Novo Nordisk and BioLabs Europe invite you to apply for a Golden Ticket. The Golden Ticket provides lab bench and office space for one year at BioLabs Heidelberg or BioLabs Hôtel-Dieu (Paris), and access to the Novo Nordisk team of scientific and industry advisors.
Golden Ticket Benefits
1-year membership, lab bench and office space
to de-risk your technology and scale your business
No strings attached
IP rights belongs to you
Free choice of residency in Heidelberg or Paris, providing the hottest start-up incubator environments in Europe
Mentoring and support
from Novo Nordisk drug discovery and development experts
A buzzing entrepreneur community
and connectivity with organizations and investors in the local innovation ecosystem
Gateway to a
potential future/long term collaboration
with Novo Nordisk
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What is Novo Nordisk searching for?
Novo Nordisk is looking for early-stage biotech companies that fit the following criteria:
Focused on working on novel drug targets and transformational medicines in cardiometabolic disease, in particular in one of the below stated therapeutic areas.
Quality of the scientific work and impact
Robust research plan and potential for successful development of the research
Initial business and funding strategy
Therapeutic Areas
Diabetes
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Efficacy beyond blood glucose lowering, e.g. co-morbidity risk reduction
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Reversal of insulin resistance
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Prevention of disease progression, e.g. preservation of beta-cell health (T1D/T2D)
Liver Disease (MASH)
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Fibrosis resolution/inhibition of fibrogenesis
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Suppression of chronic inflammation
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Liver regenerative approaches
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Non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers
Obesity
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Enhancing energy expenditure
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Modulating hedonic eating behavior (e.g. hedonic and reward signaling)
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Modulation of the counter-regulatory mechanisms (e.g. metabolic set-point)
Rare Diseases
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Rare, non-malignant hematologic diseases
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Rare endocrine diseases
Cardiovascular
Disease
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Atherosclerotic CVD, HFpEF & cardiomyopathies
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MoAs providing risk reduction additive to LDL/TG lowering and anti-inflammation
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Precision-medicine approaches to heart failure
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Disease-modification (e.g. gene therapy)
Drug Discovery &
Enabling Technology
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Drug discovery & enabling technology in the previous stated therapeutic areas
Kidney Disease
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CKD/DKD, polycystic, kidney disease & glomerulonephritis
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Fibrosis resolution/inhibition of fibrogenesis
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Preservation of vascular and glomerular integrity
The Application Process
01
Submit applications by
January 20,2025
02
A subset of applications will be identified as semi-finalist and be invited for a virtual pitch around February 7 - 10
03
Winning teams will be selected by February 21, 2025 and will be invited to present their company & scientific concept at the European Investor Day 2025 on March 11, 2025 in Paris
04
Up to 4 awards will be granted
Good luck!
Judging Criteria and Judges
The applications are assessed by a scientific expert panel. Their assessments are based on four evaluation criteria:
Fit to Novo Nordisk’s strategic interest areas
Unmet need to be addressed and how will the product differentiate from existing treatment options
Quality of the scientific data and impact
Research plan robustness and the key milestone to reach within one year
Team competency
Potential to successfully achieve research milestones and program development
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What is the Novo Nordisk Golden Ticket – Biolabs European Award?Golden Tickets are vouchers that Novo Nordisk can award to a startup company of their choice and provide that company with one lab bench for one year at two of BioLabs European hubs, either in Heidelberg, located in Germany or Paris in the hospital setting of Hôtel-Dieu, located in France. The value of a Golden Ticket prepays the cost of one (1) single bench, one (1) single desk and Biolabs membership for one person for one (1) year. The value of a single bench may be applied towards fees for a private lab in either Biolabs Heidelberg or Paris, pending availability at the time of their desired start. The Golden Ticket winner must pay the difference between the larger space and the value of the single bench covered by their Golden Ticket. If there are no benches available, the value of the golden ticket will be extended while the company remains on the waitlist for a bench. The winner will receive priority admission or renewal for one year’s use of a lab bench and access to all shared facilities at Biolabs Heidelberg or Paris, and opportunities to engage with Novo Nordisk scientific and business executives.
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What is Novo Nordisk searching for?Please refer to section above: What is Novo Nordisk searching for?
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How do I know if I am eligible for a Golden Ticket?Golden Tickets may be awarded to either startup companies that are interested in joining the Biolabs European community (either in Heidelberg or Paris) or current Resident Companies. To be eligible to participate to have the opportunity to receive the Award, the Applicant must: 1. Be an independent entity (SME); 2. Submit a complete Application; 3. Represent and warrant that the Applicant has read and agrees to abide by all requirements of terms and conditions ; 4. Not be affiliated with or employed by Novo Nordisk or Biolabs including as an employee, contractor, officer or director of Novo Nordisk or Biolabs and including as an immediate family member of Novo Nordisk or Biolabs (including parents, spouses, children, siblings or any individual residing in the household of a Novo Nordisk, officer or director (whether or not related)); 5. Not be an academic institution such as a college, university or school.
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When will I be able to use my Golden Ticket?Winning teams will be invited to present their company & scientific concept at a live event in Paris on March 11, 2025 Companies must be financially and scientifically ready to start the program within three months of receiving the ticket and to execute the submitted research plan.
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Where can I find more details on Novo Nordisk’s areas of focus for external innovation?Please refer to our Novo Nordisk creatioNN website page
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How to apply and what should the application contain?Fill in our application form and submit it latest until January 20, 2025. The application should give an overview on your project, describe unmet medical need, solution, scientific principal, key data supporting the scientific principal and mechanism of action, the research plan and what is the key milestone to reach within one year, team competency, initial business and funding strategy, and IP status. You are also required to provide a non-confidential deck (max. 10 slides).
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