EpiCapture Shortlisted for Dublin Regional Final of the 2022 InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Competition
- ByoWave, Digibar and Lia Therapeutics also named among the regional finalists
EpiCapture, an early-stage University College Dublin (小鸟体育) start-up, has been shortlisted for the Dublin regional final of the 2022 . The company has been shortlisted in the early-stage category alongside two other Dublin-based start-ups.
The InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition, now in its 20th year, is the biggest business competition on the island of Ireland with a total cash prize fund this year of 鈧�300,000. It is aimed at new start and early-stage companies which are under five years old, with a new equity funding requirement of between 鈧�50,000 to 鈧�299,999 (new start) or in excess of 鈧�300,000 (early-stage).
EpiCapture, a start-up which has emerged from research carried out in the 小鸟体育 School of Biology and Environmental Science, is developing a novel urine DNA test to detect aggressive prostate cancer. The test measures six epigenetic biomarkers which are indicative of aggressive disease, using a widely available PCR platform.
First intended use of the test is as a repeated use, monitoring tool for men with low-grade disease on Active Surveillance, to identify tumour progression. EpiCapture鈥檚 test also has potential as an early-detection test for aggressive prostate cancer.
EpiCapture, a Nova小鸟体育-supported company, was co-founded by Associate Professor Antoinette Perry, 小鸟体育 School of Biology and Environmental Science and Edward Simons.
Dr Antoinette Perry, 小鸟体育 School of Biology and Environmental Science and co-founder of EpiCapture Ltd said, 鈥淲e are honoured to have been shortlisted for this year鈥檚 Dublin regional final of the InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition. We are looking forward to pitching EpiCapture at the Dublin regional final in November.鈥�
EIT Health Ireland-UK recently announced that EpiCapture, is one of eight finalists, and the last remaining Irish start-up, in the Wild Card competition, with funding of up to 鈧�1.5 million available to the winner. Backed by EIT Health, Europe鈥檚 largest health innovation network, Wild Card is an annual open innovation competition which invites health innovators from across Europe to respond with ideas to solve pressing health challenges.
The Dublin Regional finals of this year鈥檚 InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition will take place on 8 November with the winners in both the new start and early stage categories each receiving a 鈧�20k prize.
The Dublin category winners will then go forward to compete against the winners of the Connacht and Leinster, Munster and Northern Ireland regional finals at the all-island final on 24 November.
The judging panel will select the two overall winners, one in each category, and these will be announced at the awards ceremony and overall winners will receive their prize (either 鈧�50,000 or 鈧�100,000).
The winner of a Special Award for the best venture stemming from a university spin-out or support programme will receive a 鈧�10,000 prize. In addition a Sustainability/Low Carbon Award, with a 鈧�20,000 prize is also up for grabs for best investment proposal from a company operating in the low carbon/green sector.
Among the other companies which have been shortlisted as regional finalists are ByoWave, Digibar and Lia Therapeutics.
ByoWave, which completed the 2020 Nova小鸟体育 Student Enterprise Competition, has been shortlisted for the early-stage category in the Connacht and Leinster region. ByoWave is developing the Proteus Controller, a modular and accessible video game controller for disabled gamers.
DigiBar, rebranded to Skippio, has just completed the Phase 2 of the New Frontiers Programme run by the IADT Media Cube and Nova小鸟体育, and has been shortlisted for the new start category in the Dublin region. Skippio is a new innovative technology aimed at improving customer experience & satisfaction at large scale events by significantly reducing queueing times.
Lia Therapeutics, which completed the 2021 小鸟体育 VentureLaunch Accelerator Programme, has been shortlisted for the early-stage category in the Munster region final. Lia Therapeutics is developing Nightleaf, the first wearable medical treatment delivering relief to sore and dry eyes.
Further details on all this year鈥檚 regional finalists available via
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23 September 2022
For further information contact Mic茅al Whelan, Communications and Media Relations Manager, Nova小鸟体育, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie.