More than 80% of the PhD candidates pursue a career in industry, start their own company or work in the public sector. The Innovation Competition (IC) – organised by Mercator Launch – is a training program designed for researchers who want to innovate and discover the commercial applications or services from their own research and technology.
A couple of weeks ago, 12 researchers started the training programme to translate their idea into an added-value product or service. They have learned relevant skills on how to identify the business potential from their own research and transform it into value for society.
We are proud to announce the 6 finalists who will pitch during the Grande Finale in front of a jury and compete for the main prize of €10.000.
- Lukas Ansteeg (DCC) & Josh Ring (DCC) with Ondertaal
- Francesca Rivello (IMM) & Kinga Matula (IMM) with Monoceros Analytics
- Gabrielle Ras (DCC) & Lynn Le (DCC) with PortrAI
- Leon Houben (IMAPP) with Speechless
- Thomas Bronzwaer (IMAPP) with Machine Precision
- Jarrod Gott (DCCN) with Biomed Osiris
During the Grande Finale – on Friday 12th of March 2021 from 3 PM to 5 PM – the researchers will pitch their business idea to an expert jury. In addition to the main prize of €10.000, a runner-up and public prize of €5.000 each will be awarded as well. This pre-seed capital will allow the researchers to bring their innovation closer to the market and create impact with their research. In doing so, they will receive additional support of Mercator Launch to further succeed their startup.
The Grande Finale will be organised online and is openly accessible to all employees at Radboud University and Radboudumc. Fellow researchers are more than welcome to join the pitch event and support their colleagues by voting for the public prize.
Did this competition trigger your entrepreneurial vibes? Check out our next edition!
