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Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe joined Mayor Cara Spencer and other local leaders in St. Louis late last week to celebrate the expansion of Varro Life Sciences, a biotechnology company developing biosensor devices for detection and monitoring of infectious diseases. The company’s $42.5 million investment will create 33 new jobs and establish a state-of-the-art lab and research and development facility in the Cortex Innovation District.
Founded in 2020 and now headquartered in St. Louis, Varro’s technology was developed through collaboration with researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, and its new home in Cortex offers the support it needs to reach new heights.
“Varro's decision to establish headquarters here reinforces Cortex’s position as a premier destination for pioneering biotech and life sciences companies,” said Sam Fiorello, President and CEO of Cortex Innovation District. “This investment not only brings cutting-edge research and high-quality jobs to St. Louis but also strengthens the collaborative ecosystem that defines our innovation community.”
The Bottom Line: Varro’s origin story is truly STLMade. Thanks to WashU research and development, Cortex support, and the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, the five-year-old company has not just grown but skyrocketed into use. Its technology has the potential to shape how the world responds to infectious diseases.
“We are thrilled to expand our footprint in St. Louis,” said Tom Cirrito, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO of Varro. “This city offers a diverse and educated workforce, world-class research institutions such as Washington University in St. Louis, and an entrepreneurial spirit that make it an ideal home for Varro’s growth. Our new facility at Cortex will hasten the development and deployment of our two next-generation biosensor devices that can improve human health and better prepare the world for future infectious disease threats.”