UPTEC startup owner awarded by European Innovation Council
UPTEC startup owner awarded by European Innovation Council
Ângela Carvalho, CEO of BEAT Therapeutics, is one of the two Portuguese women honoured in the first edition of the WomenTechEU initiative.
At the origin of this award – reserved for “women leading in science, technology and entrepreneurship who are driving disruptive innovations in Europe” – is the work of Ângela Carvalho at the head of BEAT Therapeutics, a startup currently incubated at UPTEC – Science and Technology Park of U. Porto.
“More than an award, it’s a validation of our work, which strengthens our conviction in the path we’re following”. These are the words of Ângela in response to the 75,000 euro prize she won as part of the first edition of WomenTechEU. The researcher is one of two Portuguese winners of the European Prize for Women Entrepreneurs, promoted by the European Innovation Council (EIC) and the SME Executive Agency (EISMEA).
BEAT Therapeutics is a biotechnology startup focused on the discovery and development of innovative therapies for the treatment of aggressive cancers, the result of collaboration between researchers from various Portuguese research institutes. Ângela Carvalho, Lucília Saraiva, Maria José Ferreira, Hugo Prazeres, Lúcio Lara Santos are co-founders.
Focused on anti-cancer agents that act on DNA repair, the company aims to drive significant advances in cancer research and offer highly effective and safe therapies that can significantly improve patients’ quality of life.
The main drug candidate, currently in pre-clinical development, is an innovative molecule designed to inhibit DNA repair in cancer cells by interrupting a central pathway in homologous recombination.
International recognition in the WomenTechEU initiative is of great importance to the team. “In an area where access to funding can be challenging for women-led projects, initiatives such as Women TechEU help to build bridges, facilitating access to an international network of contacts and strategic resources, which are valuable tools for driving our growth in the demanding biotechnology health market”, emphasises Ângela Carvalho.
In this sense, BEAT will take advantage of the specialised services promoted by WomenTechEU to strengthen the strategic aspect of the project, while continuing to intensify its efforts in research and development of the technology.
“The development of therapeutics is a long, complex road with high funding requirements”, adds the CEO. “This makes it essential for the team to take advantage of this support not only to refine the business model, but also to expand the network of international partners”.
From research to entrepreneurship
Ângela Carvalho had already made the decision to “take off her lab coat” (she was a researcher at i3S) and move into the area of technology transfer when she started working on a health accelerator programme, supporting startups: “Shortly after I started working in technology transfer, I realised that this was the area where I could make a contribution to creating value”, she says.
And it is in this context that she joins BEAT Therapeutics and the launch of the entrepreneurial project. In Ângela’s opinion, health entrepreneurship is a “hybrid space, where scientific research and entrepreneurial vision go hand in hand”, she explains. That’s why she believes that both her experience as a researcher and in entrepreneurship have been essential in her journey to this point.
It is in this role, then, that the researcher finds her purpose: “Now my work and my vision of the application of science in the real world come together and, in our team, we work with the main focus of responding to patients’ needs”, she says.
The journey, which began in the laboratories and led to the creation of a company, has already earned BEAT Therapeutics several achievements. These include winning the 9th edition of iUP25k – U.Porto’s Business Ideas Competition, the Bluepharma Innovation Award 2023, the Young Entrepreneur Award 2023, first place in the EIT Health InnoStars 2023, the distinction in the Gilead Génese Programme and the prize in the Spanish “Startup Olé” acceleration programme.
Ângela Carvalho confesses that it’s hard to single out any special moment in the startup’s short lifetime. “Every partnership, support and recognition we’ve achieved has been fundamental to our growth”, she says.
About WomenTechEU
The aim of the WomenTechEU programme is to recognise women leaders in science, technology and entrepreneurship who are driving disruptive innovation in Europe. With three categories up for grabs, the initiative highlights the crucial role of gender diversity in innovation, inspiring the next generations of women to take the lead in the sector.
In addition to an individual grant of 75,000 euros to support the initial stages of the innovation process and the growth of the company, the prize also includes advice and guidance from the European Innovation Council’s (EIC) Business Acceleration Services (BAS), as well as the chance to take part in activities organised by InvestEU and the Enterprise Europe Network.
For BEAT Therapeutics, this award is yet another “important chapter” that strengthens the company’s ability to respond to what truly drives it, whether in terms of research or entrepreneurship: developing innovative therapies that meet the needs of cancer patients.
November 27, 2024