5 NC startups to compete for $40,000 prize in BIONEER Venture challenge

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Five North Carolina startups are headed to High Point University this week to compete in the Venture Pitch Showcase with the goal of being named the North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s NC BIONEER Venture Challenge winner.

The winner, to be announced at the NCBiotech-led Triad BioNight Thursday evening in High Point, will receive $40,000.

The competition is a life-sciences-based, innovation-focused venture challenge to support life sciences startup commercialization, innovators, entrepreneurs, and companies in each of the Biotech Center’s five regions outside the Research Triangle area.

In February, NCBiotech named 14 regional finalists who competed for a spot at the Venture Pitch Showcase. Finalists were matched with mentors and experts in fields such as financing, patents, and licensing, among others.

The following companies were the winners of their regional competitions and will make their case to biotechnology leaders at the Venture Pitch Showcase.

BioEphX – Eastern Region. BioEphX develops therapeutics to eliminate tissue death and preserve healthy cardiac tissue to extend cardiac patients’ lives.
Green Solutions Group – Greater Charlotte Region. Green Solutions develops non-toxic alternatives to chemicals such as formaldehyde and phenol used to preserve human tissue.
Plakous Therapeutics – Piedmont Triad Region. Plakous develops cell-free, placenta-powered bio-therapeutics to drive in-situ regenerative healing.
Renaissance Fiber – Southeastern Region. Renaissance Fiber manufactures softened hemp fiber for the textile industry using an ecologically invisible degumming process.
Olfax Medical – Western Region. Olfax Medical develops and commercializes nasally administered, direct-to-nerve therapeutics for patients with diseases treated by ENT and neurology specialists.

Regional Partners Provide Mentorship and Support

To support NC BIONEER Venture Challenge finalists, NCBiotech partnered with organizations across the state to support finalists as they prepared for the regional and statewide pitches. These partners include: