Venture Capitalists Back Utah Biomedical Companies.

• Position: Brief Article

That same venture capital firm that could bring advertising to your ears when you log on to the Net -- Utah Ventures -- is also responsible for backing a number of research companies developing new solutions in biomedicine, including several based in Utah.

The company's website declares its allegiance to points west of the Rocky Mountains, providing seed and early stage support to information technology and healthcare-related companies.

"In order to maximize our contribution to the management teams we support, we concentrate on market segments where our knowledge, experience and contacts are deepest," the company says. "In healthcare, these include biotechnology, medical devices, healthcare services and information systems."

To maintain that western flavor, the company maintains three offices, strategically located in Salt Lake City, Portland and southern California, and prefers to be within an hour's flying time of the companies it chooses to support. That's easy enough for the Utah-based biotech companies in its portfolio, including Anesta Corp. and Pharmadigm, both within a 15-minute...