Class of 2023 SBC Catalyser Programme ‘graduate’ with flying colours

Ten startups at the intersection of therapeutics and techbio have celebrated completing Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst’s Catalyser Programme by pitching their ideas and commercialisation strategies to an audience of investors, experts and invited guests. 

Over the course of eight weeks, the 2023 cohort, pooled from an extremely competitive field of companies across the UK, were supported by a team of mentors to refine their commercialisation strategies. 

Delivered in collaboration with Triple Chasm, the programme utilises the latest data and digital technologies to support early-stage innovation and help tackle the challenges faced by fledging companies in translating ideas into viable products with commercial, social and environmental impact.

During this hands-on programme, each start-up meticulously analysed its strategy across 12 meso-economic vectors utilising the Triple Chasm tools, and actively engaged with 36 industry experts through 11 panel discussions.

The 14 sessions covered market space definition; proposition framing; customer definition; distribution marketing and sales; technology development; IP management; product and service synthesis; manufacturing and deployment; human capital; funding; strategic positioning and business models.  

At the Demo Day on 14 July, start-ups presented their strategies and asked for feedback from an audience of experts after being guided throughout the programme by the transformative Triple Chasm strategy framework. 

The selected companies taking part were Consone AI; Genenet Technology; Kuano; Neobe Therapeutics; PentaBind; Plurify; RS&RS Scientific; Stratosvir; Turing Biosystems and VasoDynamics.

Each company was asked to prepare a five minute presentation that set out their refined approach followed by a 10 minute Q&A session with the audience. As part of the closing ceremony, awards were handed out to the following three companies:

• Most catalysed: Plurify
• Most mature: Vasodynamics
• Most complex market: Neobe Therapeutics

Presenting the awards, programme lead Marco Delise, PhD, Entrepreneurship & Business Development Director, congratulated all the participants. 

He said: “The calibre of the 2023 cohort was particularly high and today’s pitches demonstrated both the quality of expertise delivered and the commitment of all the companies involved. Over the course of eight weeks together we built up a really strong sense of community and fellowship. That support does not end here. We will be tailoring more accelerator programmes to suit their needs and those of tech-bio companies taking part in future Catalyser programmes.”

In 2021, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst ran its first Data-Driven Advanced Therapeutics Accelerator (DATA) programme which was focused on execution. As of 31 March 2023, companies that went through this programme had secured £14m investments, with 86% of deals at seed stage and 14% at venture stage.

For the 2023 Catalyser Programme, SBC chose to focus on helping tech-bio companies to refine their commercialisation strategy after it spotted a gap in the market. Feedback from the cohort has been overwhelming positive praising the 'invaluable expert guidance and practical insights' and for providing a 'clear roadmap for success'. The programme achieved a 90% satisfaction rate overall.    Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst is now planning to run a Catalyser programme every year.  

Dr Sally Ann Forsyth OBE, CEO, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, said: “Today marks the culmination of a very successful programme. I wish the ‘Class of 2023’ every success for the future as they embark on the next stage of their growth journey.”

ENDS