iGEM Startups

Join us as a mentor and become a guiding pillar for startups! A testimonial from Esther K., Director of The Knowledge Society (TKS) and mentor at iGEM Startups 💡 Our mentor network brings together leading scientists, community and ecosystem builders, IP experts, top industry professionals, VCs, biofounders, and more! Join us to play a crucial role in guiding teams after the Venture Creation Lab (VCL) programs and help select teams for our Fast-Track Program. Ready to join this influential network? 🌿🤝 👉 Apply as a Mentor: bit.ly/StartupsMentor25 📬 Subscribe to our mailing list for program updates: bit.ly/StartupsReport2024 #igem #igem2024 #startups #synbio #biofounders #mentors 

Congratulations to Nitroduck, the 2024 Startup Showcase Runner-up and Environmental Track Winner! Matúš Grieš Miroslav Rosputinský Matej Zámečník Anna Podmanická 🚀 Ready to join the next generation of biofounders? 🚀 Our Biofounders 2025 application is now OPEN! 🌱 Join us in transforming groundbreaking ideas into real-world solutions as part of the Venture Foundry Program—kicking off in April 2025! Whether you’re an aspiring SynBio entrepreneur or a mentor passionate about supporting these startups, there’s a place for you here 🚀 👉 Apply as a Biofounder: bit.ly/Biofounder25 👉 Apply as a Mentor: bit.ly/StartupsMentor25  📬 Subscribe to our mailing list for program updates: bit.ly/StartupsReport2024 🔔 Don’t miss out on this chance to make a lasting impact in SynBio! #igem #startups #igemstartups #synbio #biofounders #worldexposynbio

iGEM Startups 2024 Startup Showcase Winner Announcement 🎉 🥁 The Grand Prize Winner of the Startup Showcase is ClearMark Biosciences! This MedTech startup, founded by Oliver Loreto and Keane Deas, based in the United States. They are making waves with a rapid, accessible concussion diagnostic platform. A huge congrats as well to our track Runner-Ups, Nitroduck and Chloropept—you’re all incredible! Nitroduck (Czech Republic) is transforming agricultural waste into sustainable, cost-effective, protein-rich feedstock. Matúš Grieš Matej Zámečník Miroslav Rosputinský Anna Podmanická Chloropept (United States) is developing animal feed that treats bacterial infections while minimizing antimicrobial resistance risks. Mustafo Mustafokulov Lisa Sun Pedram Bayat Congratulations to all the startups in our cohort! We can’t wait to see where your journey leads you and know that iGEM Startups would always be glad to support and be part of your entrepreneurial journey 🚀 iGEM Startups is here to help synbio startups grow from initial ideas into successful ventures. Whether you’re an individual or team, we invite all iGEM teams to take the next step with us! Join our Venture Foundry Program in 2025, launching in April! 📬 Learn more about us and subscribe to our mailing list: https://lnkd.in/g-UXAG4G or check our website: startups.igem.org #igem #igem2024 #startups #synbio #biofounders iGEM iGEM Community

7500 people go through the iGEM Competition every year, creating over 400 synbio projects. iGEM Startups helps them, and all other upcoming BioFounders to create high impact startups, solving the world's most pressing problems. Learn more about iGEM Startups and how you can take your next (bio)entrepreneurial step! https://startups.igem.org/

With jamboree nearing its end, the finalists of Startup Showcase have been announced! ✨✨ 👀Find out what as going on in their minds as they found out the results🫢😱🤯 So, are you ready?! 🎉 The iGEM Finale is here, and in just a few hours, we’ll know which of our three incredible finalists will take home the grand prize! Meet the Finalists⭐️ - ClearMark Biosciences Biosciences – providing a rapid, accessible diagnostic platform for concussions. Oliver Loreto Keane Deas - Nitroduck – transforming agricultural waste into sustainable, cost-effective, protein-rich feedstock Matej Zámečník Matúš Grieš Miroslav Rosputinský Anna Podmanická - Chloropept – developing animal feed that treats bacterial infections and reduces antimicrobial resistance risks. Mustafo Mustafokulov Lisa Sun Pedram Bayat iGEM Startups is dedicated to helping SynBio startups grow from ideas into successful ventures. Whether you’re an individual or team, we invite all iGEM teams to join us and turn your SynBio ideas into a startup! 🚀 Join our Venture Foundry Program in April 2025! 📬 Learn more and subscribe to our mailing list: https://lnkd.in/g-UXAG4G #iGEM #iGEM2024 #startups #synbio #biofounders iGEM Community

Announcing the winners of iGEM Startups Startup Showcase 2024! 🌟 👏 Congratulations to the incredible startups who shone in this year’s iGEM Startup Showcase! 🏆 Best Transformative: EverClean ✨ Best Presentation: Krriose BioMetals Muskaan Puri 🥈 1st Runner-Up: SUPER, AkobenBio (Elena Rosca, Anne Alwala, Prince Edem Samoh, Rosemond Nyatefe Tawiah, and Martha Chaitezvi) and RhizeUp Ulysses Matricciani and Shumvobi Mitra 💡 Track FINALISTS: Climate & Environment: Chloropept Mustafo Mustafokulov Pedram Bayat Lisa Sun Healthcare & MedTech: ClearMark Biosciences Oliver Loreto Keane Deas Food & Agriculture: Nitroduck Matej Zámečník Matúš Grieš Miroslav Rosputinský Anna Podmanická 📢 A huge shoutout to all the finalists for their vision and hard work, and a special thank you to our esteemed judges for lending their expertise: A huge thank you to our esteemed judging panel: John Cumbers, CEO of SynBioBeta Sara Holland, Partner at Potter Clarkson Jerome Moreau, Partner & Director at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Jake Wintermute, Developer Evangelist at Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc. Anna Belousova, Industrial Biotech Team at Sofinnova Partners (Climate & AgTech Tracks). Your insights helped make this event exceptional! 🙌 iGEM Startups as a pre-accelerator is here to support and celebrate these bioinnovators! ✨Stay connected with us - Subscribe to our mailing list, sign up as a biofounder, and download the Annual Report 2024 for more insights into SynBio innovations! https://lnkd.in/g-UXAG4G #iGEM #iGEM2024 #iGEMStartups #Bioentrepreneurship #SynBio

Today’s panel was phenomenal– a unique combination of panelists that we’d call historic for iGEM Startups! 🎉 We only had two panels today, but both were absolutely packed with incredible stories and inspiration 💘 1. Fireside Chat: How to Kill Your Startup and How to Keep it Alive 🔥🚀 This chat featured family entrepreneurs Jens C. Michelsen, a serial entrepreneur, and Stephanie Michelsen, CEO of JellaTech. Their stories spanned two startup eras, with insights into fundraising and overcoming challenges. "When stuff is easy, you don’t really learn anything; 80% is dictated by the environment – so how much of it can you actually affect? External factors are really going to impact you." – Jens Michelsen 🌍💡 2. Women in SynBio Panel: Leading Innovation and Shaping the Future 💪💫 This panel was not just inspiring but deeply moving, capturing the grit, passion, and resilience of women in SynBio and outside of career life, be it family, community in every step of life. As one audience member put it: "I don’t think I’ve ever been on the verge of tears so many times in such a short period. The best panel I’ve ever listened to in my life." 💖 Thank you to these remarkable women for sharing their journeys with us and moving the audience to tears 😭 with tons of inspirations! 💡 Rebecca Godfrey PhD, COO of ExpressionEdits, Kennedy McDaniel Bae, Ph.D., Associate Director of Product Opentrons Labworks Inc., Sara Holland, Partner at Potter Clarkson and of course Alya M. for moderating!! 💓 If you are one of the audiences, definitely comment and share your favorite part of the panel, we'd love to know! 💭 ✨Stay connected with us - Subscribe to our mailing list, sign up as a biofounder, and download the Annual Report 2024 for more insights into SynBio innovations! https://lnkd.in/g-UXAG4G #igem #igem2024 #synbio #startups #biofounders

Our Women in SynBio panel was INSANE!!!!✨👯♀️👯♀️

Startup Showcase is now live!! The ✨top 15✨ of our startups from this year’s cohort are now live! We’ll start the Climate and Environment track at 14.45 at Plaza 4 - Innovation Plaza🙋♀️🙋♀️ We’ll see you there!!! #iGEM #iGEM2024 #startups #synbio #biofounders

"Be in love with the (startup) journey, you can't fall in love with the highs or lows, fall in love with the grind and the hustle." – Stephanie Michelsen, CEO of Jellatech 💪🚀 We had an amazing panel on October 24th discussing how iGEM alumni started their own startups. Here are some key takeaways: 1️⃣ Where to start? Meeting your ideal co-founders 💼👥 The panel discussed what to look for in co-founders. It’s not just about expertise; it’s about chemistry and building deep relationships. 2️⃣ Building Networks as Biofounders and Getting Funding 🌐💡 Is networking essential for new biofounders? Yes, but it's not just about keeping networks warm. Sometimes funding can come from academia or pursuing a PhD, not just VC connections. "Believe in yourself – you are your own champion, take risks, it shows. If you don’t believe in yourself, investors are even less likely to do so." – Eric Herrera, CEO of Maverick BioMetals 🎯👊 3️⃣ Who will be your first hires? 🧑💻🔍 Once you get funding, who should you hire? "You wanna hire the best few percent; you give them mission and purpose that no one else can give them – they wanna do something meaningful with their life." – Sebastian Palluk, CTO of Ansa Biotechnologies, Inc. 🌟🎯 4️⃣ Final Startup Advice for Future Biofounders "None of it is life or death – it either works out or not, so get comfortable with both outcomes. Try not to catastrophize everything that goes wrong." – Glen Gowers, Co-founder of Basecamp Research 🌈✨ Interested in becoming the next generation of biofounders? Join our Venture Foundry Program in 2025! 🌱🚀 Join as a biofounder: bit.ly/Biofounder25 Become a mentor: https://lnkd.in/gwq2Ezhp iGEM Startups has just released the Annual Report 2024, offering insights into the sectors our startups are tackling and their vast potential. 📈Download it at bit.ly/StartupsReport2024! #igem #igemstartups #synbio #biofounders #igem2024 #worldsynbioexpo