How an Unexpected Connection Brought Molecular Diagnostics Innovation to Fitzsimons Innovation Community

By: Fitzsimons Innovation Community

When Israel Villaseñor, Chief Strategy Officer of IMD Path, talks about his company’s journey to Colorado, he uses a word that perfectly captures how it all happened: serendipitous. What started as a California-focused molecular diagnostics company has found a true home right here at Fitzsimons Innovation Community.

“If it wasn’t for networking and having connections, we would have never known about Fitzsimons,” Villaseñor reflects. “We would have probably ended up just locking ourselves into California and not thinking about Colorado.” 

From Stanford Knowledge to Colorado Innovation
IMD, short for Integrated Molecular Diagnostics^TM, specializes in oncology molecular diagnostics, focusing on personalized cancer treatment. The company’s founding team developed their expertise at Stanford University, where they learned firsthand how teaming with academic institutions creates success in oncology care by integrating oncologists, pathologists, and laboratories to bridge information quickly.

The knowledge came from Stanford, but the business opportunity came from an unexpected source. In 2016, through a connection made during clinical lab inspections, the team learned about available lab space at Fitzsimons Innovation Community. A company that had been doing next-generation sequencing testing was exiting the market, and IMD Path saw an opportunity to acquire the assets and establish what would become their molecular center of excellence.

“It just worked out,” Villaseñor says with a smile. “I don’t know if Fitzsimons found us or we found Fitzsimons, but it was serendipitous.”

Why Fitzsimons Innovation Community
While IMD Path initially envisioned themselves as a California company, they quickly realized that Fitzsimons Innovation Community offered something special. Using a hub-and-spoke model, they established their newest location right here in Aurora.

The reasons were both practical and profound. Logistically, Colorado’s central location and Denver International Airport’s accessibility made it perfect for bringing in specimens from across the nation. But it was the collaboration and support that truly set Fitzsimons Innovation Community apart from other bioscience communities.

“The support that we’ve received from the Community here at Fitzsimons—from Steve VanNurden at the very beginning, to now Kelly Brough and Laurie Troge—has been amazing,” Villaseñor explains. “They’ve been there for us and helped us develop partnerships in the community.”

Coming from the Bay Area, where large, established biotech companies operate in silos, Villaseñor was struck by Colorado’s collaborative spirit. “Even though Denver is a large city, it still feels like a tight-knit community. I don’t get that in the Bay Area, and I don’t get that in L.A. The Denver area demonstrates that yes, it is a large metropolis, but it is very close-knit, and everyone looks out for the benefit of each other.”

Building Community Through Collaboration
One of the most powerful examples of this collaborative spirit came through connections facilitated by Fitzsimons Innovation Community leadership. Villaseñor initially believed that the Colorado Genetics Lab (CGL) on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus had the potential to be a competitor. Instead, it became an opportunity for a strong partnership.

“I don’t feel that I’m a competitor to CGL,” Villaseñor explains. “I recognize I can be a very good resource to support their processes. I see the opportunity to keep business in Colorado and the things that we can do here together.” His vision is to strengthen Colorado’s molecular diagnostics capabilities by keeping specimens and testing local rather than sending them to Texas, Florida, or elsewhere.

This mindset—collaboration over competition—is what Villaseñor believes sets Colorado apart. Drawing on his love of basketball, he borrows the Golden State Warriors’ mantra: “Strength in numbers.”

“There’s an alignment here that you don’t find anywhere else,” he says. “In California, you see huge conglomerates. They’re well established and don’t collaborate well with each other. It’s more competitive, less welcoming. You can’t be a community if you’re not helping each other. That’s the big difference here.” 

A Rebirth and a Vision Forward
In October 2024, IMD Path marked its own milestone: the company was acquired by a private equity fund based in South Korea. This “rebirth,” as Villaseñor calls it, has brought renewed energy and ambitious growth plans.

Today, IMD Path employs close to 50 people across their operations, up from 23 when they started nine years ago. In Colorado, they currently have seven team members, but that’s about to change. The company plans to double its testing capacity in 2025 and increase volume two to three times by the end of 2026. That growth will require expanding from their current space and adding team members. Villaseñor projects they’ll need 12 to 13 people in Colorado by the end of 2026.

The company is even considering moving its headquarters from California to Colorado, recognizing that this Community is truly the heart of their operation, with future plans even including development of a manufacturing facility for reagents as the company continues to scale. 

The Five-to-Ten-Year Vision
When asked about his vision for the future, Villaseñor’s answer reflects the values he’s found in Colorado. “I want IMD to be recognized, not because we are the largest, but because we are the better option when it comes to oncology molecular diagnostics. I want people to know that IMD is the better choice because we provide a community-focused approach to molecular diagnostics.”

It’s this combination of scientific excellence paired with community collaboration that makes IMD Path’s story a perfect illustration of what Fitzsimons Innovation Community has built over 25 years.

The Secret Ingredient: Community
As Fitzsimons Innovation Community celebrates 25 years since the opening of Bioscience 1 in 2000, stories like IMD Path’s reveal even more about what makes this place special. It’s not just the proximity to CU Anschutz Medical Campus or the state-of-the-art lab facilities. It’s the ecosystem, the network, the willingness of established Community members to open doors for newcomers.

“The ingenuity, the support, the level of networking and relationships, this is the only place I’ve ever experienced this feeling of community,” Villaseñor reflects. “In 25 years, the group here has really developed a group of organizations invested in the betterment of science, in the betterment of the community, in the betterment of innovation, and ultimately that all comes down to opportunities that are here.”

For Villaseñor personally, Colorado feels like coming home. Growing up in a small community in Mexico, he missed that sense of connection when he moved to California as a teenager. “I look around and I see what Colorado is, and it feels closer to home than where I actually live,” he says. He’s actively working to convince his wife to make the move to Aurora permanent.

As IMD Path prepares to expand, as new companies continue to join Fitzsimons Innovation Community, and as Colorado solidifies its position as a top life sciences hub, one thing becomes clear: the spirit of collaboration and community that started 25 years ago isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving, and for companies like IMD Path, that makes the biggest difference. The serendipity is just a bonus.