SLAS Ignite underscores the Society’s foundational commitment to collaboration, enabling scientists, academic researchers and business development professionals to build relationships as potential strategic partners. Together, SLAS facilitates connections that result in pioneering new research, new products, innovative breakthroughs and commercialization opportunities for all involved.
SLAS Ignite is multi-faceted and includes:
Innovation AveNEW provides start-up or emerging companies in the life sciences and laboratory technology space the opportunity to elevate the promotion of their new company, product or service at the annual SLAS International Conference and Exhibition and/or SLAS Europe Conference and Exhibition.
Companies selected for Innovation AveNEW are given:
Innovation AveNEW companies who opt-in to compete for the SLAS Ignite Award are judged on a combination of key concepts, including their marketing plan, market presence and potential; funding prospects; plan for growth and the existence of a balanced company leadership, among other qualities, for a chance to win $5,000.
Interested companies must align in some fashion with life sciences research and laboratory technology and while not required, an established relationship with a university, bioscience incubator or research institution is preferable. The company’s products and/or services must be available for sale/distribution within the year of their conference participation.
All applications are reviewed by the Innovation AveNEW Review Panel, who will evaluate applications for technical merit and commercial feasibility as well as other criteria, inclusive of, but not limited to:
SLAS reserves the right to select and deselect any company at any given time. All decisions are final. Companies selected for participation in Innovation AveNEW must agree to and adhere to the rules and regulations for participation.
SLAS is dedicated to advancing life sciences discovery and technology and connecting its users to each other. To fulfill that mission, companies selected to participate in Innovation AveNEW receive at no cost:
Learn How to Apply for SLAS2025 Innovation AveNEW Companies
The SLAS Ignite Award recognizes the best start-up or emerging company exhibiting within Innovation AveNEW, the specially designated area for start-ups and emerging companies within the SLAS International Conference and Exhibition and SLAS Europe Conference and Exhibition.
Companies selected for Innovation AveNEW, and who opt-in to compete for this prestigious award are judged by an SLAS panel on a combination of key concepts, including their marketing plan, market presence and potential; funding prospect; plan for growth and the existence of balanced company leadership, among other qualities. The winning company takes home a $5,000 cash prize.
2024: Depixus (France)
2023 Europe: Bionomous SA (Switzerland)
2023: Okomera (France)
2022 Europe: shinephi (an ICFO spin-off, Spain)
2022: BennuBio (USA)
2021 Digital: Artificial, Inc. (USA)
2021 Europe: Hopstem Biotechnology Co., Ltd (China)
2020: Correlia Biosciences (USA)
2019: SEED Biosciences (Switzerland)
SLAS Ignite hosts Academic Collaboration Presentations at its International Conference and Exhibition to foster scientific innovation through collaboration. Developed specifically to connect academic researchers and industry scientists, SLAS Ignite Academic Collaboration Presentations enable research institutions to showcase their capabilities and latest research to a diverse audience of prospective collaboration partners. Likewise, industry professionals responsible for partnerships and contract relations can meet with prospective partners from academia.
Together, SLAS facilitates connections that result in pioneering new research, innovation breakthroughs and commercialization opportunities for all involved.
The next Ignite Academic Collaboration Presentations will take place at SLAS2025, January 25-29, 2025, in San Diego, CA, USA.
The Ignite Showcase 2021 was a special event featuring the announcement of the 2021 Ignite Award winner, and the collaborations, entrepreneurship and startups that have made a splash during the past year.
The 2021 showcase introduced the company receiving the 2021 Ignite Award as well two panels discussing the motives and challenges of starting and scaling a startup; Driving Entrepreneurial Success and Launching and Growing a Startup in the Time of a Pandemic. Additionally, an interactive discussion on the concerns of early startups and important questions to ask.
Key to the SLAS Ignite program is providing life sciences start-up companies with invaluable market access, user feedback and business counsel through its investment in Innovation AveNEW.
Innovation AveNEW is a specially designated area of the annual SLAS Conference and Exhibition floor that provides an opportunity for emerging and start-up companies to actively engage with exhibition attendees and purchasing decision-makers from more than 40 countries, while SLAS covers the costs of exhibition fees, travel and lodging.
Twice a year innovative start-up and emerging companies can showcase their products to thousands of life sciences researchers. And now, we are adding a benefit to Innovation AveNEW companies that will further support the business counsel aspect of the program.
SLAS is seeking companies or individuals whose business model is to provide business consulting services to life sciences startups. We are asking accepted consultants to provide 10 complimentary hours of service, if selected by an Innovation AveNEW winner. If the consultant provides additional, billable hours to the Innovation AveNEW company, a nominal royalty will be paid to SLAS for this time.
Individuals or companies interested in being considered for this service should complete the following application for an opportunity to connect and consult with start-up companies.
