Cambridge/BIRAC partnership ignites bio informatics start-up success

Novo Informatics (NI), a company that develops biological software for academic and pharmaceutical companies in the life sciences sector, has been awarded the Emerging Company of the Year 2014 in the bio informatics category by the Government of Karnataka in India. Supported by the Biotech Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) funding scheme, Novo Informatics was one of five start-ups selected to attend the University of Cambridge Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning’s Ignite programme at Cambridge Judge Business School in 2013.

Sahil Kapoor, Director and co-founder, said, “We received the Asia Pacific Emerging Company of the Year in 2013 and have been working on preparing our product for global release in July 2014. We were delighted to get this further award which acknowledges our progress. Biotech entrepreneurship is booming in India and initiatives created by BIRAC and the Department of Biotechnology are supporting biotech & healthcare start-ups across the country. The whole ecosystem has given us confidence and enabled us to mature and develop as a business.”

Sahil attended the Ignite programme for tech entrepreneurs and innovators in Cambridge as a result of the partnership between the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning and BIRAC. His aim was to look at streamlining the offering, i.e. a mix of technologies that help researchers to discover molecules for diversified protein targets, into a one stop product solution - Inventus - for customers at an affordable price with competitive advantage.

He said, “Ignite came with an ecosystem of innovators that I’ve never experienced before. I was able to network with CEOs and CTOs from various companies in and around Cambridge in a really short period of time. I gained a better understanding of the international market, ways of doing partnerships and how international product strategies are developed before launch. This has influenced our approach to business development and marketing the product.”

Since Ignite, Novo Informatics has won business from global pharmaceutical companies and raised seed funding from Kilitch Drugs (India) Ltd. The focus is now on the global product launch in July 2014 but the company also has plans to establish a small scale experimental lab to enable in-house R&D.   

Yupar Myint, Ignite Programme Director, commented on the success, “It’s wonderful to hear of the continuing success of one of our alumni ventures and demonstrates the impact of our partnership with BIRAC on Indian biotech innovation.  I extend my warmest congratulations to Sahil and all at Novo Informatics on the recent award and wish them every success with the upcoming product launch.”  

Further information about Novo Informatics can be found on their web site at http://www.novoinformatics.com/index.html

The next Ignite programme is running from 6th to 11th July in Cambridge and some places are still available. For further information, please visit the web site at http://www.cfel.jbs.cam.ac.uk/programmes/ignite/index.html



About Ignite http://www.cfel.jbs.cam.ac.uk/programmes/ignite/index.html

Ignite is an intensive, one-week training programme for aspiring entrepreneurs and corporate innovators to trial and prepare business ideas for the commercial environment. Comprised of a blend of practical teaching sessions, expert clinics, mentor sessions and experienced advice and support from leading entrepreneurs and innovators, it will give you the tools, contacts and confidence to transform your idea into a successful business project or venture. Ignite attracts a diverse range of projects which can be broadly categorised as being from the high-tech sector or life sciences sector.

Over 600 participants from 26 countries across Europe, Asia and America have attended since the programme started. The alumni are made up of people from various disciplines and industry sectors ranging from business management, computer science, electrical and electronic engineering, mathematics, physics, and sociology through to biology, chemistry, genetics, material science and plant science. It is estimated that approximately 170+ business ventures developed by Ignite alumni are still up and running. A 2013 survey showed that more than £120 million in funding has been raised and approximately 2500+ jobs created by Ignite alumni in the last two years. 

Email: [email protected]

About Novo Informatics http://www.novoinformatics.com/index.html

Novo Informatics is a Life Science based R&D Company with a mission to develop Biological Software for Pharmaceutical companies and Research academics as well as serving clients in area of Drug Discovery.

Novo Informatics leverages on the long standing SCFBio (Super Computing Facility for Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, IIT-Delhi) tradition of producing state-of-the-art technologies for research communities and pharmaceutical companies in order to smooth line the whole process of Drug Discovery. NI aims at developing an innovative models that aims to address a today’s challenge in combating widespread diseases and simultaneously which can cut down cost and time in delivering molecules to the market as faster pace. Built on our R&D pipeline, one stop solution, new innovations, Novo Informatics also provides a comprehensive portfolio of services in Computational Drug Discovery which can be effectively integrated in research objectives & operations.

Novo Informatics provides standalone services and comprehensive solutions in a confidential mode and these include complete customisation as per client’s research activities. NI completely strongly follows Data security of client’s research and helps in maintain and generating IP from innovations.

Tel: 91-11-26581524, 91-11-26581766 (Extension: 28)

Email: [email protected]

______________________________________________________________