Warsaw, (23 May 2019) – Amgen and ImpactCEE announced the winner of the Next Health Investment Pitch. Genomtec, the creator of innovative mobile point of care for genetic identification of infections won the pitch and the award of 20, 000 US dollars.
Leading universities and research institutions as well as start-ups from Poland took part in the Next Health Investment Pitch competition organized by Amgen and ImpactCEE. Innovative projects in the field of medicine, biophysics, neurology and bioinformatics competed from March to May 2019 for venture capital funds in the amount of 20 thousand US dollars.
During May 2019 eight finalists were selected, among them: Mateusz Sagan representing SDS Optic developing innovative solutions on the borderline of biochemistry, engineering and fibre optic technologies, that can be used in cancer diagnosis; Klaudia Szklarczyk-Smolana from Intelliseq, a company focused on the development of novel algorithms and bioinformatic tools devoted to the interpretation of human DNA sequence; Michał Wszoła, representing Foundation of Research and Science Development dealing with educational and research activities in the field of medical and biochemical sciences and Miron Tokarski from Genomtec, the creator of innovative mobile point of care for genetic identification of infections.
The competition jury was composed of: Patrick Dey, Vice President of Digital Health and Innovation, Amgen; Philip Tagari, Vice President of Research (Therapeutic Discovery), Amgen; Gladys Nunez, Principal, Amgen Ventures; Tomasz Perkowski, Vice President of the Board, Foundation for Polish Science; Balázs Fürjes, Managing Director – EIT Health InnoStars; Florian Obst, member of the Speedinvest Industrial Tech Team. The submissions were assessed for innovativeness of the concept, the potential for developing an innovative product or solution, and commercialization potential. The finalists could also take a chance to participate in a mentoring program with Amgen experts to get the best preparation for the presentation of projects during a special event taking place during the Impact’19.
On the 21st of May, during the finals of the Next Health Investment Pitch competition, the winner was selected from eight finalists –Genomtec, the creator of innovative mobile point of care for genetic identification of infections. 20, 000 US dollars will therefore support R&D works on the molecular diagnostics.
“Amgen is dedicated to supporting innovators in the fight against serious disease. Partnering with innovative start-ups is one way we can bring the power of advanced data analytics and emerging technology solutions to improve patients’ health and quality of life,” said Patrick Dey, vice president, Digital Health & Innovation at Amgen. “When assessing applications in the competition, we had the opportunity to see that Polish scientists are working on many projects that have the potential to significantly improve patients’ health and quality of life. The project presented by Genomtec concerns a field that will undoubtedly shape the future of biotechnology and medicine.”
The CEO of the winning company, Miron Tokarski said during the award ceremony: “We are really happy to be awarded and especially we are proud that our concept has been appreciated by experts and scientists both from organizations in Poland as well as the global biotechnological leader – Amgen. Our filed for a patent technology relies on isothermal amplification of genetic material and is a base for a mobile point of care for genetic identification of bacterial, viral and parasitic infections. We believe that our product goes in line with the newest trends in optimizing genetic diagnostics and targeted therapies.
About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.
Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people’s lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world’s leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential. For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen.
About ImpactCEE
ImpactCEE supports the innovative ecosystem and technology development by a broad range of activities, from sectoral analytics of innovative trends, building cross-sectoral networks and cooperation, as well as animating these relations by organizing technology events. The mission of the organization is to inspire and stimulate the development of modern economy and accelerate innovative processes.
