Event details
The Spinoff Prize is an award for early stage university science spinoff companies from around the world. It gives visibility to academic entrepreneurs and their companies and helps them secure future investment.
The Slam is a pitch session for the final five shortlisted companies to compete in front of the judges for the 2023 prize. As an added bonus, spinoff thought leader Dipjyoti Deb will share his thoughts on key lessons for academic science entrepreneurs.
Click here to learn more about Merck’s initiative to drive innovation, powered by science, data and digital solutions.
Learn more about the finalists and those that made it on the longlist for this year’s award.
Presenters
Helena Jensen
Moderator
Springer Nature
Ulrich Betz
Germany
Merck
Vice President of Innovation at Merck, is responsible for innovation management and strategic academic collaborations at Merck. He is an accomplished R&D manager with >20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry, including positions in the President's Office at Merck Biopharma and positions reporting directly to the Heads of Research and Development at Bayer and Merck.
In his current role he designed and implemented for example the Merck Innovation Cup, the Curious2018-Future Insight Conference, the Merck Future Insight Prize, the Darmstadt Science Declaration, the Merck Research Grants and Challenges, the Compound Synthesis Challenge, the Johann Anton Merck Award, the idea competition innospire and the BioMed X Outcubator.
Prior to joining Merck in 2005, he worked for Bayer AG for 7 years in various scientific and managerial positions in Pharma Research. Ulrich received his PhD in functional genomics and immunology from the University of Cologne and his diploma in biochemistry and physiological chemistry from the University of Tübingen. He is co-inventor of the marketed anti-viral drug Letermovir (Prevymis) and Pritelivir (Phase II).
Ulrich has won several innovation awards such as the German Industry Innovation Award (the world's oldest innovation award), two International Business Awards (Stevie Gold Awards: Executive of the Year – Pharmaceuticals and Innovator of the Year), Stevie Gold Germany Award (R&D manager of the year Germany), Edison Award, the Bio IT world best practice award, and the German Idea Award. Ulrich is author and co-author of ~90 publications and patents (e.g. Cell, Nature Medicine, Nature Biotechnology).
In his current role he designed and implemented for example the Merck Innovation Cup, the Curious2018-Future Insight Conference, the Merck Future Insight Prize, the Darmstadt Science Declaration, the Merck Research Grants and Challenges, the Compound Synthesis Challenge, the Johann Anton Merck Award, the idea competition innospire and the BioMed X Outcubator.
Prior to joining Merck in 2005, he worked for Bayer AG for 7 years in various scientific and managerial positions in Pharma Research. Ulrich received his PhD in functional genomics and immunology from the University of Cologne and his diploma in biochemistry and physiological chemistry from the University of Tübingen. He is co-inventor of the marketed anti-viral drug Letermovir (Prevymis) and Pritelivir (Phase II).
Ulrich has won several innovation awards such as the German Industry Innovation Award (the world's oldest innovation award), two International Business Awards (Stevie Gold Awards: Executive of the Year – Pharmaceuticals and Innovator of the Year), Stevie Gold Germany Award (R&D manager of the year Germany), Edison Award, the Bio IT world best practice award, and the German Idea Award. Ulrich is author and co-author of ~90 publications and patents (e.g. Cell, Nature Medicine, Nature Biotechnology).
Charles Day
Melbourne, AUS
Jupiter Ionics
Charlie Day's passion is leading, investing in and working with teams who are pushing back the boundaries of the possible through innovation, scientific research and commercialisation.
In 2021, Charlie became founding CEO of the Monash University spinout Jupiter Ionics Pty Ltd, which is developing a new technology for electrochemical production of Green Ammonia.
Charlie has a degree in Classics and an honours degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Melbourne, along with a doctorate in jet engine design from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He lives in Melbourne with his wife and their two sons.
In 2021, Charlie became founding CEO of the Monash University spinout Jupiter Ionics Pty Ltd, which is developing a new technology for electrochemical production of Green Ammonia.
Charlie has a degree in Classics and an honours degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Melbourne, along with a doctorate in jet engine design from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He lives in Melbourne with his wife and their two sons.
Thomas Monz
Austria
Alpine Quantum Technologies GmbH
Thomas Monz started his academic career focusing on the experimental implementation of an ion-photon interface during his master thesis and early PhD. Subsequently he investigated precision spectroscopy and metrology on Calcium ions.
During the second half of his PhD he then worked on the implementation of quantum algorithms on an ion-trap quantum processor.
After some work as technical product specialist abroad, he returned to Austria and is now dedicated to address scalability challenges in ion-trap devices. This work lead to the founding of AQT in 2018 together with Prof. Rainer Blatt and Prof. Peter Zoller, AQT – a startup that realizes ion-trap based quantum computers.
During the second half of his PhD he then worked on the implementation of quantum algorithms on an ion-trap quantum processor.
After some work as technical product specialist abroad, he returned to Austria and is now dedicated to address scalability challenges in ion-trap devices. This work lead to the founding of AQT in 2018 together with Prof. Rainer Blatt and Prof. Peter Zoller, AQT – a startup that realizes ion-trap based quantum computers.
Wolfgang Lechner & Magdalena Hauser
Austria
Parity Quantum Computing GmbH
Wolfgang Lechner and Magdalena Hauser are both serial entrepreneurs, who co-founded and run ParityQC together as Co-CEOs.
Wolfgang Lechner received multiple awards for his research, amongst others the Google Research Faculty Award (2020), Houska Prize (2019), START Prize (2017) and Thirring Prize (2017). Besides his work at ParityQC, he also leads a research group focused on Quantum Optimization at the University of Innsbruck.
Magdalena Hauser was part of the Forbes 30under30 list for her activities in the deep-tech investment field. With her previous company (I.E.C.T. – Hermann Hauser), she supported and invested in researchers, spinning out their ideas from universities worldwide.
Wolfgang Lechner received multiple awards for his research, amongst others the Google Research Faculty Award (2020), Houska Prize (2019), START Prize (2017) and Thirring Prize (2017). Besides his work at ParityQC, he also leads a research group focused on Quantum Optimization at the University of Innsbruck.
Magdalena Hauser was part of the Forbes 30under30 list for her activities in the deep-tech investment field. With her previous company (I.E.C.T. – Hermann Hauser), she supported and invested in researchers, spinning out their ideas from universities worldwide.
Aritz Zamacola
France
Resolve Stroke
Aritz Zamacola, 33, a graduate of CentraleSupélec and holder of an MSc in Biomedical Engineering from Imperial College London and HEC Paris, was an accomplished strategy consultant, expert in the healthcare and technology sectors, working on strategic plans for large companies and private equity funds.
In 2022, he successfully co-founded the spin-off company Resolve Stroke with two renowned partners from the research sector. Drawing on his experience and transdisciplinary academic background, as CEO of the new company, he carries the ambition to bring a revolutionary new imaging modality from deep physics research to the clinical field.
In 2022, he successfully co-founded the spin-off company Resolve Stroke with two renowned partners from the research sector. Drawing on his experience and transdisciplinary academic background, as CEO of the new company, he carries the ambition to bring a revolutionary new imaging modality from deep physics research to the clinical field.
Hyunwoo Yuk
Boston, USA
SanaHeal, Inc
Hyunwoo is the Co-Founder and CTO of SanaHeal, Inc.
He is a prolific researcher with a focus on inventing, developing, and translating soft material technologies to solve challenges in human health. Hyunwoo received his B.S. from KAIST in 2014 and M.S. and Ph.D. from MIT in 2016 and 2021, respectively, all in Mechanical Engineering.
He has published over 45 peer-reviewed scientific articles and 20 pending/issued patents with over 10,000 citations. He has been recognized in various prestigious awards including Forbes 30 Under 30, Collegiate Inventors Competition, and Innovator Under 35.
He is a prolific researcher with a focus on inventing, developing, and translating soft material technologies to solve challenges in human health. Hyunwoo received his B.S. from KAIST in 2014 and M.S. and Ph.D. from MIT in 2016 and 2021, respectively, all in Mechanical Engineering.
He has published over 45 peer-reviewed scientific articles and 20 pending/issued patents with over 10,000 citations. He has been recognized in various prestigious awards including Forbes 30 Under 30, Collegiate Inventors Competition, and Innovator Under 35.
Dipjyoti Deb
BSH Startup Kitchen
Dipjyoti (aka DJ) is a Venture Partner at BSH Startup Kitchen (a Robert Bosch company).
He experienced the path way from research to venture capital as a part of Bosch Research in Stuttgart as an expert in the Quantum technologies and lead several deep tech investments. He was also at Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence in the heart of Silicon Valley and worked with both early and late stage deep tech based Startup.
He is passionate about social impact and Member of the Advisory Council to the Airbus Foundation.
He experienced the path way from research to venture capital as a part of Bosch Research in Stuttgart as an expert in the Quantum technologies and lead several deep tech investments. He was also at Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence in the heart of Silicon Valley and worked with both early and late stage deep tech based Startup.
He is passionate about social impact and Member of the Advisory Council to the Airbus Foundation.