The Venture Challenge
LifeSciences@work started 2019 successfully with two new partners joining. Pivot Park joined as a gold partner and hosted one of the Venture Challenge workshops at their location in Oss. Progress PME and ES joined as an Expert Class partner and organised an Expert Class on manufacturing and controlling new medicines.
In the two Venture Challenge editions, ten promising start-ups were coached in building a strong business case for their venture. AmbAgon and BIMINI Biotech were announced winners of the Spring and Autumn editions respectively.
Five Expert Classes were organised in 2019 in which LifeSciences@Work alumni and other Life Sciences & Health start-ups could learn from industry experts on topics such as Health Technology Assessment, Reimbursement, Clinical Trials, Negotiations, Licensing, CMC and Funding. Highlight of the expert class on funding was Onno van der Stolpe who shared his wealth of experience on funding and building Galapagos.
As part of the LifeSciences@Work Value Centre, foundation MedtechPartners organised five Medtech and BiotechPartner meetings where entrepreneurs were matched with experts to help them solve their innovation issues. Five Value Vouchers were granted for hiring external expertise.
The year ended with the news that with effect from 2020, the Venture Challenge will be used as a blueprint to extend start-up support to all top sectors. Therefore, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy has commissioned NWO to take over the organisation.
Read a recap of the highlights of 2019 here!
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