A company spun out of research carried out at the University of Aberdeen has been shortlisted for a major entrepreneurial award.
Dr Fiona Rudkin’s mycoBiologics company has been named as a finalist in Converge 2019, Scotland’s leading entrepreneurial development programme for Higher Education.
Nominated in the Converge Challenge category, mycoBiologics is a pre-incorporation biotechnology company dedicated to improving the survival of patients suffering from life-threatening, drug resistant infections. The company is developing human monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics as new, anti-infective products that have the potential to be more effective, safer and with a reduced risk of drug resistance. Their product pipeline targets lethal fungal and antibiotic-resistant Gram negative bacterial infections, commonly acquired in hospital settings and associated with high mortality.
Overall the judging panel selected 18 finalists from 12 institutions across Scotland. They include prospective start-ups and spin-outs with women entrepreneurs strongly represented in the final shortlist (55%). Finalists will now go head-to-head at the Converge Awards Final which takes place at the iconic V&A in Dundee on September 25. On the night, a prize package of equity-free cash and in-kind business support totalling £220,000 will be shared across three competition categories: Impact Challenge; Creative Challenge and Converge Challenge.
Converge Director, Claudia Cavalluzzo comments: “Entrepreneurship has never been more important that it is today, not just in terms of generating economic growth and creating jobs, but also as a solution to some of society’s most urgent challenges including climate change, social inclusion and public health. The calibre of this year’s Converge finalists is proof positive that our Universities are playing a pivotal role in the enterprise agenda and are at the forefront of innovation for the public good.
“At Converge we work collaboratively with all 18 of Scotland’s Universities, helping the most creative thinkers from academia to turn their discoveries and ideas into commercially viable businesses. We are delighted to be working with such a strong cohort of innovators and look forward to springboarding their success.”