About Us

Accelerating Economic Development in San Antonio

VelocityTX, formerly known as the Texas Research & Technology Foundation, is a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance San Antonio’s life science industry in order to promote sustainable economic and community growth. Leveraging our region’s unique strengths in research, development, and commercialization, VelocityTX carries out this mission through place-based industry clustering, startup support programming, and workforce development. Combined, these efforts are accelerating job creation and investment all across South Texas by positioning San Antonio as a critical hub of connection between academia, industry, and the military medical community.

Our Mission

VelocityTX is San Antonio’s champion for delivering sustainable economic and community growth. We connect, develop, and fund innovative ventures that enhance our bioscience and technology ecosystem.

Core Values

We believe that values-based leadership is essential to achieving our goals, and the VelocityTX team strives to live out these ideals as we serve our community.

Integrity - Always Doing the Right Thing

  • Be Honest
  • Provide Fair Treatment
  • Demonstrating Strong Moral Principles
  • Building Trust Through Every Interaction
  • Placing Our Collective Interest Above Ourselves
  • Being Reliable and Delivering on Expectations
  • Being Unified and Cohesive

Velocity - Moving Success with Magnitude and Direction

  • Having a Bias Towards Action
  • Demonstrating Skip Counting
  • Delivering Impactful Results with Speed
  • Working in Parallel

Innovation - Proactively Creating the Next Model

  • Accelerating New Ideas
  • Sustaining Momentum for New Innovations
  • Initiating Change
  • Every Experience is a Learning Opportunity
  • Being Creative

1983

Our History

Cooke Feasibility Study establishes the viability of a suburban research park in San Antonio.

1984

Our History

The Texas Research & Technology Foundation (TRTF) is founded by Brig. Gen. Robert McDermott and a coalition of business and civic leaders.

1985

Our History

A “Tiger Team” is formed to study model research parks across the United States.

1986

Our History

Concord Oil Founder Tom Pawel and wife Nancy donate 1,500 acres in west Bexar County for the development of the Texas Research Park (TRP).

1986

Our History

The University of Texas Board of Regents votes to establish the Institute of Biotechnology (IBT) at UT Health San Antonio, with plans to locate at TRP.

1987

Our History

Businessman Ross Perot donates $15M for the construction of IBT’s facility at TRP.

1992

Our History

The Cancer Therapy and Research Center (CTRC) opens its institute for Drug Development at TRP.

1996

Our History

CTRC-spinoff ILEX Oncology locates at TRP.

1999

Our History

The Siberry Technical Center opens at TRP.

2000

Our History

UT Health San Antonio establishes the South Texas Center for Biology in Medicine at TRP.

2004

Our History

Genzyme Inc. acquires ILEX Oncology for $1 billion.

2005

Our History

UT Health San Antonio establishes The Barshop Center for Longevity and Aging at TRP.

2010

Our History

The McDermott pre-seed fund is established to support early-stage bioscience companies.

2017

Our History

TRTF purchases Merchants Ice complex with plans to develop an urban innovation campus.

2017

Our History

TRTF establishes subsidiary VelocityTX to promote entrepreneurial development.

2019

Our History

TRTF creates the Community House Trust to provide long-term impact funding.

2019

Our History

Community House acquires Allen & Allen Co.

2020

Our History

Alamo Angels is integrated into the TRTF family of organizations.

2020

Our History

The VelocityTX Innovation Center opens at Merchants Ice Campus.

2020

Our History

GenCure, a subsidiary of BioBridge Global, locates at Merchants Ice Campus.

2021

Our History

North Carolina-based Scorpius BioManufacturing locates at Merchants Ice Campus.

2022

Our History

TRTF purchases G.J. Sutton property, expanding its East Side footprint to 12 contiguous acres.

2023

Our History

TRTF Community House acquires Quality Fence & Welding.

2023

Our History

San Antonio-based TransPecos Bank leads redevelopment of 4-story Merchants Ice building, relocates to campus.

2024

Our History

TRTF celebrates 40th anniversary, rebrands as VelocityTX.

2024

Our History

VelocityTX opens Co-Labs facility, marking completion of the 5-acre Merchants Ice campus redevelopment.

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Start Innovating Now with VelocityTX