SAN ANTONIO (January 29) — VelocityTX, the bioscience innovation hub and economic development agency, announced today the appointment of Dr. Gabriele Niederauer as its new Entrepreneur-in-Residence, a contract mentoring position designed to support bioscience and medtech companies from early-stage development through scale-up and market expansion.
Widely recognized as one of the region’s most accomplished medtech executives, Dr. Niederauer brings deep experience building, scaling, and exiting medical technology companies. She currently serves as CEO of Freyya, Inc., a women’s health medtech company focused on the treatment of pelvic floor disorders. Previously, she served as CEO & President of Bluegrass Vascular Technologies, and led the company from first-in-human cases through its acquisition by Merit Medical.
A longtime contributor to San Antonio’s healthcare community, Dr. Niederauer also serves on the boards of the San Antonio Medical Foundation and BioBridge Global, among others, contributing to regional strategy, governance, and ecosystem development.
As Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Dr. Niederauer will provide hands-on, operator-level guidance to startups incubating at the VelocityTX Innovation Center, working closely with Founders to accelerate company formation, product development, regulatory and clinical strategy, commercialization, and fundraising.
“I’ve had the opportunity to engage with VelocityTX in a number of ways over the years, and I’ve seen the impact its programs have on founders and the broader ecosystem,” said Dr. Niederauer. “I’m excited to work directly with local CEOs and executive teams at critical inflection points—helping them avoid common pitfalls and build companies that are fundable, scalable, and durable.”
Dr. Niederauer’s appointment marks the latest in a series of strategic investments by VelocityTX to advance its mission of positioning San Antonio as a globally competitive bioscience innovation hub. Earlier this month, the organization brought on former Defense Health Agency leader Jeremy Nelson, PhD as Chief Innovation Officer, overseeing its bioscience and military medical innovation initiatives.
“Gabi brings deep operational experience and a strong understanding of what it takes to move bioscience innovations from concept to market,” said Dr. Nelson. “Her familiarity with our programs and mission, combined with her long track record of scaling medical technology companies, makes her a natural fit to support founders at critical moments of growth.”
In addition to her mentorship role, Dr. Niederauer will lead VelocityTX’s CEO Roundtable program, which convenes bioscience and medtech CEOs in curated cohorts for monthly peer discussions designed to promote information sharing, strategic decision-making, and business growth.