Month: September 2025

Investments Target Growth in the Life Sciences and Quantum Technologies Industries

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that his administration is making a $50.5 million investment in public infrastructure and facilities in downtown New Haven that are targeted toward propelling growth in the life sciences industry and the emerging sector of quantum technologies, setting the stage for a new generation of cutting-edge research, innovation, and business and job growth in these sectors.

The investments are included as part of the first grant award made under the state’s newly launched Connecticut Innovation Clusters Program, which is administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD).

“Every day in downtown New Haven, workers are developing the cutting-edge research, technologies, and products that are changing the world and propelling Connecticut forward as a leader in the fields of life sciences and quantum technologies,” Governor Lamont said. “We want to build on this foundation, encourage new growth, and further cement New Haven’s reputation as a groundbreaker in these sectors. These targeted investments in the downtown neighborhood’s public infrastructure and facilities will enable us to further partner with these businesses and accelerate job growth and more opportunities here in Connecticut.”

“The strategic value of this investment is enormous, as we are essentially doubling down on areas where Connecticut already has competitive advantages,” Daniel O’Keefe, DECD commissioner and the state’s chief innovation officer, said. “Supercharging our life sciences and innovation capacity will have far-reaching positive impacts on the state’s ability to attract new talent, investment, and companies, as well as strengthen our overall competitiveness.”

The investments being made in this wide-ranging project will seed the next era of growth in New Haven’s downtown innovation district, an existing cluster of world-class expertise in the life sciences that will expand and add new strength in quantum technologies and cross-industry collaborations. Components include:

New Haven Innovation Center: Create a 4,500 square foot ‘early start’ activation space within 101 College Street. ($1,300,000)
QuantumCT: Provide critical financial support to this nonprofit that is the statewide coordinating body for quantum computing infrastructure and testbed deployment, convening industry, academia, and startups. ($10,000,000)
Public Infrastructure: Financing pedestrian-first streetscapes, stormwater management and climate-resilient mobility infrastructure necessary to support Parcel B development. Parcel B is a development parcel created following the removal of the Route 34 expressway located east of 101 College Street. ($17,500,000)
Development Fund Gap Financing: Facilitate the development of Parcel B (200,000+ sf), owned by the City of New Haven and 265 South Orange Street, the Square 10 (former Coliseum) site (277,000+ planned life sciences building). ($14,500,000)
Arch Street Bridge and Church Street Promenade: Create a multi-modal pedestrian corridor connecting Union Station to Downtown and the Hill neighborhoods, with a signature pedestrian arc bridge and linear park and a pedestrian/bike promenade. ($4,200,000)
BioCT: Activate the cluster with programming led by BioCT to bring together civic, academic, and business partners within the heart of the district and from across the state. ($3,000,000)

“Representing 300 member organizations, BioCT’s mission is to foster Connecticut’s burgeoning life sciences ecosystem – building a village around every job seeker, entrepreneur, and company seeking to come, stay, and grow here,” Jodie Gillon, BioCT CEO, said. “Our industry is a driving force in the state’s economic development, with New Haven at its center. The innovation cluster further catalyzes a critical mass, marking a pivotal moment for state investment. I applaud our legislators for overcoming federal headwinds and ensuring that science, innovation, and Connecticut can – and will – win.”

“At a time when many states seem to be moving away from science and technology, Connecticut has chosen to increase its investment in the future, investing in the places, the partners, and the existing industries to create transformative impact and growth for the people of Connecticut,” Carter Winstanley, principal for Winstanley Enterprises, said.

QuantumCT is a newly established nonprofit organization that serves as the statewide coordinating body for quantum infrastructure, research, and commercialization. The organization is the result of a landmark partnership between Yale and UConn that was launched in response to the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program, which could bring up to $160 million in additional federal investment to the state. QuantumCT will operate a shared-use testbed facility, support venture development and advance workforce development initiatives.

“Being selected for the Innovation Clusters Program affirms the central role QuantumCT will play in shaping Connecticut’s future economy,” QuantumCT CEO Albert M. Green, said. “By bringing together universities, companies, and investors, we are creating the infrastructure, talent pipeline, and partnerships needed to make Connecticut the place where next-generation industries take root and grow. This award sends a clear signal that Connecticut is committed to investing in transformative technologies that will drive competitiveness, attract global companies, and create opportunity for our residents for decades to come.”

Yale University and UConn are central to the success of the cluster. Yale brings world-class research capabilities in quantum science and biomedical innovation, as well as strengths in accelerating entrepreneurship through Yale Ventures. UConn brings deep expertise in advanced manufacturing, engineering, and translational research, and is a key partner in workforce development and commercialization efforts. Together, these institutions will help drive the cluster’s mission to translate cutting-edge research into scalable businesses and high-quality jobs.

“Connecticut has one of the nation’s strongest concentrations of early adopters of quantum technologies, positioning the state as a leader in this emerging field,” Pamir Alpay, vice president for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship for UConn, said. “By working closely with industry partners, we are advancing near-term applications that will lay the foundation for a quantum-enabled future.”

“This investment will allow Yale, UConn, the City of New Haven, and our partners to accelerate the translation of quantum and bioscience research into applications that benefit Connecticut’s communities and economy,” Michael Crair, vice provost for research at Yale University, said. “By building shared infrastructure and training the next generation of innovators, we can ensure that quantum technologies take root and grow here in Connecticut. It’s an exciting step forward for our city and state.”

The Quantum and Bioscience Cluster is a coalition of stakeholders that includes QuantumCT, Yale University, UConn, L&G, Winstanley Enterprises, BioCT, and the City of New Haven. Other higher education institutions in the region are expected to play an active role in the cluster moving forward.

This industry cluster award will reinforce and complement several other state investments in the area. These include:

Brownfield redevelopment grants to clean up and spur projects at the Square 10 sites
Investment in 101 College Street
Housing investments at the Orange and State intersection, State Street, and near Union Station
CT Community Challenge pedestrian improvements along the State Street corridor
Community Investment Fund 2030 and Connecticut Department of Housing support for State Street location of Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen and co-located community health services from Cornell Scott Hill Health Center
Connecticut Department of Transportation redevelopment of the Union Station parking lot into a vibrant, mixed-use development anchored by two 16-story towers, bringing new housing, retail and jobs

“New Haven is a growing national hub for life sciences and an innovation ecosystem poised to leverage the promise of quantum computing and technology,” Mayor Justin Elicker said. “This $50.5 million investment by the state will help further catalyze New Haven and Connecticut’s economic growth and future in these industries, creating new businesses, new jobs, and new opportunities for our residents and our city while also growing our tax base. With our new BioCity career pathways program, we’re also already working to create the pipeline of New Haven students who will enter these fields and take advantage of these future job opportunities in their home town.”

The Connecticut Innovation Clusters Program is a $100 million initiative to support the continued growth of critical sectors of the Connecticut economy, including biotechnology, financial technology, insurance technology, and advanced manufacturing in support of national defense. The program leverages private and public investment to support the application of next-generation technologies, such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, to accelerate innovation in the state’s high-growth industries.

Kars-R-Us.com and its operators raised millions but only a fraction of donations went to fund breast cancer screenings, FTC and states allege

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today joined the Federal Trade Commission and 22 agencies from 19 states announcing a settlement to stop a deceptive charity fundraising scheme and its operators who made false or deceptive claims to U.S. donors.

Kars-R-Us.com, Inc. (Kars) and its operators, Michael Irwin and Lisa Frank, solicited charitable donations nationwide on behalf of United Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. (UBCF), a charity that claims to assist individuals affected by breast cancer, according to a complaint filed by the FTC and states. Kars claimed that vehicle donations would allow UBCF to “save lives” by providing free and low-cost breast cancer screenings. But, in reality, only $126,815 or 0.28% of the more than $45 million that Kars raised was used to provide breast cancer screenings, the complaint alleges.

Under a proposed settlement order reached with the FTC and its state partners, Kars and its operators face restrictions on future fundraising activities and Irwin, Kars’s President and co-owner until 2022, will be permanently banned from fundraising.

“Kars-R-Us ran a shameful scam to enrich its operators by preying on the generosity of donors who believed they were saving lives through breast cancer screenings. Michael Irwin will never again work in any fundraising capacity, and Kars will be subject to strict prohibitions on its marketing claims. In coordination with our state and federal law enforcement partners, we will not tolerate deceit and misuse of charitable funds,” said Attorney General Tong.

“When people donate their hard-earned money, they hold a reasonable expectation that money will be used for its intended purpose. In this case, generous donors thought they were helping families affected by breast cancer, an issue that is deeply personal to many people, only to find out that was not the case,” said DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli. “Exploiting the generosity of people who are just trying to help is shameful. We take these scams seriously. Thank you to the Attorney General’s office and the Federal Trade Commission for their attention to this important issue.”

“This case should send a strong message to fundraisers that the FTC will take action if they misrepresent the truth and exploit the kindness of generous donors for their own gain,” said Christopher Mufarrige, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “We are grateful to our state partners for joining this effort to protect the public from fundraising schemes like this one.”

Kars solicited vehicle donations through national and local TV, radio and online ads in English and Spanish, claiming the donations would allow UBCF to “save lives” by providing free and low-cost breast cancer screenings. Kars tugged at donors’ heartstrings to maximize contributions with little regard for truthfulness or accuracy of the claims it made on behalf of UBCF, the complaint alleges. More than 84,000 well-intentioned people donated their vehicles to Kars.

Between 2017 to 2022 Kars raised more than $45.5 million on behalf of UBCF. The complaint alleges that $34.9 million of those raised funds went to pay Kars, its operators, and its vendors. Of the tiny fraction of funds left to UBCF, most were largely used for other purposes, including generous compensation to UBCF’s CEO.

Kars, Irwin, and Frank knew or should have known that the breast cancer-related claims they drafted and made on behalf of UBCF were deceptive or lacked substantiation, the complaint alleges.

The proposed settlement order imposes restrictions on Kars, Irwin, and Frank, including:

•             permanently banning Irwin from fundraising or providing fundraising services to any person, directly or indirectly. He is also prohibited from making misrepresentations in connection with the marketing or sale of any product and service;

•             prohibiting Frank, Kars’s current president and sole owner, from making misrepresentations associated with fundraising, or in the marketing or sale of any other product or service;

•             prohibiting Kars, its employees, and anyone actively working for or engaged with the company from making misrepresentations associated with fundraising, or in the marketing or sale of any other product or service; and

•             requiring Kars and Frank to substantiate fundraising or marketing claims.

Irwin, Frank, and Kars also face a total monetary judgment of $3,882,091, which is partially suspended based on their inability to pay the full amount. If Kars, Frank, and Irwin are found to have lied to the FTC and state partners about their financial status, the full judgment will be immediately payable.

The state agencies joining the FTC in this case include the attorneys general of Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin as well as the secretaries of state of Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina; and the Utah Division of Consumer Protection.

Assistant Attorney General Caitlin Calder and paralegal Cheryl Turner assisted the Attorney General in this matter.