The winner of the Start-up Slam: Sweden, a pitching competition, taking place at BIO-Europe Spring in Stockholm for the first time, was QureTech Bio AB, a start-up developing first line drugs to combat antibiotic resistance and infectious diseases.
This session at the event was co-sponsored by Karolinska Institutet Innovations AB and Johnson & Johnson Innovation and featured presentations from 17 Swedish start-up companies from the life sciences academic incubation ecosystem. All contestants had to present their company and innovation—new therapeutic product or medical technology platform—in only three minutes to a floor of experienced investors and potential partners.
Fritiof Pontén, CEO of QureTech Bio, presented the company’s development of a new class of anti-infective agents which have the unique ability to selectively prevent the disease-causing properties of certain bacteria without disrupting the normal bacterial flora, thus significantly reducing the risk for resistance development. QureTech Bio’s current projects are in Chlamydia and Tuberculosis.
“QureTech Bio was selected based on its development program, clinical value proposition and live pitch. All the judges were very impressed by the start-up which is targeting antibiotic resistance, a clear unmet medical need. The goal of the Start-up Slam was to provide an invaluable learning experience for all the companies involved, focused on positioning their company as an attractive investment or partnering proposition. I was very impressed by all the contestants and the passion and energy they brought to communicating their vision for their business. Hopefully the relationships they have made during the process will help them to successfully advance their products and innovations,” said Mark Farmery, Senior Manager for Business Development at Karolinska Institutet Innovations.
“Start-up Slam allows emerging entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their pitch to a room full of leaders who have the ability to help advance the most promising science into potential transformative healthcare solutions. The collaboration builds on our work with many universities and academics around the world to foster and accelerate innovation from the lab; we’re delighted it has uncovered fresh talent in the biotech industry,” said Declan Jones, Vice President of Neuroscience Scientific Innovation at Johnson & Johnson Innovation London, and one of the Judges of Start-up Slam.
The 17 companies that presented their innovation to an expert team of judges from Karolinska University Hospital, Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Industrifonden, included:
AlzeCure, Alzinova AB, Apoglyx AB, BTB Pharma AB, Emeriti Pharma AB, Helleday Laboratory, LipUm AB, PILA Pharma AB, Biotherapeutics, ExScale Biospecimen Solutions, iCellate Medical AB , ImmuneBiotech AB, Medituner, NeoProteomics, QureTech Bio, Single Technologies, UTIGel.
Photo showing the Winner Fritiof Pontén, CEO of QureTech Bio
