This month, Sabyasachi Dash of IFNY sat down with Fran Strauss, Principal at HealthMark Strategies in New York City.
Fran is a proven Reimbursement & Payer Commercialization Strategist and Market Access Executive with expertise in genetic testing, molecular diagnostics, medical/mobile devices, personalized medicine and diagnostic laboratories. She works with commercial and government payers, employers, unions and advocacy groups. Prior to her consulting career, Ms. Strauss led the Provider Relations and Network Department at Aetna Inc. She also led Market Access departments at Digene Corporation (now Qiagen), Adeza Biomedical (now Hologic) and Perlegen Sciences.
Dr. Dash’s conversation with Fran was beyond insightful: we learned about her life as a consultant with deep roots in biotech-entrepreneurship, what it has been like working with the life science industry as well as her advice for budding life science entrepreneurs.
What motivated you to pursuing a career in Women’s Health?
I pursued studies in Special and Health Education. In time that interest focused on Women’s Health, as an educator and then as a Biotech (Diagnostics) professional.
What are some personal and professional qualities that were critical for you to get where you are now?
Excellent communication skills, a passion for educating women and others in the business community about this important and overlooked niche.
How urgent do you think it is for academic-scientists to collaborate with Industry experts?
While academic scientists are doing an excellent job at identifying new technology with industry experts for Women’s Health, early and continued collaboration is critical for addressing the business needs (financial, clinical and social).
Given your involvement as a Biotech Mentor, are there any personal insights into why academic-scientists find it hard to blend in within Industry?
The passion and skills involved in the creation of new technology can often overshadow the real need for a practical sense of how to launch the product, the data needed to launch the product and how the product will be reimbursed and advocated for by Women’s Health professionals.
What are the common traits or, qualities needed in young scientists who aspire to become entrepreneurs, or who are seeking for industry transitions?
A realistic sense of the commercialization process. Does the product meet an unmet need? Does it lower, increase or remain neutral in terms of overall healthcare costs. Will insurers reimburse? And if yes, what is that process? Will this technology change behavior of physicians? Patients?
How do you foresee the future of Women’s Health in the next few years?
Increase in patient empowerment, mobile technology, big data.
Finally, before we close, what is that one ‘Mantra of Success’ that you would like to share with everybody irrespective of their professional background?
One must be informed, passionate, have a road map to success, and a real desire to improve health and lower costs of Women’s healthcare. Outcomes are key.
More than 14 million people are diagnosed with cancer each year and more than 8 million of those die. Indeed, it is evident that a revolution in terms of cancer treatment is gravely needed. One field which potentially holds great promise is immuno-oncology (IO). IO therapies aim to induce or enhance the immune system to fight cancer.
To address this topic, the Innovation Forum Cambridge branch hosted the event, ‘Immuno-oncology: A New Era in Cancer Therapy.’ The evening involved talks from industry leaders on the evolution of immuno-oncology: Dr. Robert Wilkinson (Director of Oncology Research, MedImmune), Dr. Mihriban Tuna (Vice President Discovery, F-Star) and Dr. Stephan Thorgrimsen (CEO, Immunitrack).
I was fortunate to speak with Robert and discuss the trends of immuno-oncology and how MedImmune are leading the charge.
Robert Wilkinson is Director of Oncology Research at MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca. Based in Cambridge, his group is charged with the generation and delivery of new candidate biotherapeutics. His research focuses on immunotherapies, as well as tumour targeted therapies using the latest antibody and protein based strategies. Robert has over twenty years of experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, in both small and large molecule cancer drug discovery, and translational science. Previously he has held senior leadership roles within AstraZeneca and Cancer Research Technology and has a strong track record in progressing pipeline projects and harnessing novel scientific approaches, technologies and directing multidisciplinary teams. Robert received his PhD in Experimental Immunology from The University of Birmingham and has co-authored over 60 publications in the field of drug discovery, immunology and cancer.
Question: What do you believe has driven this industry-wide push for immuno-oncology?
A few definitions are useful upfront. Immuno-oncology (IO) therapies are a group of treatments for cancer patients which enhance the ability of the immune system to attack their cancer. Ultimately, many of these therapies work by enhancing the ability of T-cells, the work horses of the immune system, to kill tumour cells. The first breakthrough in the IO field came from a group of monoclonal antibody-based therapies that “release the brakes” on T-cells. These therapies are often called ‘immune checkpoint blockade” (ICB) therapies.
To answer your question, the excitement around IO is driven by the extent of the positive encouraging patient clinical responses to these ICB therapies in previously untreatable cancer patient indications. Clinical responses to ICB therapy have been seen in populations of patients who historically responded poorly or transiently to the available standard of care therapies like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. One such cancer where ICB therapies have had a major impact is melanoma (a kind of skin cancer), and particularly metastatic melanoma (where the cancer has spread to different sites in the body).
One factor that makes the IO field so exciting, is that when cancer patients do respond to ICB therapies, not only do their tumours shrink (regress), but in some instances their responses are long lasting (durable). Patients who show respond to ICB sometimes have responses lasting several years. This is quite different from the normal response to chemotherapy, where most patients will see tumor regression, but their response to treatment is often transient and their cancer will then grow back.
With all therapies, pros and cons exist. In terms of immuno-oncology, what are the cons and how will they be addressed?
One of the cons of IO therapy is that not all patients exhibit a durable, clinical response. In many cancer types, the response rate is around 10-20% when an immuno-oncology therapy is given as a monotherapy. Predicting which patients will benefit from IO therapies will be key to driving up responses and increasing accessibility. Significant collaborative efforts are ongoing between academia and industry to understand why some patients respond to IO therapies and others don’t. Translational studies analysing tumour biopsies from cancer patients before and after immuno-oncology therapy have been insightful. Interestingly, patients lacking T-cells in their tumour before treatment – so called ‘cold tumours’– tend to respond less favourably compared to patients with tumour infiltrated with T-cells before treatment – so called ‘hot tumours’. Several recent studies indicate that the overall number of mutations a cancer has may have a bearing on whether the cancer exhibits a cold or hot phenotype. However, this is a very complex area of science, and there are probably many more factors involved in driving IO response / non-response that remain to be discovered.
Whilst IO is changing the treatment paradigm in several types of cancers, some patients experience immune-mediated adverse events (imAEs). It is believed these adverse events arise from increased activity in the immune system and in many cases, they can be ameliorated by treatment with anti-inflammatory medicines, such corticosteroids. While imAEs can affect any organ or tissue, common imAEs include the gastrointestinal tract (colitis) and skin (dermatitis). Akin to the ongoing translational research to predict patients who will mount an effective anti-tumour response, there are significant efforts around safety biomarkers to identify patients who may be susceptible to imAEs and possibly not suitable for IO treatments.
MedImmune are performing exceptionally well with more than 130 biologics in R&D, and 50 products in development. What do you believe has been MedImmune’s most distinguished achievement thus far, and what product yet to come are you most excited for?
From an oncology perspective, in MedImmune and AstraZeneca we are very proud of the two recent FDA-approvals for the immune-checkpoint monoclonal antibody Durvalumab. Durvalumab recognises a molecule called PD-L1 which is frequently expressed on tumours and functions to ‘switch off’ T cells via a receptor on T cells called PD-1. Importantly, it takes many individuals and teams to develop a medicine. I’ve been personally privileged to contribute to the development of Durvalumab from an early start within the project.
Multiple immunotherapies, developed by many different companies, treating a broad range of cancers are receiving regulatory approval. Where do MedImmune’s technologies stand in the future?
I believe MedImmune is well placed for the future, as the company has invested in a range of different therapeutic platforms. I think it’s important to understand how you want to modulate a target in a disease setting, and then try to match that with a therapeutic platform. In some instances, it may be appropriate to use a monoclonal antibody whilst in other circumstances it may be appropriate to hit more than one target simultaneous and so a bi-specific antibody may be better suited to the job. In other instances, an oncolytic virus which can directly kill tumours and stimulate an immune response might be the way forward – for instance to convert a cold tumour to a hot tumour phenotype.
Following on from that, as MedImmune are so well placed, how do you see the Immuno-oncology sector evolving and how do you see the immuno-oncology field developing as an industry – what hurdles might it face?
I think it’s key to understand the science behind why some patients respond whilst other don’t to immunotherapy. Cancer is a heterogenous disease and some cancer types exhibit certain features which render them more suitable to IO therapy than others. Clearly, we see the different immune phenotypes of hot and cold tumours but understanding what the mechanisms are behind these phenotypes is paramount – be that genetic factors, a patient’s immune status or whatever other aspects of the biology.
Looking to the future, a key objective will be identifying the best combination therapies to bring the benefits of IO to more patients. ICB therapies are being combined with other IO therapies to heat up tumours and improve the presentation of tumour antigens. ICB therapies are also being combined with standard of care chemo- or radiotherapy. An example of this I suppose, is the recent approval of Durvalumab in unresectable stage III non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this disease setting, durvalumab is given to patients after they finish a course of chemo- and radiotherapy treatment.
More personalised approaches in the IO field have the potential to advance responses in some cancer types. Here I am thinking about adoptive cell transfer (ACT) therapies, which involve extracting a patient’s T cells and genetically modifying them to recognise specific tumour antigens, then infusing then back into the patient. Another area showing promise, is the use of personalised cancer vaccines which aim to induce specific immune responses in a patient to their tumor mutations (neoantigens).
I think there are also clearly major advances taking place in the biomarker field. There are some exciting developments in the types of biomarkers we can investigate to understand what is happening in tumour biopsies. Beyond that, the ability to predict responses to therapy using novel biomarkers measurable in the blood (like circulating tumor DNA) could be great for patients, reducing the need for invasive tumor biopsies.
A number of the attendees at the Innovation Forum’s Immuno-oncology event were early stage researchers – PhDs and PostDocs – hoping to pursue a career in industry. From your experience, what advice would you give to thrive in R&D; what skills do you need?
Passion for science is number one! A strong drive to challenge current paradigms of how we treat patients. Resilience, for instance, to be able to pick yourself up if an experiment hasn’t worked and to try it again.
R&D in pharma functions on teamwork. To thrive, one needs to be transparent and share a willingness to help others on the project – that’s a key feature. Sometimes when you’re doing your PhD you might be the only person working on that topic in the lab, or in that research section of a medical institution. That’s probably different to how it is in pharma, you’ve got multi-skilled teams, and everybody has a role to play – so really honing up those teamwork skills is critical.
The Swiss start-up Picterra, based in Lausanne recently released the beta version of their system for earth observation. This AI based tool not only makes it easier to analyse drone or satellite images. It is also a platform for peer cooperation, moving the technology forward.
Picterra was born in 2016 from the minds of Frank de Morsier, Chief Technology Officer, with an electrical engineering background, and Pierrick Poulenas, Chief Executive Officer. Today the company is situated at the EPFL Innovation Park in Lausanne. Recently, the company released the beta version of their tool for earth observation.
This tool is a customizable system that allows users to analyse drone or satellite images. At the same time, it puts them in touch with a global community that collaborates to develop such technology further. Thanks to the pre-trained machine-learning algorithms, users can personalise their aerial data analysis to perfectly match their own applications.
This August, Innovation Forum had the pleasure of meeting the Picterra team and discovering what’s behind their success and what’s next for this fast-growing start-up.
Hi guys! Can you briefly describe how Picterra got to where it is today?
Frank (de Morsier): Picterra started 2 years ago, when Pierrick and I realized that we wanted to do our own thing instead of working as consultants, as we were doing in our previous roles. Then, for about a year, we worked on different projects and services, warming up our ideas with the aim of creating a unique tool directly usable by our customers. To do this, we needed financing and last Autumn, when we found an investor, the team started to grow: Julien, Roger and Leo joined shortly after. Throughout, this journey I’ve learnt how important it is to find the right partner who can bridge your gaps, for example the commercial experience provided by Pierrick, as a Business Developer.
Can you give us examples of applications for which Picterra can be used?
Frank: Picterra can help anyone who wants to analyse earth observation data, either privately acquired with drones or from available satellite data. For instance, we have worked on a project to automatically detect vegetation growing dangerously close to electric powerlines. Other customers were interested in analysing a time series of images to track down illegal deforestation in national parks in South America and Asia. Thanks to satellite images, which are acquired nearly every day, our tool has accelerated research, which otherwise would have taken months in such wide and wild regions. In general, our goal is to provide a semi-automatic tool for a wide spectrum of clients.
How important was it for you to be integrated in the EPFL and Lausanne start-up ecosystem in the initial stages?
Frank: The beginning of Picterra started out in our flats, but we soon realized that moving to an actual start-up environment could be beneficial. We took a base at the Innovation Park in 2016, where we encountered many useful opportunities. We attended the CTI courses at the Innovation Park, which were valuable, and we also benefited from the mentoring offered, especially for the financing stage.
We saw that your beta version has just been released. How does it feel and how did the community react?
Frank: We released Picterra Beta in April and, considering that most of the team joined at the beginning of the year, it was a super-fast achievement! It was really gratifying to read enthusiastic users saying they had been waiting a long time for something like this. Rapidly, we saw more people joining the platform and we are basing our further developments on their feedback. We are aware that this tool is far from being our final product, but with the beta version we were also looking for validation from the community: we wanted to be sure that they would appreciate a tool which allows them to “learn” about their data, but one that also provides fully customisable software by enabling a “hands-on” state available.
Are these users your previous clients? Or did you have to work a lot on promotion?
Frank: We already had a base, some companies with drones for example, but we have done quite a lot of advertising too, especially via social media and the media. The recent article on the EPFL website also helped people to find out about our platform and in the end we were contacted directly by many new users. Although we tried to push the local network first, both small and larger companies from Europe, and some from the US and middle Asia showed interests in our product. This is probably not so surprising because our tool is really for those who are anticipating the evolution of AI in this field.
We get the impression that many recent start-ups are involved with imaging and drones: how does Picterra distinguish itself from other local competitors?
Frank: On our side, we basically provide an earth observation and remote sensing tool: once the user loads the image on the AI platform, a library of possible elements that our tool is able to recognise becomes available and the users can ultimately extract the information they are looking for. This library then enriches in time and thanks to the users themselves, because if some elements are not already available in the library, they can be created manually by them. In this way, we offer a tool that is customisable and reusable thanks to our pre-trained algorithms.
Drones and image processing are indeed a very popular topic right now and other start-ups on the EPFL Campus are also working in this field. Gamaya, for example, helps farming businesses by providing hyperspectral analysis of terrains for clients with specific types of crops, while we try to equip our users with an interactive tool instead of simply delivering a result. Another close reality is Pix4D, whose 3D images of reconstructions and orthomosaics can then be used for element recognition in our platform, showing a nice way of complementing one another.
Roger: An important aspect on our side is that our platform is not just a tool but also a community gathering a lot of users, who create machine learning models and share them with each other. We wish to start a snowball effect: as there are more users, there will be more models, more data and eventually a gigantic library of connected models and data, so that everyone can get what they want very fast.
Have you heard of MapSwipe? It is a mobile app developed for the Missing Maps Project to enable fast satellite image classification on mobile devices. Users can detect small villages or roads directly on their phones by tapping and swiping on satellite images. Through MapSwipe, they can also join emergency response efforts led by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) when an active crisis arises.
Frank: We have often seen this crowdsourcing approach, and, in a certain way, it is similar to what people do on our platform by outlining specific elements. Picterra could certainly help this humanitarian project and deliver results very quickly. We are actually discussing with several NGOs in this field to equip them with this.
Julien: We could imagine introducing the “swiping” option to make the validation stage faster: once the model is trained, users could swipe to check whether the learning algorithm is correct or if some elements need to be re-added. However, to crowdsource, we must have the right to show the images and this might be challenging for most of our clients, whose images are confidential.
And finally: what are your next steps?
Frank: At the moment, we have a lot of subscribed users using our beta version for free and our goal is to provide a paying-mode option. Regarding the tool itself we are working towards a full customization of the algorithms. Last, but not least, we are already looking ahead to the next financing round, planning to enlarge the group next year.
Making electricity from plants? The idea may at first seem preposterous but Barcelona-based startup Bioo has actually turned it into working technology, with a number of potential applications. “I want to develop technical things that can create change,” says Pablo M. Vidarte, Co-founder of the company.
Bioo’s technology is based on a biological engine that obtains energy from the decomposition of organic substances naturally expelled by plants. This causes no harm to any living organism and opens great perspectives for renewable energy production.
This aligns with the growing global push for clean, renewable energy sources that are both efficient and environmentally friendly. It’s a reminder that some of the most impactful solutions come from nature itself, and with the right innovation, we can unlock the potential of the natural world in ways we’ve never imagined.
For professionals interested in advancing their expertise in the environmental and safety sectors, the National Registry of Environmental Professionals (NREP) provides a valuable opportunity. NREP offers certification programs for individuals, helping them hone their skills and gain recognition in the field. For example, environmental professionals specializing in air quality play a crucial role in monitoring and improving the health of the environment by addressing pollutants that could negatively impact ecosystems.
With NREP’s certification programs, professionals can demonstrate their expertise in areas like air quality, solidifying their role as leaders in the drive for cleaner, more sustainable environments. These certifications ensure that individuals are not only knowledgeable but also capable of contributing to the development and implementation of cutting-edge solutions like those introduced by companies such as Bioo.
As we witness the evolution of technology like Bioo’s biological engine, it prompts contemplation on how our gardening practices could contribute to a more sustainable future. Imagine a scenario where the routine use of Garden Tools not only tends to the growth of plants but also becomes a part of an eco-friendly energy cycle. The integration of such innovations into the realm of gardening could redefine the way we perceive and interact with our outdoor spaces, fostering a harmonious balance between cultivation and energy conservation.
The potential of integrating groundbreaking technologies like Bioo’s biological engine into our outdoor spaces opens up new possibilities for landscape design, where sustainability and innovation go hand in hand. A landscape designer, with a vision for eco-friendly solutions, can transform your garden into more than just a visually pleasing retreat—it becomes a hub for both beauty and renewable energy. By thoughtfully combining plant life with cutting-edge technology, a designer can help you create a space that nurtures both the environment and your home’s energy efficiency.
Working with Sugar Green Gardens, a company known for its dedication to sustainable landscape practices, can help bring this vision to life. Their expertise in eco-conscious design ensures that your garden not only thrives with native plants and aesthetically pleasing elements but also functions as part of a larger effort to conserve energy and reduce waste. Whether it’s through integrating solar-powered lighting or using water-efficient irrigation systems, Sugar Green Gardens can tailor a landscape that aligns with your desire for sustainability.
Staying true to values such as innovation, eco-friendliness and sustainable development, Bioo aims to bring nature and technology together through products that improve quality of life. The start-up recently won the EU Young Entrepreneurship Award 2018.
Hi, Pablo! Please tell us how everything started in 2015!
I initiated this project with a friend of mine who was studying nanotech. We basically started searching for investigations all around the world about things like water treatment. We then developed our own research and created our own prototype to generate electricity from plants themselves.
Our first prototype created a little energy. At the beginning it was not a lot, but the plants were producing energy after all, so it was pretty inspiring. So, we kept on working to improve this prototype until we obtained one that produced a lot more energy. Then we decided to start a company, because the best way to finance a project is to make it commercially profitable, or at least to start making a professional structure. So this is how and why we started our company.
How come you went from studying engineering to making electricity using plants?
It’s not really thanks to engineering that we started Bioo. The reason that made me start studying engineering is actually the same reason that motivated me to create a project like Bioo. I want to develop technical things that can create change. Something that inspires you, beyond what you think you are capable of in the first instance.
How did you build the team of Bioo, and how did you meet your different partners?
At the beginning it was me and Javier Rodríguez. He is the COO and was studying nanotech. I have known him since studying for our B.Sc. We are both from Andalusia and went to Barcelona to study. Javier is also a co-founder.
We met the other people who joined afterwards, thanks to very good coincidences, for example, during events. For instance, we met our first Financial Officer and we essentially started the company with him, however he unfortunately decided to leave during the middle of the race. The first people we worked with, we met them thanks to advisors and universities.
How did you start from a financial point of view? Did you get private funding, public funding, or both? And what about now? How does it make a difference for you?
We started with private funding. Thanks to business angels, and to a very good business partner that we had from the beginning, called Inkemia IUCT. It is a company that has offices in Barcelona, Madrid and London. They are focused on green chemistry, biofuels. They were great support at the beginning of the
project because they had labs nearby. This was really good for us, because we did not want to create our own labs.
We also needed a small investment. It was not only about advice, but also facilities, and a team of experts who already knew how to make this prototype. This was the first funding that we received. After that came the first financing round of €250.000. We also had public help: the largest funding was from
the EU (€1.8 million) and was supported by the Horizon 2020 program. It was a very big step forward for us. It allowed us to grow our team exponentially and to launch production of a starting product. Now, we are competing for a final round of €650.000. If anyone is interested it’s still open. In case a reader wants to bid, please contact [email protected].
And which one do you prefer: public or private funding?
Of course a grant is pretty good. But I would also say, don’t be afraid of investors, because a good investor can really help you, and it’s not only about money. You can find great support in investors if you really know how to look for a good one.
You recently won the EU Young Entrepreneurship Award 2018. Can you explain what it is, how the selection process worked, what it represents to you, and what it is going to change for Bioo?
That program was very cool. It is directed by the American chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Europe. We had to make several presentations; the first was online, and then we had to pass several phases. We finally met in Brussels and received the award by AmCham. It basically helped us a lot with our impact in Europe via the media. We were already quite renowned worldwide, thanks to all the competitions we had won and the different media that we had approached, but never as well known in Europe. The impact has been huge. Apart from that, AmCham also gave an economical price of €10,000. which was pretty good. It will help us to develop a prototype of the next version of biological batteries. The good thing here is not the money, but rather the approach to the media.
Let’s talk now a little more about the project itself of Bioo. Basically, you use plants’ photosynthesis to generate electricity. How far are you now? Are products already available, or are you still developing the technology?
Currently, we are still developing the technology. R&D is one of our two sections, and most people in our team work in this section. It focuses on developing the Bioo Panel, which is a panel for self-sustention. It’s a prototype that you place below the grass in your garden, so it produces energy from grass itself, without damaging it. The goal is to launch these panels by 2020. Meanwhile, we want to
launch other products that are ready. This is our second section. These products are basically meant to create a global awareness, so people know about the technology, and they assume it is a normal renewable resource. Plus, this will of course finance our R&D.
Right now, for instance, we are selling Bioo-Ed, which is concerned with education. Our goal here is to educate younger generations and to improve educational methods. Bioo-Ed is a product that allows you to create your own biological battery, to light-up LEDs and other things for instance. You do everything on your own, using plants and substrate. We tried it in a lot of educational centers, and not only the students but also the teachers loved it.
As we continue to advance our technology, ensuring safety and compliance remains a top priority. In addition to our research and development efforts, we recognize the importance of maintaining safety standards through PAT testing. PAT testing insurance plays a crucial role in protecting both our team and our customers by providing coverage for any unforeseen accidents or liabilities that may arise during testing procedures. By securing comprehensive insurance coverage, we can mitigate risks and ensure the safety of our products and processes.
Apart from that, Bioo Pass will also be launched next year: this will provide you Wi-Fi access just by placing your phone next to it. It’s not actually a router, it gives you the password for the router. It is mainly targeted towards the hotel, coffee shop and restaurant sectors.
What would be your dream for Bioo in let’s say 5 years? What do you want to achieve and what are your objectives?
What we want to create is a revolution in cities and agriculture. We want to make a symbiosis between nature and technology, in a way we have never thought of. We know about renewable sources of energy, but we have never seen something that combines with nature in such a way. In this case, we are talking about 100% green energy. Our dream is to make that possible, so cities can profit from their own parks and forests. Also, in agriculture, fields would not only be growing crops, but would also carry solar stations on them. So our dream is to make this possible in this century.
To finish with, could you tell us what is the biggest challenge for you, as Bioo’s CEO, and what skills an entrepreneur must have to become successful?
The most difficult thing when talking about creating a company is to find the perfect team. Once you have it, you basically have everything. There were actually two major challenges: one was to make people believe our technology is indeed possible. And we achieved this by showing them how the technology works and showing them the products themselves. Therefore, one of our main focuses is to display this technology to the whole world and create a global awareness. Investors and the public want the same thing: to see for themselves that this technology actually works, and also how it works. This challenge was in fact pretty easy to solve, but it was time consuming.
The other challenge that was very hard to solve in the beginning was to replicate the biological battery. We could make prototypes; the problem was to industrialize these prototypes. It took us a long time, but it was very critical. We passed that phase, but it was really challenging.
What I recommend to someone who wants to be an entrepreneur, is of course to try to develop a good idea, but the team is just as important, if not more important. The great majority of entrepreneurs don’t even have a good idea; they actually have a good team. And with that team, you can create and improve that idea. So, trust the people you find, but don’t be foolish, you won’t always find good people, so act accordingly. Don’t worry if you feel like you’re hitting your head against a brick wall, that always happens and you will learn a lot from it.
Do you have a project in the biotech field? Or do you know anyone who does?
Then this might interest you…so keep reading!
The Euskadi branch of the Innovation Forum offers you an opportunity to participate in IMAGINE IF! – the first global competition and accelerator program for science-based ventures and your start-up could compete in the international finals hosted in the UK.
Collectively, we are a global innovation platform that brings together companies, investors, scientific researchers, universities and start-ups to create ecosystems that foster the impact technology in the health field has in the global economy. For further information, please read our news article.
What can we offer you?
The Innovation Forum Euskadi offers you the opportunity to participate in our IMAGINE IF! Program – an international accelerator program for start-ups focused on the tech and health fields.
A group of selected projects will receive both clinical and business-oriented professional mentorship for over one month. The selected start-ups will then pitch their projects to a panel of judges; leading biotech companies, investors and clinical and technological researchers from the Basque region, during our event at Palacio Euskalduna on November 8th (Bilbao).
The finalist of the local Euskadi competition will then participate in the Global IMAGINE IF! finals that will take place in Cambridge in June 2019. The finalist will have access to local/global mentors until then and to the Innovation Forum network. Companies like Johnson & Johnson Ventures, IBM, Roche and Astellas Pharma, among others, will attend the event in Cambridge where you will also have a chance to connect with them and other leading professionals from pharma, academia and investors.
Who can participate?
Any Basque Country based team or start-up (between 2-7 members) with a project in the biotech field that has raised less than £300,000 GBP (or equivalent in Euros) and has less than 6 years of experience.
You must be fluent in, and able to pitch your idea in English language.
You must attend the Mentorship – Startups presentation day that will take place on 11 September 2018, at Tecnalia offices (Bilbao).
You must attend the IMAGINE IF! Semi-finals on 8th November in Bilbao.
You should be willing to travel to the IMAGINE IF! Finals in Cambridge in June 2019.
How can you apply?
Application forms are now open here: from 1st June until 11th July (midnight). Please bear in mind that the deadline for application in the Euskadi branch may vary from other branches. Please read our FAQ section for further information.
Find a summary of the key dates and events below:
Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!
For more information please contact the Innovation Forum Euskadi Team on [email protected]
This initiative is led hand in hand in partnership with Tecnalia, the first privately funded applied research & technology organisation in Spain and one of the leading such centres in Europe — and the Diputación Foral de Bizkaia — the Council of one of the three Basque regions. Thanks to our great sponsors such as:BioCruces, Universidad de Deusto, UPV, Mondragón, Health2.0 Basque, TZBZ, the British Consulate, the medical team of the Athletic de Bilbao, etc.
Innovator of the Month Interview by Claudia Bigoni and Gian Franco Piredda
In February, Bern-based company RetinAI was selected by Bilan as one of the top 50 Swiss start-ups in which to invest. Here Carlos Ciller, CEO and co-founder, describes his start-up journey from academic research to commersialisation.
This interview is part of the Innovator of the Month series at this website.
Based in Bern, RetinAI Medical sits in the intersection between medical imaging, artificial intelligence (AI) and early screening of diseases. Currently, the focus is AI in ophthalmology, where 1 out of 5 people will suffer from sight loss by 2020. The R&D team is also interested in age-related eye diseases – the leading cause of blindness for patients over 60 years old. One of the goals of RetinAI is to protect patients by developing healthcare solutions which combine computer vision and machine learning to detect early signs of malignant eye conditions.
Carlos Ciller, CEO and co-founder, carried out his PhD in machine learning and biomedical engineering in ophthalmology. This was a part of a collaboration between Swiss institutions UNIL, CHUV, EPFL and the University of Bern. During his PhD, he had the opportunity to visit the Department of Computing at Imperial College London with an SNCF Doc. Mobility grant. In London, he joined the local Innovation Forum (IF) branch as President and continued his Innovation Forum experience in Lausanne once he returned. He co-founded RetinAI together with Sandro De Zanet and Stefanos Apostolopoulos.
IFL: Hi Carlos!How did you develop the idea of using machine learning to study eye diseases? Will you be able to use your software for other organs?
Carlos:Studying eye diseases with machine learning was the topic of my PhD, ‘before it was cool’ and it was also the case for the other co-founders. Today, the application we are looking into is using this knowledge to facilitate early screening and analysis of eye diseases, bringing it to pharmacies, opticians or to general practitioners. A patient would be able to undergo an eye scan with special hardware with RetinAI software, which would immediately tell them if they are okay or not. In the latter case, you are then referred to an ophthalmologist who will suggest the correct treatment. This step is very important because all the sight loss cannot be recovered, so
the sooner you detect and treat the disease, the better it is for the patient and for healthcare systems in general.
Moreover, we are using the same concept to expand to dermatology, audiology and so forth. For all these applications, our goal is to integrate our technology into the next generation of medical devices, democratising access and breaking the technological barriers that separate clinicians and patients.
IFL: Are you already selling your product and if so, to whom?
Carlos:We are currently selling a Minimum Viable Product to different customers while iterating the final version. Instead of having a blind development, customers regularly give us feedback. Right now, our customers are hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, general practitioners and medical device manufacturers. Eventually, in the case of early screening, the customers will be also “you”.
IFL: How helpful is it for a start-up to be linked to a university?
Carlos:Initially, the University of Bern and the ARTORG Center from the University of Bern provided us with support to develop our start-up. However, IP-wise we are not connected to them. For other cases, I believe that in the medtech or biotech field, it is worthwhile being linked to a university to reduce the risk. This does not always hold for a software company, where the more independent you are, the easier it is to operate, raise funds and in general, move forward.
IFL: Did your active experience at the Innovation Forum play a role in your decision to found a start-up, or was it something you have always wanted to do?
Carlos:Actually, it has been a very long journey before reaching the point of funding a start-up. I always worked in part-time jobs while studying at university. During that time, I worked in multiple positions and I learned I had difficulties engaging in projects I did not fully believe in or which I did not consider had an impact in society. I have very strong opinions and I’ve always wanted to create value in my own way – we only have one life! For this reason, I tried to shape all my efforts and my PhD towards the creation of value in the form of start-up.
Nevertheless, being part of the Innovation Forum helped a lot with our intermediate challenges such as finding sponsors, convincing people about our ideas and bringing them on board. The Innovation Forum was the realisation of a dream, a combination of everything I was aiming towards: transforming innovation, re-shaping something that lies on a lab bench into a product and ultimately reducing the gap between pure science and a product or application. In this way, the Innovation Forum was eye opening because I could explore different fields in a canalised manner. Finally, being part of a community of researchers and entrepreneurs and having the opportunity to rely on an exceptional team helped a lot. I was also lucky because I met my future co-founders at the beginning of my PhD! I feel it’s really important to be good friends with your co-founders.
IFL: You have recently won the 3rd phase of Venture Kick worth 130’000 CHF. What is next for RetinAI?
Carlos:We are closing our next funding round of 1,1 million CHF in 2-3 months. We currently have 8 team members and by the end of the year we will be a team of 12. It is very exciting that so many people will be working on our project!
In terms of research, we are going through all the regulatory procedures to commercialise our product. Also, as mentioned, we will use our software not only for early screening and monitoring in ophthalmology, but also dermatology and audiology: basically, anything that could be tested in a pharmacy or monitored with a smartphone device. We believe digital healthcare is moving towards bringing healthcare to the hands of the patients, and this is also RetinAI’s direction. Finally, we will expand to other markets such as emerging countries to meet practitioners’ needs and different expectations around the world.
IFL: Finally a more philosophical question. Machine learning algorithms are now widely used in various fields including medicine. What are your thoughts about the interaction between computers and doctors in decision making? How do you think it will evolve?
Carlos:Machine learning is not going to substitute clinicians by any means, but it can accelerate and automate some tedious and repetitive tasks. To give a very simple example: imagine you have an eye scan and you are looking for a specific biomarker. To find it, the physician should scroll over all different slices of a 3D volume. If instead we can present this data in a more comprehensive manner, we could then improve the decision-making process. The objective of AI is to add a second, non-human and objective opinion to the doctor’s one to standardise this evaluation and to make it faster, so that physicians can use their precious time differently. I believe that AI and technologies alone are not enough; they will not replace doctors and there is no reason for this. However,
machine learning can empower the clinician’s decision.
We are still very far away from getting AI completely into clinics because many regulations and procedures are required to guarantee that the algorithms work. This is something that cannot be avoided and that shouldn’t be avoided. Nevertheless, I believe that using AI will soon become a real support to contributing to the well-being of a patient.
S2S, the Science to Start-up workshop series, is a fundamental programme that teaches how to establish a start-up in today’s fast-paced and competitive market. Herein we provide a brief summary of the events.
9th of May – Idea generation/ Lean Canvas
Davide Turi gave an inspirational talk on the step-wise approach to generating an idea and using a lean canvas to set out problems, solutions, key metrics and competitive advantages of the potential business.
See the link below for an explanation of : How to compile a Lean Canvas, the business plan in one page, by Davide Turi
Nilema Bhakta-Jones gave an enthralling overview of some the challenges she faced over the course of her career and recommendations on approaches to starting a new business.
Flavia Rubino gave an in depth explanation of the importance and use of marketing, PR and communications in today’s businesses.
Flavia’s slides will be available to download shortly
30th of May – Marketing
Tobias Wingbermuehle’s background in sales and brand management was demonstrated through his exciting crash course on modern tools for marketing life science startups.
6th of June – How to recruit the best team/ networking
Having gained experience as a tech wizard at the founders factory, and experienced the setting up his own start-up, Marti Markov shared his personal views and experiences in the process. Marti explained the importance of finding the right people for any project and helping them grow as a team.
Marti’s slides will be available to download shortly
13th of June – Finances
20th of June – Intellectual Property
27th of June – How to pitch/ get investment
28th of June – Mentor Clinic
4th of July – Final pitching
1. Business
Are the Pitch and Business plan clear and concise?
Is this a sustainable business with significant growth and profit potential?
Are the potential benefits of the product/service for the customer clearly explained (USPs)?
Has the team demonstrated a convincing need for a non-dilutive award?
2. Content
Does the business have a strong content-base?
Is the premise reasonable, non-biased and validated?
What’s the degree of novelty/innovation of the proposed technology/service?
Is the business based on a strong and clear intellectual property position?
Marina Rincon-Torroella is passionate about analyzing and improving the healthcare system. She defines herself as a workaholic; something that we found apparent when we looked at her career path so far. She works at Mayo Clinic and wears many hats. Her main focus at Mayo Clinic is to assist with their business development. Outside of work she is involved with MJN Neuroserveis; a start-up that focuses on the prevention of seizures -a first of its kind. She did not stop there and has since created her own start-up Weallare.Co, which provides custom solutions for physical therapy patients.
A driving thought in all of her work comes from her favorite saying: “First I learn the rules to play the game, then I change the rules to better the game”. This is what defines her attitude towards her choices.
Marina, thank you for agreeing to give this interview despite your busy schedule. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your experience as an entrepreneur, your current position in the Mayo clinic in Florida, and your role in MJN Neuroserveis?
I trained as a physical therapist at The Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). During my last internship in the Netherlands as the physical therapist of the under 21 national basketball team, I soon realized that this was not the optimal career path for me. In 2014 I was awarded a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in biodesign, innovation and entrepreneurship in Barcelona, where I evolved my business-oriented mind. However, what defined my career goals was my later work experience in the hospital treating palliative patients and elderly people. They taught me the value of life and to pursue your goals with passion and happiness. That is where I dedicated my career goal to understand and improve the healthcare system in order to create an efficient system to offer better treatment to our society, to my family and to myself.
I will always remember the stories of my patients and their needs. That was the turning point for building my early stage start-up in design and physiotherapy – WeallareCo with my co-founder Fanny Basanta. Our company creates personalized devices according to each person’s needs.
At that time, I stopped working in Spain and I moved to the USA to learn about the private sector where I started working at Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore. There, I was fortunate to meet Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa, the current chair of Neurosurgery at Mayo Clinic, whose career and patient-oriented passion to find a cure for cancer inspired me to have the courage to keep fighting for a better healthcare system. a cure for cancer inspired me to have the courage to keep fighting for a better healthcare system.
At the Mayo Clinic, my work focuses on improving the communication strategy towards the patients through understanding and implementing their needs.
During my first months at Mayo Clinic, I was contacted by David Blánquez, the CEO of MJN Neuroserveis who asked me to help them with their international relationships and with their participation in the IMAGINE IF! Acceleration Program. I had no doubts. Having the chance to collaborate with a company in my home city to improve the epilepsy community as MJN does; I immediately said yes!
That brings me to my next question. Last year you represented MNJ Neuroserveis in the IMAGINE IF! Accelerator Program. Can you tell us about your experience during this program and how it has helped you with the business development plans of MJN Neuroscience?
I really enjoyed the whole process and experience! IMAGINE IF! has greatly increased the visibility of MJN Neuroserveis and has helped us to expand our network. I have developed great relationships with the mentors and the people involved. For many of them, we are still in contact, helping each other. While in Oxford, I felt it was a great opportunity to jump into a new market. I was able to reach more people that were able to support and help us during and after the program. If the end-goal of any start-up is to reach the patient and increase your visibility, then IMAGINE IF! is a great opportunity for everyone.
What would your advice be for the 2018 IMAGINE IF! applicants?
My first piece of advice is to be prepared for it and apply or participate only if you are willing to devote your time to it. Everyone who is willing to attend has to go to the lectures and get the most out of them. Do not apply just for the sake of applying, but because you want to win!
Finally, in my opinion, what you need to get from IMAGINE IF! depends on the stage of your start-up. In IMAGINE IF! you can encounter both late and early stage start-ups. This is a great opportunity for future applicants, especially those at early stages, to exchange information and learn from each other and their mentors. Enjoy the whole process, because you can only benefit from it.
What is the current stage of MJN Neuroscience’s business development?
MJN Neuroserveis has already closed the second round of investment of €750.000 and we are doing a clinical trial with Clinica Corachan. We have also recently been awarded another program that has given us the opportunity to be part of the Mobile World congress and increase our visibility internationally.
As you already mentioned, you are also a co-founder of WeallareCo. What is the purpose of the company?
Fanny Basanta, my co-founder, or as we like to call each other “Co” and I have created WeallareCo to help people with diverse physical realities and needs with new products. We personalise devices according to patients’ needs to facilitate their daily activities. Our first product is SILMA, a glove for upper and passive prosthetics that protects the user from possible damage while helping maintain day-to-day functionality. Last November, we received our first public funds as the winners of the Mujer Emprendedoras contest from Madrid and we were selected for AirB&B as women entrepreneurs in Spain. Weallare.Co is an early stage; we are sourcing funds to obtain the CE mark and tonstart selling SILMA.
Finally, I would like to know your views on how we can accelerate the integration of science and innovation in the healthcare system in Spain?
I will quote one of my mentors at Mayo Clinic, Adam Thompson, who taught me something I think is key for the future and for any acceleration of innovation in healthcare.
He said, “if your colleagues do not understand what you are sharing with them, just educate them”. Thus, if we want to accelerate the integration of science and innovation in Spain, we have to educate and create the environment to make it happen. Technology is becoming key in developing new treatments and solutions for our patients. We need to educate not only the future, but also the current doctors, nurses, physical therapists and caregivers with an innovative-science mindset. Translational science is key in research and the hea
lthcare community needs to understand how to translate their basic findings into the clinic and transform them into practical solutions. We need to educate scientists to communicate their ideas in a more business-oriented manner and always think out of the box. This also implies that some policies and old-fashioned educational programs have to drastically change, and investment must support research and innovations.
We all need to influence the environment to drive innovation in healthcare, and education and investment are key to make that happen!
The 2017 edition of the IMAGINE IF! accelerator program attracted enthusiastic response from global innovation and R&D networks during the application period held over June–September. Applications from over 200 companies have been evaluated.
Local finalists across Innovation Forum branches worldwide were selected in August on the basis of their business plans and the potential of their novel technologies to create significant impact on improving global health and wellbeing. The local finalists were invited into an intensive mentorship program with leaders of different technology sectors and professional service companies.
The Global Top 20 announced below have been selected across all applications as a result of extensive evaluation by highly qualified judges on the technological validity and business potential of these companies.
All 20 teams will attend the Innovation Forum Leaders Conference as invited delegates, and are now preparing to pitch before our international panel of investors and experts in research and commercialisation. The global winner will secure at least $10,000 USD non-dilutive cash prize, $10,000 USD worth of professional services and other benefits from the Innovation Forum network to enable rapid acceleration of their business.
Congratulations to our IMAGINE IF! 2017 Global Top 20! The profile of each company is highlighted below:
AlgoSurg – ALGOrithms for SURgical applications. At AlgoSurg, we are developing world’s first cloud based software platform for orthopaedic surgeons for ‘3D surgery planning and patient specific instrument (PSI) design’, solely based on one or two 2D X-ray image. The 3D planning will help surgeon to make accurate clinical decisions in very less time, from anywhere-anytime. The PSI will help to accurately execute the surgery at low cost and in less time.
ART Research
Medical Device
Advanced Retention Therapeutics (ART) and Research Ltd was formed by a young entrepreneur and his supervisor at the University College London in 2016. ART Research focuses on development of non-invasive technologies for controlled release of drugs in the body. With their Dosing On Time technology (DotTech) they can control the intervals and the amount of a drug released in the circulation of a patient and thereby improve drug efficacy and reduce side effects. DotTech is the first technology in the world to manage drug dosing over a period of a week. ART Research aims to improve patient health and quality of life by accurately controlling the concentration of a medicine in the circulation with a minimally invasive technology. In addition, their technology will improve drug compliance, especially in patients who suffer from brain disorders that render them unable to remember when to take their pills. IMAGINE IF! helps them expose their product, attract partners, advisors and investors to further optimise and advance their technology.
There are many infectious diseases for which there are no treatments or vaccines. About half of the world’s population is at risk of diseases such as Dengue and Zika, and their impact is devastating in low- and middle-income countries. The only available Dengue vaccine is not very effective or safe, and it is too expensive for most of the people who need it. We are developing a broad-spectrum antiviral. It can be used on its own or as a scaffold to make live attenuated virus vaccines. It will allow us to develop oral non-refrigerated products. These will be affordable new drugs. This is a disruptive proposition in global health. We have several routes to market, some of them as short as two years, because our product branches out into several applications. It can be used to inactivate clinical samples in the clinic; as a food supplement to reduce the risk of infection; and to develop human and veterinary vaccines and drugs. Our team includes an experienced entrepreneur as well as key opinion leaders in global health, drug discovery and chemistry of natural products. We are in the early stages of development. We seek 1.5 M€ to complete a preclinical package.
BioMe
Medical Device
BioMe Oxford Ltd is an Oxford-based start-up company seeking to catalyse a transformation in gut health by developing a cost-effective solution for targeted gastrointestinal sampling. An ever increasing number of studies have linked human diseases to variations within the immense population of bacteria inhabiting our gut, referred to as the gut microbiome. Available methods for sampling the microbiome have limited sampling capabilities, and represent a trade-off between accuracy and cost. To address this unmet need, we are developing BioCapture®, an ingestible device for low-cost and non-invasive sampling of the human gut microbiome. BioCapture® will facilitate large-scale diagnostic and medical research uses in a wide range of diseases.
CamMat:GrapheneSensorPlatforms
Platform Technology
THE END OF “MAY CONTAIN NUTS”! We have developed a technology that enables sensitive and fast sensors, capable of measuring trace amounts of impurities in food processing lines. Such sensors will allow to reduce production line cleaning times and enable to remove the “may contain nut” label from packaging. After successfully entering the food processing market in 2020, our platform technology will find wider use in areas such as: Photonic sensors (infrared and THz imaging), hand held allergen sensors for personal use, and further applications in process line contamination detection as required in the pharmaceutical industry. We are already working already in close collaboration with our industrial partners and key customers Unilever and Prognomics.
The key technology that our company CamMat provides is a high quality layer of graphene on a silicon wafer substrate. The atomically thin graphene layer is the ideal material for ultrasensitive sensing due to its extremely low surface area to volume ratio and high conductivity. In contrast to our competitors, we have developed a process which satisfies semiconductor process (CMOS) compatibility which is a key advantage. CMOS compatibility is required if such sensors are to be manufactured at large volume and low cost.
CortiCare was formed by a team of young scientists from Imperial College London in 2016. CortiCare aims to bring the power of a diagnostic lab at home and make real-time health monitoring easily accessible to everyone, anywhere, anytime. This innovative technology company is developing a smart portable device for affordable, quick and accurate hormonal testing. CortiCare transforms the current hormone testing procedures by significantly reducing the cost, turnaround and ease of use of these tests by using novel biomimetic materials developed at Imperial College London. In addition, their technology is minimally invasive since it uses saliva as the starting medium of analysis. The greater impact of CortiCare’s technology is to allow anyone to frequently monitor their health and adjust their lifestyle based on the easily comprehensible results that their platform provides. In this way people can unlock deep information about their bodies and transition to a proactive approach to their health rather than a reactive one. To date, they have received financial support from Angel Investors, have expanded their team to 5 full-time employees and IMAGINE IF! will help them reach the next inflexion points.
HyperC is a technology start-up that can quickly and efficiently produce 13C-labelled compounds for the emerging technology in Hyperpolarised Magnetic Resonance Imaging enabling the study of complex structures and processes previously not visible. The company has already established their first customers with pioneers in hyperpolarized imaging at University of Oxford and at University of California San Francisco with Professor Tyler and Professor Vigneron. The company will significantly advance academic and industrial diagnostics and clinical research specifically for this emerging technology as the first European company to provide the labelled compounds cheaper and faster in contrast to the existing American based companies that mostly have taken up this technology as a secondary pipeline, and are therefore not devoted to the technology.
Separating, storing, and transporting gas using traditional technologies is costly and uses a great deal of energy. At Immaterial we develop porous nanomaterials that adsorb and separate gases at the molecular level: they draw in gas, much like a sponge soaks up water. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have existed for over two decades and they gathered a great deal of interest when they were discovered. So far, however, they have failed to be applied on an industrial scale as they are unusable in their natural, powdered state, and very difficult to form into larger pellets.
We have discovered a cheap, simple tweak to the manufacturing process that overcomes this, making it possible to grow MOFs as much larger crystals which we call monoliths. Hundreds of these materials are already extensively researched and well understood; in a single stroke, Immaterial’s discovery makes it possible for them to be commercialised. Together, they have industrial applications ranging from natural gas transportation to carbon capture, hydrogen storage, and cheap, reusable catalysts.
We create high quality and high performance electric actuators and rotary motors for the aerospace industry. Our company mission is to provide the aerospace industry with innovative solutions and products in order to reduce aircraft weight, costs, and reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. We are developing breakthrough technologies for More Electric, Green and Safe Aircrafts as well as for UAVs and Electric Aircraft. We develop lightweight electric equipment to replace hydraulic and pneumatic technologies. We develop for UAVs and Electric Aircrafts lightweight and more efficient electric motors and power management system.
Milkkit
Diagnostic
Milkkit is a biotechnology start-up company that is developing a novel medical device to support infant health by improving breastfeeding rates. Globally only 35% of mothers breastfeed exclusively, despite numerous health benefits, including improved growth and wellbeing, higher IQ and increased immune defence. Breastfed babies also show a reduced likelihood of developing many chronic diseases (notably cancer, diabetes, asthma, schizophrenia and obesity) throughout life. It has been estimated that if every mother breastfed 800,000 children’s lives could be saved each year.
Some mothers, especially in China, choose formula milk over breastmilk because they believe it provides better nutrition that formula milk. However, this is untrue and we propose to develop the first home testing kit for nutrient content in breast milk to assure mother of breast milk quality and promote increased breastfeeding. We are looking to launch the market initially in China, which has over 18m new mothers each year and there is a growing concern over quality of domestic formula milk. Furthermore, Chinese government support for schemes encouraging breastfeeding, due to low breastfeeding rates of 20% across China and only 2.3% in Hong Kong.
Overall, this device can provide huge profit margins along with clear societal benefits.
MJN is a project for a complete real-time monitoring system for epileptic people, consisting of a personal device for data collection and an external system for helping the person, keeping records, reporting and detecting possible emergencies. The main goal is the ability to generate an early warning of the seizure. This system is expected to help the people and the families who suffer from epilepsy, especially those who are not controlled by medication and who have high probability of seizure. In the future, it may also be applied to mental, schizophrenic, bipolar disorder, Parkinson’s, among others. The final goal is secured the patient, release their stress before the seizure occurs. Thus, it will prevent personal injuries or accidents from seizures. Consequently, this will lead to an improvement in the life quality and the occupational integration of people with epilepsy. We have a double goal: on the one hand, we want to develop a system able to warn the patient beforehand and, on the other hand, we want to use this system to collect data (e.g. number of seizures, their intensity and duration or other parameters), which will be subsequently shared with and monitored by doctors, including information about the patient’s medication or possible changes in his or her condition.
Neo innovations is a start-up formed in 2013 by Neomi Bennett, a nursing graduate from Kingston University and a registered nurse. Neo-slip is a low friction device, which aids the application of medical stockings, which are very tight fitting and difficult to apply. It is made from a material that acts as a barrier between the skin of patients’ feet and legs and the material of tight medical stockings. By forming a barrier, Neo-slip makes their application much easier for patients and their carers. While training as a nurse, Neomi noticed that people were struggling to apply their medical stockings. Through research she discovered that 25,000 people die of deep vein thrombosis each year and stockings help to prevent this. Medical stockings will only deliver benefits to patients if they are worn regularly as directed by health professionals. However, the difficulty of applying these stockings, means patients often stop wearing them. Over the past two years, Neo-slip has gained approval for listing on both the NHS Formulary (the catalogue of products approved for dispensing via prescription) and NHS Supplies, which is the main procurement portal for NHS trusts and hospitals. Neo-innovation is also working on new products, which will be taken to the market alongside Neo-slip. IMAGINE IF! will help Neomi’s plans as she hoping to access the wide network across the innovation forum platform and the potential to secure non-dilutive capital and advice from their leading professional services.
NeuroDynamics
Medical Device
NeuroDynamics is a biotechnology start-up based in the University of Manchester. We are dedicated to the development of innovative solutions for peripheral nerve regeneration.
Peripheral nerve damage is most commonly caused by traumatic injury, rendering an individual with debilitating long term functional loss. Annually, 700,000 peripheral nerve surgeries are carried out worldwide (Brattain, 2013). People of all ages are susceptible and potentially at risk. Many patients with nerve damage are under 55 years old leading to lifelong problems such as loss of mobility dramatically reducing quality of life and work capability.
Especially large peripheral nerve injuries have poor clinical outcomes and we aim to address this with our innovative peripheral nerve guidance conduit.
Sixfold is a biotech start-up developing drug delivery nanotools for cancer.
Cancers are complex diseases driven by multiple genetic pathways but the currently available therapeutics target only individual pathways. This leads to ineffective treatments and build up of resistance. Meanwhile, combining therapeutics results in excessive toxicities and serious side effects. Therefore, there is a large unmet clinical need of delivering multimodal therapeutics specifically and effectively to cancer cells while minimizing toxicities.
Sixfold’s RNA nanoring provides several distinct advantages, including specific cancer cell targeting and simultaneous delivery of up to six different therapeutics that can address the drug delivery challenge even to the most inaccessible regions in the body such as the brain.
Sixfold was founded by three Postdocs and PhDs from Cambridge University and the Francis Crick Institute in London. With already established strategic collaborations at the NIH (USA) and the Addenbrooke’s Hospital, we aim to mount a sixfold attack on cancer to provide better treatments for patients.
Only 5% of the total wind energy globally available would be sufficient to power the entire world. The problem is that the most of the wind energy is not available on the ground. As a matter of fact, winds at higher altitudes (as of 400 meters from the ground) are stronger, more consistent and better predictable than the winds we feel on the ground. Conventional wind turbines can’t however capture this potential due to their design (limited height, cumbersome structure, heavy weight). Skypull is an Altitude Wind Energy system, which consists of an autonomous drone connected through a tether to a ground-based generator. The drone transforms the wind power available between 200 and 600 m above ground into traction on the tether. The tether is unrolled from a drum connected to a generator that produces electricity. The proprietary airframe and high-efficiency wing profile as well as the artificial intelligence that controls all the flight phases, provide Skypull with the required performance characteristics – especially in terms of system’s efficiency, reliability and resilience – to produce electric energy from a renewable source with a cost competitive with fossil fuel based system, even in absence of public incentives or feed-in tariffs.
Spherox Pharmaceuticals
Therapeutic
Spherox Phatmaceuticals is a start-up led by an Oxford DPhil student, which aims at using the assay he has developed during his research project to identify compounds that block glioblastoma (GBM)- type of brain cancer- invasion. The core of the project is the world’s first assay that enables the medium-high throughput study of subventricular zone (SVZ) progenitor migration. SVZ has been identified as a source of a large subpopulation of GBM tumors. This assay has already been successfully used for the screening of small molecule compounds. Now the start-up is seeking to expand the preclinical data portfolio to demonstrate that this approach can identify compounds that block GBM invasion.
SunRegen Healthcare AG is a pioneering biopharmaceutical company based in Basel Area of Switzerland. Our mission is to develop novel drugs inspired by traditional medicine to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Our team is composed of passionate, innovative and persistent founders who have track records of senior drug development & clinical research in multinational pharmaceutical company or management experiences in international technology enterprises.
ThinAir was formed in 2016 by a team of four young scientists from Imperial College London and aims to solve one of the three biggest problems on the planet, water scarcity. ThinAir has developed a bio-membrane that condenses water from atmospheric air efficiently and energy-free. The team that formed ThinAir were inspired by the potential of biomimicry and they based their idea on the way beetles capture water from the atmospheric air even in the driest habitats in the world. ThinAir aspires to provide a clean source of water anywhere in the world. The technology will facilitate agriculture in dry environments and provide clean water for human consumption in areas where clean water is scarce. To date they acquired their financial support by winning competitive grants from several national and international start-up competitions including the Global Cleantech Challenge (1st place) and McKinsey Venture Academy (1st place). IMAGINE IF! will help them to continue to develop the technology, ready for a pilot project in 2018 and publicise their technology as they look to establish partnerships.
Electrical utilities are facing the challenges of energy transition and the operation of power distribution grids is becoming an increasingly complex business that requires improved grid monitoring and automation services. In order to (1) safely integrate renewable energies, (2) be able to guarantee the continuity and quality of the power supply and (3) keep, at the same time, the profitability of their business, utilities are expected to considerably invest in grid modernization and digitization. Zaphiro Technologies is an EPFL spin-off that offers to electrical utilities a real-time monitoring and automation system that helps them to operate their grid more reliably, efficiently and cost effectively during both normal and fault conditions. The combination of high-accuracy clamp-on current sensors with measurement devices integrating both Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) and Power Quality (PQ) features, provides full grid observability at a relatively low price. A central grid controller that processes the measurement in real-time, represents a complete and scalable solution that integrates monitoring, control, and fault management features in a single platform.
Zunosaki is a Hong Kong based robotic technology company, which develops robotic exoskeletons for stroke rehabilitation. Combining neuro-rehabilitation and robotic technologies, Zunosaki provides effective solutions at an affordable cost.
This year’s 4th Global Innovation Forum Leaders Conference will bring together innovators, investors and policymakers and industry leaders from across the world to the Saïd Business School, Oxford. The conference will be held on the 4th-5th of December 2017 and will feature renowned speakers from academia and entrepreneurship as well as celebrating the biotech industry in Oxford.
The UK is already considered the third largest global life-sciences cluster, supporting over 482,000 jobs, although there are valid concerns from UK scientists and small businesses being shut-out of EU wide Horizon 2020 funding which could also discourage attracting global talent to Britain.
Dr Maxine Allen, Head of Business Development and Partnering for the Medical Sciences Division at Oxford University, supports the Innovation Forum’s flagship event and highlights its importance in encouraging entrepreneurship and collaborations between academia and industry. She commented:
“Oxford University values the power of external partnerships to advance our research goals. We work closely with companies, the NHS and investors to support the translation of our innovations into new medicines, products and services to drive wealth creation and economic growth. I am happy to support the Innovation Forum, as I believe they encourage conversations between like-minded people in this exciting field and help to nurture the next generation of entrepreneurially inclined scientists.”
Opening the conference, Rt Hon Lord David Willetts, former Minister for Universities and Science, will discuss ‘the global innovation agenda’. Followed by Dr. Yong Jun Liu, Global Head of Research at Sanofi, who looks into the future and examines where bio innovation can take us in 20 years.
On day two of the conference, Dr. Jonathan Milner, Deputy Chairman and co-founder of Abcam plc., serial entrepreneur and philanthropist will deliver a keynote focusing on investing in people and ‘how to build a company culture’.
Executive Chairman of The Innovation Forum, Dr Marek Tyl added:
“The Innovation Forum is a fantastic opportunity for both budding entrepreneurs and established companies to network and build new collaborations. We are very fortunate to have some renowned industry experts and leading academics at this event and we hope the delegates will take full advantage of that, building new partnerships and securing investments for their exciting science ventures”.
In addition, the conference also features a pitch final of the IMAGINE IF! Startup accelerator, with cutting-edge science and technology seed-level enterprises as well as the opportunity for one-to-partnering.
Companies already confirmed to attend the conference include leading pharmaceutical corporations such as Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Genentech as well as many innovative biotech and life science businesses such as Immunocore and BenevolentAI.
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Marina Rincon-Torroella is passionate about analyzing and improving the healthcare system. She defines herself as a workaholic; something that we found apparent when we looked at her career path so far. She works at Mayo Clinic and wears many hats. Her main focus at Mayo Clinic is to assist with their business development. Outside of work she is involved with MJN Neuroserveis; a start-up that focuses on the prevention of seizures -a first of its kind. She did not stop there and has since created her own start-up Weallare.Co, which provides custom solutions for physical therapy patients.
