BioPark Jump celebrates its first birthday
(No. 278) May 2023 saw the launch of BioPark Jump, an unprecedented funding program for start-up projects with a focus on health topics, diagnostics, analytics, biotechnology or medical technology. The project initiated by BioPark Regensburg GmbH, a company of the City of Regensburg, is funded by the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Technology for three years.
The BioPark Jump Accelerator supports early-stage start-up projects that are dedicated to the development of medical devices and other healthcare-related applications. The hurdles for entering the healthcare market are particularly high and industry-specific topics such as certification, reimbursement and clinical evidence must be addressed at an early stage. The BioPark provides a total of 320 square meters of office and laboratory space for the program directly on the campus of the University of Regensburg. For teams that have not yet been founded, the use of the premises is free of charge for 12 months. In addition, each start-up receives individual support and is brought together with users from clinics, care facilities and manufacturing companies as early as possible. Events on industry-relevant topics round off the program.
Previous success stories from the Accelerator
Medespro (medical design project): A pre-founding team working on an AI-based app for improved and location-independent wound documentation that allows patients to carry out their wound documentation independently and thus relieves the burden on the treating nursing staff. The potential of the idea was also recognized by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs. It awarded the founding team (Alexandra Hoyer, Philipp Götz) from Amberg-Weiden University of Applied Sciences the FLÜGGE start-up grant in 2024 to further finance the complex development of their medical product and thus pave the way for the company to be founded.
Evanium Healthcare GmbH: A start-up that has already been founded and is developing technologies to improve the processing of poorly soluble secondary plant substances in order to make the health-promoting effects of plants more usable for the human body. Over the past 12 months, the founding team (Felix Rolka, David Ofner, Carlo Werkmann) has been able to significantly develop the platform technology for improving solubility and establish international collaborations with established companies from the pharmaceutical and food sectors. The market launch of the first products is scheduled for this year.
GoEcoFit GmbH: Launched as a pre-founding team in the Accelerator, the now established company offers a digital solution for occupational health management. The application enables companies to promote the physical and mental health of their employees. The start-up has already successfully exited BioPark Jump by entering the market. However, founder Prof. Dr. Thomas Bolz has retained his entrepreneurial spirit and will continue with his new project Retina Therapeutics in the Accelerator. Together with the working group of Prof. Dr. Bernhard Weber (Institute of Human Genetics, University of Regensburg), a drug for the treatment of the hereditary retinal disease Morbus Best is to be developed.
The positive developments of the teams accepted into the accelerator and the high demand for consultation appointments from students at Regensburg's universities who are interested in founding a company show the need for specialist support from BioPark Jump. It is possible to apply for the accelerator at any time.
Weitere Informationen: www.biopark-jump.de