BioTools Innovator Announces 2024 Finalists

Four Cohort Companies Will Vie for the $250,000 Grand Prize at the BioTools Innovator Capstone Event on September 26th

LOS ANGELES – September 18, 2024 – BioTools Innovator, the first-ever accelerator focused on life science tools, announced today the four finalists in its 2024 program. Selected from a 20-company cohort, the finalists will vie for the $250,000 non-dilutive Grand Prize and the title of BioTools Innovator 2024 Winner at the Capstone Event on September 26 in Boston, held during Biotech Week Boston.

“This year’s finalists are a group of innovative and driven startups at the forefront of the life science tools industry. They are developing enabling technologies to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in the discovery and development of therapeutics and diagnostics,” said Kathryn Zavala, managing director of BioTools Innovator. “Each of the finalists embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and scientific expertise critical to driving impactful breakthroughs. We congratulate all of the companies in this year’s cohort. All of us at BioTools Innovator are excited to support their growth and look forward to seeing these transformative solutions brought to market.”

The four finalist companies are:

• EmGenisys (Houston, Texas) is improving pregnancy outcomes after embryo transfer and in vitro fertilization by using computer vision/machine learning methods to evaluate embryo health in real-time.
• Nyctea Technologies (Gothenburg, Sweden) is creating affordable medicine by introducing a new purification technology that removes a bottleneck in the manufacturing process and drastically reduces the cost of goods.
• Redbud Labs (Chapel Hill, NC) is simplifying molecular testing with a new platform for compact, robust, easy-to-use sample prep automation.
• Syenex (Chicago) is democratizing access to advanced cell & gene therapy biotechnologies.

Held as part of the BioProcess International conference during Biotech Week Boston, the Capstone Event brings together senior executives, investors, and top decision-makers in the industry. The event, supported by Wilson Sonsini and PubGrade, features keynote presentations, panel discussions, the BioTools Innovator 2024 Cohort Showcase, and the $250,000 Grand Prize competition. During the competition finals, the four finalists will each have seven minutes to pitch their value proposition and answer questions from a panel of industry experts. After the presentations, the audience will vote in real-time to select the winner.

Register here to attend the Capstone Event at BioProcess International.

As part of a rigorous selection process, together with the senior leadership teams of its corporate partners at Research Corporation Technologies, Broad Oak Capital Partners, Nissan Chemical America Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and over 120 industry judges from leading life science firms, BioTools Innovator evaluated the pitches of 53 candidates out of more than 300 applicants from 43 countries and 42 U.S. states. Twenty companies were then selected to participate in the 2024 BioTools Innovator Accelerator, which highlights best-in-class life science startups worldwide.

Reviewers and experts that participated in BioTools Innovator pitch events included representatives from Agilent, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), BD, Bio-Rad, Catalant, Danaher, DeciBio, Draper, Eppendorf, General Inception, Genentech (Roche), Genoa Ventures, Illumina Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, MilliporeSigma, NIIMBL, Northpond Ventures, Tosoh USA, Teknova, among others.

A complete list of the BioTools Innovator 2024 cohort companies can be found at biotoolsinnovator.org. BioTools Innovator provides startups individualized mentorship and feedback, funding opportunities, and continual engagement with peers and advisors. Funding for BioTools Innovator is provided by the Frederick Gardner Cottrell Foundation of Research Corporation Technologies, Inc. (RCT). Additional support is provided by BroadOak Capital Partners, Nissan Chemical America Corporation, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

About BioTools Innovator

BioTools Innovator was established to advance cutting-edge research and improve human health by accelerating the growth of a broad spectrum of life science tools and diagnostics. BioTools Innovator matches industry leaders with innovative early-stage and emerging growth biotechnology-focused companies for mentorship and support.

BioTools Innovator is powered by MedTech Innovator, the world’s largest accelerator of medical technology companies. Its mission is to improve human health by accelerating the growth of companies that are transforming patient care. MedTech Innovator has been a catalyst for groundbreaking healthcare solutions, reviewing nearly 12,000 applicants and fostering the growth of 717 companies that have collectively raised over USD 8 billion in follow-on funding and introduced 345 products to the market, improving the lives of millions.

For more information about BioTools Innovator, visit the website and follow the program on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

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