Over 70 licensable commercial opportunities from research organisations, universities and clinics from all over Europe were presented to industry representatives and investors. Projects included highly innovative therapeutic and diagnostic approaches as well as platform technologies and medical devices.
In addition, BioVaria’s Startup Pitch & Partner Program featured ten handpicked start-ups, five each in the categories ‘Emerging’ and ‘Rising’. Based on their pitches, technologies, business potential and developmental strategy a jury of experienced investors selected the winners, one per category. This year’s awards go to Ceridwen Oncology (Emerging) and Lactabico (Rising).
UK-based Ceridwen Oncology strives to discover new anti-cancer drugs targeting a unique group of developmental-specific transcription factors involved in cancer progression and resistance. Using transformative structural biology in combination with high-throughput in silico screening the team has established an initial pipeline of small-molecule leads which are currently in the preclinical stage.
‘Biovaria was a great event overall. As a start-up it was great to be selected for a presentation, and to have the possibility to show our work. At the same time, the program was truly excellent. What I particularly enjoyed was all the networking opportunities offered. The “speed dating” event was extremely useful for us, as we had the chance to interact and start some very constructive conversations with a number of potential investors. It was the first time we attended BioVaria, and I am sure it will not be the last one’, said Andrea Brancale of Ceridwen Oncology.
Lactabico is a rising start-up based in Berlin, Germany, that develops new medicines derived from milk peptides for the treatment of mental and metabolic diseases. Using proprietary computational tools, the team has generated a portfolio of promising petides, two of which have already demonstrated proof-of-concept in late-stage preclinical studies.
‘We are currently raising funds to scale up our R&D efforts in Berlin, and the event's exceptional format – combining pitch sessions with speed dating-style investor meetings – provided us with 12 valuable leads in just two days. We are honoured to be recognized as a 'Rising Star' and deeply appreciate the BioVaria team's efforts to attract top-tier attendees,’ said Anton Malyshev, CEO and founder of Lactabico, Lactocore Group.
For the first time, BioVaria’s Startup Pitch & Partner Program was complemented by a session dedicated to very early-stage projects supported by GO-Bio initial and ForTra funding programs. Six entrepreneurs (to be) pitched their ideas for the first time to an international audience of life-science experts. Two of them, TheraCas13 and MyoPax, were honored by a jury of experienced technology transfer professionals for their outstanding pitch performance.
Another highlight of this year’s BioVaria was a special guest lecture by an expert from the European Patent Office providing valuable information on the Unitary Patent as a new tool for protecting inventions in the EU.
BioVaria was organised by Ascenion and 13 technology transfer partners from five European countries. Both, the organizers and participants expressed their gratitude to Esther Lange from Ascenion for her amazing work in coordinating BioVaria over the last years. In the future, she will focus on technology management. Her colleague, Rebecca Engels, will organize BioVaria 2024, which will be held on 29 - 30 April 2024 in Munich.
Summaries of all the technologies and start-ups presented are available on the BioVaria website.
###
Patron:
Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy
Sponsors:
BioM, ForTra gGmbH für Forschungstransfer der Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung, AbbVie, Bayer AG - Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, MSD, Gimv, HERTIN & Partner, invisio Clinical Studies Consulting GmbH, Kador & Partner, Pfizer, Vossius, Withers & Rogers
Startup-Sponsors:
BaseLaunch, EQT Life Sciences
Technology transfer partners:
Ascenion, BayPAT, DZIF - German Center for Infection Research, EMBLEM Technology Transfer, Innovectis, IOCB Tech, Lead Discovery Center, Max Planck Innovation, NTNU Technology Transfer AS, PROvendis, TTO4IRCCS, University Hospital Hradec Králové, VIS, Wallonie–Bruxelles International
Network partners:
ASTP, BioRN, Charité BIH Innovation, LISAvienna, Nucleate Germany
Communication sponsors:
Eurasanté, Going Public, transkript
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
- 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, 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
###
Contact
Stanislava Zollner, Corporate Communication, Ascenion GmbH
zollner(at)ascenion(dot)de, +49 89 3188140