‘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
Ready to bet big? Kansas wants to help entrepreneurs win more federal innovation grants
Kansas innovators now have access to a new tool designed to help them compete for major federal funding. The Kansas Department of Commerce has opened applications for the state’s SBIR and STTR Matching Program, which provides financial support and hands-on guidance for entrepreneurs pursuing federal innovation grants. The matching initiative is part of ACCEL-KS, a…
New Maker of the Year: Why this mom’s side hustle for the girly girls couldn’t stay at home
A hobbyist venture that began with making shirts for her kids has earned Julie Swopes a spot on Made in KC’s shelves for her Chiefs- and Royals-inspired tees — along with one of the local-first retailer’s top honors: KC New Maker of the Year for 2025. “I’m just a stay-at-home mom that has turned her…
Don’t be a stranger: When this Crossroads refuge closes, another chapter begins for Afterword (and the space it leaves behind)
With two more Open Mic Nights and more than a month left on its lease at Afterword Tavern & Shelves — a cozy corner hotspot where patrons leisurely bond over drinks and good reads — the popular Crossroads third-space isn’t finished telling its story despite losing the space to its new landlord, said Kate Hall.…
Exporting KC to the world: Esports leader revs come-from-behind global takeover amid World Cup’s big draw
As the metro bundled up and showed out Friday, getting its latest taste of what the 2026 World Cup has in store, the Kansas City Pioneers dropped new heat — raising the thermostat on their commitment to seize the moment brought forth by the global gathering as a net for esports. “Now is the time for…
