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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Grenova Expands Richmond, Virginia, Operations

04/21/2021
Grenova Inc., a sustainable biotech firm that designs, develops, and manufactures devices that wash and sterilize contaminated pipette tips for reuse, will invest $10.6 million to expand operations in Richmond, Virginia. The project is expected to create 250 new jobs over the next three years.

The company will relocate its operations from Manchester to a larger facility at 1900 Ellen Road in Scott’s Addition and increase capacity with new production lines in response to the shortage of pipette tips used for COVID-19 testing.

“Our growth is a sign that the world is ready to rethink, reimagine, and reinvent the way plastic consumables like pipette tips are washed and reused within the life sciences industry and beyond,” said Ali Safavi, Founder and CEO of Grenova. “We’re proud to make our bold solution possible from our expanded headquarters in Richmond thanks to the Commonwealth’s thriving ecosystem of world-class talent, resources, and infrastructure.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) worked with the City of Richmond to secure the project for the Commonwealth. Grenova Inc. is eligible to receive state benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, and funding and services to support the company’s employee recruitment and training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

“We are thrilled to celebrate this homegrown sustainable biotech firm expanding and adding to its workforce in Richmond,” said Governor Ralph Northam. “It is remarkable to see Virginia’s innovative life sciences businesses quickly adapt and respond to critical needs as we fight this pandemic. Grenova is an emerging industry leader that has achieved exponential growth in a short time, and I applaud the company for leveraging its technology and expertise to address a global shortage and reduce environmental waste.”

Grenova sells products from its Richmond facility to laboratories and distributors across the United States, as well as in Europe and Asia. Due to high demand for its products, the company has quadrupled in size in the last year.

“This expansion project is an important win that will create 250 new, high-quality jobs and help improve Richmond’s standing as a life sciences hub,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “Grenova is a great success story for the Commonwealth, and we are confident the region will continue to provide the business climate and workforce needed for years to come.”

Founded in Richmond in 2014, Grenova’s mission is to help lower costs and reduce biohazard waste by delivering groundbreaking approaches in dealing with plastic consumables. The company’s product, Tipnovus enables laboratories to wash and sanitize pipette tips for reuse numerous times, cutting associated consumable costs by up to 96 percent. Ten pipette tips are used to fully conduct one COVID-19 test, resulting in a worldwide shortage of the plastic consumable. Grenova’s technology allows healthcare systems to safely wash and reuse the pipette tips used for testing, which has helped to end pipette tip shortages and improve access to COVID-19 testing while making labs more environmentally friendly.

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