‘Hardest deal is always the first one’ — Partnership adapts Motega Health tech for animal use

January 25, 2019  |  Austin Barnes

Motega Health

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.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

Tagged , , , ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder

      2019 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        Missouri’s best breweries are in Kansas City (and they have the medals to prove it)

        By Tommy Felts | November 14, 2025

        Two Kansas City brewers barreled through the competition earlier this week, earning the first-ever, statewide “Brewery of the Year” honors for local favorites Boulevard and BKS Artisan Ales. It’s a feat fermented through years of dedication by the teams behind the labels, both brewers said. “From the day we opened, we have kept balance with…

        World Cup readiness event opens City Hall to entrepreneurs hoping to get on the roster

        By Tommy Felts | November 14, 2025

        Kansas City wants to score as many points as possible when the FIFA World Cup arrives in 2026, said Janá Wagner, emphasizing that a special event planned Tuesday during GEWKC aims to get businesses into the game now — playbook in hand. “Our goal is to help as many entrepreneurs as possible get properly licensed,…

        10 top event picks for GEWKC; build your own schedule from 60+ sessions

        By Tommy Felts | November 14, 2025

        With dozens of events on the calendar for GEWKC, Union Station will be bustling with activity, said Callie England, noting organizers intentionally curated a week where attendees can’t go wrong — no matter how they fill out their itinerary. “While the schedule can feel full, it’s truly the best of the best,” said England, director of…

        How AI changes the the founder code: ‘This is all moving faster than anyone expected’

        By Tommy Felts | November 14, 2025

        New tech opportunities — like artificial intelligence — hold the potential to equalize the Kansas City region among more established startup hubs, investment leaders said Thursday, but to fully take advantage, entrepreneurs who want strong, lasting companies must have a fire inside them. Not to mention grit. “Several really incredible entrepreneurs said, ‘I think the one…