We want to increase and accelerate the impact of test animal-free research on the use of laboratory animals and have therefore organised the first Proefdiervrij Venture Challenge. For the past 11 weeks, the four teams have been hard at work culminating in the presentation of their business plan today. Avatar Zoo is the winning team with their innovation!
What is the Proefdiervrij Venture Challenge?
During the challenge, scientific breakthroughs were turned into solid business plans. One way to strengthen the position of test animal-free models is by setting up a commercial organisation. However, this still happens too little due to the lack of experience and knowledge among scientists. Good guidance from experience experts is therefore essential. This is why we organised the Proefdiervrij Venture Challenge for the first time this year.
Participants learned various skills needed to start or further develop a business. ‘It’s great to see the teams making such great strides during the workshops. Each step is one step closer to a full-fledged venture plan. This also shows how valuable the Proefdiervrij Venture Challenge is,’ said Saskia Aan, science & innovation advisor at Proefdiervrij. The content of the Proefdiervrij Venture Challenge is guided by the regular, experienced team of the GameChanger Challenge BV, which has already organised more than 20 editions of the regular Venture Challenge.
And the winner is…
Four enthusiastic teams participated in this very first edition of the Proefdiervrij Venture Challenge. Avatar Zoo was declared the winner and was awarded a nice cash prize of €25,000 to further develop their innovation and build their startup. Avatar Zoo has developed a business plan for various virtual reality models that can be used for anatomy lessons and skills practice.
We would like to thank all the teams immensely for their efforts. They obviously deserve an honourable mention too!
- GUTS BV: Utrecht University has developed a new cell model that mimics the human small intestine.
- FirstBaseBIO: is developing human brain organoids to study neurological disorders.
- Avatar Zoo: is a compilation of several virtual reality models that can be used for anatomy lessons and skill practice.
- Felix Bioprinter – unfortunately did not make the final – they have developed a 3D printer capable of printing a combination of hydrogels and human living cells to develop natural tissues.