state’s small business and venture capital ecosystems, according to project leaders of a new high-profile effort focusing on equitable access. The state was allocated $69 million earlier this year as part of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), a federal program that…
Scavenger Tech greenlights indoor-outdoor exploration with box that only unlocks by visiting GPS markers
An inventor’s GPS-driven scavenger hunt device provides needed adventure in the physical world — minimizing screen time while unlocking meaningful challenges and experiences, said Jeff VanDeusen. “I’ve always been someone who likes to go outside and enjoy nature, and I know that’s not always what engineers are known for,” said VanDeusen, creator of Scavenger Tech and…
‘Newbie’ maker collective adds gifts, plants and untamed flair with new West Bottoms shop
The West Bottoms might be known for its vintage shops, but a just-opened maker collective full of new retail is hoping to add to the neighborhood’s narrative. 12th Street Post — a mixed-use retail space with about 80 local makers and vendors at 1501 West 12th St. — celebrated its grand opening Dec. 2. The…
Every big city deserves a great Irish pub: KC Hooley House set to fill P&L vacancy before March Madness, NFL Draft
A quartet of entrepreneurs plans to bring a traditional Irish pub with a modern twist back to the Power & Light District in early 2023 — hinting at a made-from-scratch kitchen menu, alongside handcrafted vintage and new mixologist inspired cocktails. “Every big city nationally and internationally has a great Irish pub, the city’s pub, a…
