On December 9th and 10th we celebrated the kick-offs of the 50 Proof-of-Principle (Level 1) projects that joined the Biotech Booster program in 2024. At the kick-off events, teams got the opportunity to pitch their projects and connect with seasoned entrepreneurs in our network to help them accelerate their growth.
Kick-off event for Thematic Cluster 3, 4 and 5
On Monday December 9th, the event was kindly hosted by BioPartner Leiden located on the Leiden Bio Science Park, with a warm welcome by director Thijs De Kleer. The day was moderated by Stefan Ellenbroek, and after an update on Biotech Booster’s progress and mission by our CEO Nettie Buitelaar and Program Manager Rachel van Beem, the morning included workshops on entering market strategies by Stefan, regulatory development by Paula van Hennik, and a visit to VitroScan with CEO Willemijn Vader.
The afternoon consisted of an interactive program with inspiring talks by experienced entrepreneurs Wietse Mulder, followed by Tim Knotnerus and ended with poster pitches where all project teams got the chance to get valuable insights and feedback from entrepreneurs in our network.
Kick-off event for Thematic Cluster 1 and 2
On Tuesday December 10th, the event took place on the TU Delft Campus, and started with project teams practicing their pitches and feedback sessions to finetune their message. In the afternoon our CEO Nettie Buitelaar started with a warm welcome, and then gave the word to the Managing Director of Planet B.io, Cindy Gerhardt.
Opening with her key take away “if you think you can do it alone, you’re not thinking big enough”, Cindy set the tone for a dynamic panel discussion on topics including How to fund your project, and What to keep in mind when you’re taking the bold step from being a scientist towards being an entrepreneur. Panel member Ellen Ploeger-van Zoest (Gritd) said: “Market validation is crucial and often thought about too late. Conduct as many interviews as possible early on to learn faster and structure the data: treat it as a science”. All panel members Akshat Kshetrapal (DSM-Firmenich Venturing), Ellen Ploeger-van Zoest (Gritd), Peter Rowe (Aerbio) and Wim de Laat (The Protein Brewery, BioscienZ) shared your valuable insights and experiences with the project teams.
The afternoon concluded with the project pitch rounds, and a network & drink session where project leads connected with seasoned entrepreneurs! 🚀
Curious to learn more about the projects? You can find them all on our projects page!
📸 Photography: Butino
🎥 Aftermovie: Maker District
