The Kansas Department of Commerce said it is very close to selling the Kansas Bioscience Authority’s investment portfolio to private-sector investors.

It’s one of the last vestiges of the KBA, which was formally merged into the Kansas Department of Commerce last week. The state described the merger as “effectively dissolving the KBA.” The agency was formed more than 10 years ago and invested in early-stage companies involved in ag tech, human health and animal health.

“The privatization process of the KBA portfolio of companies is nearly ready to begin and now will be led by the Department of Commerce,” Commerce Secretary Antonio Soave said. “This merger of the KBA and the Department of Commerce will help accelerate and clarify the sales process to the private market, serving both the portfolio companies and the investment community.”