(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) First Flight Venture Center (FFVC) and UAI Technology, Inc. have announced the joint development of the First Flight Launch at Alexander Business Suites. FFVC currently hosts 39 life science, medical device, clean-tech and IT companies who have been accepted into a two-year incubator program to help fuel and grow financially sustainable companies within the Triangle. First Flight Launch at Alexander Business Suites will be a facility where companies who are ready to move out of the incubator can locate and have access to on-going mentoring and shared resources as they grow in size.  The facility is also available to companies who have not previously been in an incubator program, but desire to link with FFVC for growth and sustainability.

Alexander Business Suites was established by UAI to provide a professional environment where companies can concentrate on their businesses and not have to be burdened with the typical office headaches.  First Flight Launch at Alexander Business Suites will extend that concept to growth companies.

The First Flight Launch at Alexander Business Suites will include an array of features designed for small to mid-size businesses.  These services will range from high speed fiber optic internet access, fully equipped conference/collaboration rooms, scanning, printing and a variety of other amenities. Tenants will continue to have access and connection to the mentoring and education found at First Flight, but will have larger spaces for expansion.

“We are thrilled to work with FFVC and have some of the firms currently located at their incubator facility join us in our building,” said Mark Friedman, Chief Operating Officer at UAI Technology. “The companies coming from FFVC will have a chance to continue to be in an environment inside Research Triangle Park with other entrepreneurial firms, but in a different setting from the incubator space.  This can be a fantastic next step for those firms as they continue to grow their business.”

First Flight has graduated three tenants in the last six months and accepted four new companies.  Overall, FFVC has hosted over 250 companies with approximately $900M in economic impact brought to RTP through the incubator.

“There is a gap in the Triangle that addresses the need for cost-effective space for high-growth start-ups who still may be experiencing limited funds that should be directed to growth, not overhead,” indicates Andrew Schwab, President of FFVC. “Launch is designed to address this need and support collaborative development efforts with corporate and global partners.”

First Flight Venture Center (www.firstflightventure.org) is a technology incubator located in the heart of Research Triangle Park (RTP). The incubator was established in 1991 specifically to serve the initial needs of entrepreneurs and early stage companies in the Research Triangle area. FFVC offers 16,000 square feet of leasable office and laboratory space for up to 40 emerging technology companies. FFVC’s success lies in its turnkey approach—the ability to enable tenant businesses to reduce both their initial capitalization requirements and their annual operation costs by providing affordable space with flexible leases, shared business services, technology support services, and management guidance and counseling.

Alexander Business Suites (www.AlexanderRTP.com) was established by UAI Technology, Inc. in its Research Triangle Park headquarters in 2008.  With the recent completion of ABS’ third phase, there are now a variety of office sizes available ranging from areas accommodating a single person to suites handling up to 15 employees.  All office areas at ABS are private and secure, have beautiful views of UAI’s wooded 15 acre campus and come with all available services included in the base rates.  UAI was one of the first entrepreneurial companies to locate in Research Triangle Park in 1985 and is a two time recipient of the INC 500 award.  ABS was established to meet a need for businesses that UAI felt was not being adequately served in the Research Triangle Park area.