Four Local Companies Will Pitch for $25,000 at 2nd Annual BioChallenge

The 2nd annual BioChallenge will take place on November 18th, 2013 at the New Orleans BioInnovation Center.

The 2nd annual BioChallenge will take place on November 18th, 2013 at the New Orleans BioInnovation Center.

Finalists have been chosen to pitch at the BioChallenge, the second annual pitch competition hosted by the New Orleans BioInnovation Center. Four local life science startups will pitch for $25,000 on November 18th as part of Innovation Louisiana a three-day celebration of life science technology in state in conjunction with Global Entrepreneurship Week.

The finalists are:

  1. MiniVax: MiniVax is developing a treatment for Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), a deadly fungal infection that affects immunocompromised patients such as those suffering from HIV/AIDS, receiving organ transplants, and undergoing chemotherapy.
  2. Advano: Advano specializes in the manufacturing and processing of advanced materials called nanoparticles. This technology has an immediate application in the field of biotech and most notably in the areas of bioimaging, drug delivery and gene therapy.
  3. InnoGenomics Technologies: InnoGenomicsis developing innovative new products and solutions for human DNA identification testing, including novel systems designed for testing challenging and compromised forensic samples.
  4. TRUE-See Systems: TRUE-See Systems offers clinicians the tools, training and technology to take standardized digital pictures that are accurate and reliable. The startup’s system empowers clinicians to confidently make correct and dependable analyses of digital pictures for diagnostic, assessment, legal, telemedical, and other purposes.

Innovation Louisiana is a new nexus for regional researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and industry. Throughout the week, the BioChallenge will be accompanied by a series of intensive workshops, seminars, and keynote speeches on various issues that high-growth startups face. The full schedule and registration links are both available online.

Last year, local tech startup Bioceptive won the BioChallenge, taking home $5,000 to work on their patent-pending intrauterine device (IUD) inserter that simplifies the insertion procedure while reducing risk.

More information about the BioChallenge can be found at neworleansbio.com.