Organized by 11 leading technology transfer organizations, BioVaria serves as a vital bridge between cutting-edge academic research and commercial development, fostering partnerships across industry and academia. The 2025 event showcased 51 patent-protected technologies sourced from universities, research institutions, and university hospitals across Europe, covering potential therapeutics and diagnostics as well as platform technologies, medical devices and digital health applications.
A highlight was the BioVaria Startup Pitch & Partner Program, where 10 handpicked start-ups — five in the "Emerging" and five in the "Rising" category — pitched their ventures to a panel of seasoned investors. This year’s winners are Green Elephant Biotech (Rising) and Citrapeutics (Emerging). Green Elephant Biotech, based in Gießen, Germany, develops and commercializes an innovative cell culture system called CellScrew®, enabling biopharmaceutical companies to produce cell and gene therapies, vaccines and biologicals more efficiently, sustainably, and on a larger scale. Citrapeutics, a spin-off from the Helmholtz Centre of Infection Research, develops first-in-class therapeutics targeting the enzyme ACOD1 to restore immune function and enhance cancer immunotherapy.
Both teams expressed their enthusiasm and gratitude for the opportunity to present at BioVaria and connect with leading investors and potential industry partners. “We’re honoured to receive this award. Just last year, we were attendees at BioVaria 2024, inspired by the presentations and the energy! We dreamed of presenting in 2025 — now we’re the winning team. We owe this to the incredible support from our colleagues at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, the Helmholtz Enterprise program, and Ascenion. Receiving this award is a huge motivation boost for us to continue the long journey of bringing ACOD1 inhibitors to clinical application. The connections made through BioVaria have brought Citrapeutics one step closer to impacting the lives of millions of cancer patients,” said Nikolas Chalkias and Frank Pessler.
Joel Eichmann of Green Elephant Biotech added: “BioVaria offers exactly the stage that young biotech companies need: close to science, practical, and in exchange with strong industrial partners. We are delighted to receive this award. It confirms our belief that adherent cell production needs to be not only more efficient, but also more scalable — and that we are on the right track with our platform".
Building on last year's positive feedback, BioVaria once again spotlighted promising early-stage projects supported by the GO-Bio initial and ForTra funding programmes. As part of this initiative, Behnam Javanmardi (GO-Bio) and Michael Zeisberg (ForTra) received awards for their exceptional pitch performances. „Exciting innovations, many investors present, great location, networking in Beer Garden, very worthwhile event!” – this is Michael Zeisberg’s positive summary. Behnam Javanmardi was also satisfied with the event: “BioVaria is an outstanding event that offers fantastic opportunities to connect with investors, potential industry partners, and innovative startups. I’m truly honoured by the jury’s decision and grateful to receive this award.”
BioVaria 2025 also provided extensive opportunities for networking, knowledge exchange, and deep dives into key industry trends and commercialization strategies. The keynote was given by science communicator Amelie Reigl, who explored the transformative power of Science, Start-ups, and Social Media. Her talk underscored the rising importance of strategic communication and digital presence in driving the success of early-stage ventures.
Mark your calendars: BioVaria 2026 will return to Munich on 27 – 28 April.
Summaries of all the technologies and start-ups showcased at BioVaria 2025 are available on the BioVaria website.
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Patron:
Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy
Sponsors:
BioM, Collaborative Drug Discovery, ForTra gGmbH für Forschungstransfer der Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung, AbbVie, Eli Lilly, HERTIN & Partner, Kador & Partner, Vossius
Startup-Sponsors:
CARMA Fund, Kroher Strobel, life science factory
Technology transfer partners:
Ascenion, BayPAT, EMBLEM Technology Transfer, H3 Health Hub, Innovectis, IOCB Tech, Lead Discovery Center, Max Planck Innovation, PROvendis, ScienceValue Heidelberg, Wallonie–Bruxelles International
Network partners:
ASTP, bioRN, Charité BIH Innovation, eurasanté, LISA, Plug and Play, Prague.bio
Communication sponsors:
Going Public, transkript, VentureCapital Magazin
About BioVaria
BioVaria brings together leading tech transfer professionals, innovators from academia and startups with investors and representatives of the global biotech and pharma industry.
Key features of BioVaria:
- Unique gathering of Europe's top scientists, entrepreneurs, technology transfer professionals, investors and industry representatives
- Presentation of more than 70 licensable technologies and startups originating from public research institutions and universities across Europe
- Focus on patent-protected, commercially attractive opportunities covering therapeutics, diagnostics and research tools in the fields of cancer, infectious diseases, metabolism, autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders, and in other disease areas
- Startup Pitch & Partner program with a competition for the BioVaria Startup Award, one-on-one mentoring and startup-investor speed dating
- Presentation of promising early-stage projects, including projects funded by 'GO-Bio initial'
- Ample space to discuss scientific details face-to-face with the inventors and entrepreneurs
- Jointly organized by Ascenion and a selected group of leading European technology transfer organizations
Further information and technologies: www.biovaria.org
About Ascenion
Ascenion is an independent technology transfer company focussing on the life sciences. It is partner to over 30 research organizations, universities and university hospitals in Germany and Europe, including life-science institutes of the Helmholtz and Leibniz Associations, the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Hannover Medical School, the Medical University of Innsbruck and the University Medical Center Göttingen. Ascenion’s multidisciplinary, industry-experienced team works closely with its partners to tap the potential of their research by identifying promising results, obtaining patent protection, and turning pure science into applied technology. Particular strengths are spin-off support and project development, where early-stage projects are transformed into assets that attract potential investors and licensees. This has led to the founding of numerous new companies and the transfer of innovative medical approaches into approved drugs, changing the lives of thousands of patients. In 2022 Ascenion initiated the CARMA FUND which invests in early-stage projects and start-ups in the life-science and healthcare sector. Profits from Ascenion’s operative business and exit proceeds flow via its parent company, the LifeScience Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Research, to fund further translational research at its partner institutes.
Further information at: www.ascenion.de
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Contact
Stanislava Zollner, Corporate Communication, Ascenion GmbH
zollner(at)ascenion(dot)de, +49 89 3188140
