Innovation and Entrepreneurship Awards winners and nominees

This award celebrates a PhD or Postdoctoral early career cancer researcher who has demonstrated excellence in entrepreneurial initiative. It recognises the attitude and entrepreneurial competencies developed by participating in bespoke training, such as, but not limited to, the initiatives within our entrepreneurial programmes.

Winner: 

Matt de Vries

Shortlisted nominees:

• Anaid Benitez, The Francis Crick Institute
• Marcos Ramos Burger, Barts Cancer Institute
• Faith Howard, The University of Sheffield & NANOncolytics
• Tiffany Ma, The University of Oxford & GambitBio
• Andrew Baker, The University of Cambridge & Therasen
• Felipe Galvez-Cancino, UCL
• Robert Bentham, UCL
• Qiang Wang, The University of Edinburgh
• Mara Artibani, The University of Oxford 
• Ioannis Prattis, Therasen
• Simon Richardson, The University of Cambridge
• Meysam Keshavarz, Imperial College London

This award celebrates the demonstration of leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit of an independent group leader. It recognises the emergence of entrepreneurial initiative, attitude, and the development of their own entrepreneurial competencies and those of their research group through participation in bespoke training, such as, but not limited to, the initiatives within our entrepreneurial programmes.

Winner:

Maike de la Roche 

Shortlisted nominees:

• Monika Gullerova, The University of Oxford
• Kevin Litchfield, UCL
• Richard Mair, CRUK Cambridge Institute
• Michelle Ma, Kings College London
• Harveer Dev, The University of Cambridge
• Tom Bird, The University of Edinburgh
• Santiago Zelenay, CRUK Manchester Institute
• Dan Woodcock, CRUK Oxford Centre 
• Nicholas McGranahan, UCL
• Salim Khakoo, The University of Southampton
• Maria Giovanna Lizio, The University of Manchester
• Kevin Myant, The University of Edinburgh

This award celebrates the outstanding achievements of women entrepreneurs at any stage of their career who have established, or are working towards establishing, a business or have set up a transformative partnership to accelerate scientific discoveries into novel treatments, diagnostics and/or medical devices for the benefit of people affected by cancer. The award celebrates the woman behind the business or partnership, her personal successes, achievements, and how she individually inspires others.

Winner:

Shortlisted nominees:

• Cherry Chia, Averywell Ltd
• Maya Thanou, Apeikon
• Liisi Laaniste, CoSyne Therapeutics
• Myriam Ouberai, Spirea
• Pahini Pandya, Panakeia Technologies
• Maike de la Roche, CRUK Cambridge Institute
• Bakul Gupta, Deliver Bioscience
• Annelise Soulier, Neobe Therapeutics
• Ana Gomes, The Francis Crick Institute & mPixl Technologies Ltd
• Ljiljana Fruk, Therasen
• Uzma Asghar, Concr Ltd
• Irina Babina, Concr Ltd
• Laura Towart, Vivan Therapeutics

This award celebrates new companies (UK-based) that have laid the foundations of their new business, having over the last two years raised their first funding round, and are fast-tracking scientific breakthroughs to develop new treatments, diagnostics and/or medical devices for the benefit of cancer patients. This award recognises the potential of a great business to develop ground-breaking technology with the promise of delivering growth and impact in the cancer sector.

Winner:

Dotplot

Shortlisted nominees:

• Averywell
• Sentinel 4D
• Dotplot
• Ground Truth Labs
• Spotlight Pathology
• PentaBind Ltd

This award celebrates the promotion of innovation in oncology through the working together of industry and academia, including but not limited to partnerships, licenses and knowledge exchange. It recognises outstanding examples of teamwork with clear evidence of knowledge transfer between the different sectors and organisations, and demonstrates how value and impact is maximised through working in partnership and collaboration.

Winners: 

University of Dundee and Boehringer Ingelheim, and University of Edinburgh and Nuvectis

Shortlisted nominees:

• Imperial-Apollo (GCN2)
• Apeikon Therapeutics and KCL
• UCL/CRH T cell dysfunction team
• Neobe and Barts Cancer Institute
• Glo-BNHL Trial Team
• Migration Biotherapeutics and MTIF, Notthingam 
• QMUL and Envisagenics
• DEL Team (Newcastle)

This award recognises an established academic entrepreneur who has created a viable business, demonstrating entrepreneurship and innovation; they have made significant, innovative, and cumulatively outstanding contributions to enhancing the oncology field.

Winner: 

This award recognises individuals or teams whose research has been key to unlocking an area of research. Such breakthrough research is not yet ready for onward progression through entrepreneurial development, but has transformative capability, and is poised for translation.

Winner: 

This award recognises a start-up company (with substantial UK-based operation) that has achieved a substantial milestone during the last two years, such as pipeline progress bringing their product(s) closer towards (or to) the market, closure of financing rounds, and/or entering strategic partnerships or a significant exit. Such a company is making its mark in the cancer sector and is accelerating the progress of scientific breakthroughs into the development of new treatments, diagnostics and/or medical devices for patient benefit.

Winner:

This award celebrates early-career cancer researchers who have shown entrepreneurial initiative and attitude.

The judges will look for evidence that nominees have developed their entrepreneurial competencies through participation in bespoke training, such as, but not limited to, the initiatives within the Cancer Research Horizons Entrepreneurial Programme.

Winners:

Anjui Wu & Susanti Susanti 

Shortlisted nominees:

• Ana Gomes, The Francis Crick Institute/ mPixl Technologies Ltd
• Anjui Wu, Cansor Ltd
• Ashwin Nandakumar, University of Oxford / Institute of Cancer Research (ICR)
• Ben Woodington, Opto Biosystems
• Dario Bressan, CRUK Cambridge Institute
• Matt De Vries, Institute of Cancer Research
• Mireia Crispin, University of Cambridge
• Stephanie Mack, Zygosity Limited
• Susanti Susanti, PathGen Diagnostik Teknologi

This award celebrates the outstanding achievements of women entrepreneurs, at any stage of their career. Nominees will have established or are working to establish a business, or have set up a transformative partnership to accelerate scientific discoveries into novel treatments, diagnostics and/or medical devices that benefit cancer patients.

The judges will be looking for evidence of the nominee's personal successes and achievements, and how they have inspired others.

Winner:

Claire Lewis

Shortlisted nominees:

• Bakul Gupta, Immtune Therapies
• Claire Lewis, University of Sheffield
• Ella Mi, University of Oxford/ ChronosDx
• Hannah Sore, PharmEnable
• Ishani Malhotra, Carcinotech
• Maya Thanou, Apeikon Therapeutics
• Penny Lovat, Newcastle University

This award celebrates new UK-based companies. Nominees will be fast-tracking their scientific breakthroughs into new treatments, diagnostics and/or medical devices that benefit cancer patients.

The judges will look for evidence demonstrating a company's potential, including its ground-breaking technology and its potential to deliver growth and impact in the cancer sector.

Winner:

Adendra Therapeutics Ltd.

Shortlisted nominees:

• Adendra Therapeutics Ltd  
• Alethiomics Ltd 
• Elyx Ltd 
• Infinitopes  
• Neobe Therapeutics  

This award celebrates startup companies that have achieved substantial milestones during the previous two years. Milestones could include pipeline developments, closure of financing rounds, and/or entering strategic partnerships or a significant exit.

The judges will look for evidence of a company making its mark in the cancer sector and fast-tracking scientific breakthroughs into developing new treatments, diagnostics and/or medical devices that benefit cancer patients.

Winner:

Achilles Therapeutics UK

Shortlisted nominees:

• Achilles Therapeutics UK  
• Artios  
• Cyted 
• Faeth Therapeutics 
• Storm Therapeutics Ltd 

This award celebrates innovation in oncology achieved through industry-academia collaborations, including through partnerships, licenses, and knowledge exchange.

The judges will look for evidence that the collaboration has increased project value to maximise the impact of the technology or research. 

Winner:

iDx Lung Collaboration

Shortlisted nominees:

• Barts Cancer Institute  
• Beatson Institute Glasgow 
• Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials  
• iDx Lung Collaboration     
• Newcastle University – Astex Pharmaceuticals

This award recognises an established academic entrepreneur who has created a viable business, with the support of Cancer Research Horizons demonstrating entrepreneurship and innovation.

The judges will look for evidence of significant, innovative and outstanding contributions that have greatly enhanced the oncology field.

Winner:

Steve Jackson

This award recognises individuals or teams who have made impactful contributions, with the support of Cancer Research Horizons, in the field of oncology by progressing the application of their discoveries.

The judges will look for evidence of their determination to drive forward the translation and commercialisation of their discovery to achieve patient benefit.

Winner:

Rebecca Fitzgerald