Latest news with #StartupoftheYear
Technical.ly
16-05-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
Biotech startup BioLattice wins pitch prize — but says the real value was showing up
Despite the international representation at BioLabs Philadelphia's third annual Investor Day, a local biotech company took home the top prize. Amelia Zellander, founder and CEO of tissue engineering startup BioLattice, applied for Investor Day as a way to attract funding and resources for her company, with the goal of making connections that could lead to valuable relationships, she said. The event featured 18 startups, all of which pitched to win Startup of the Year and a package of consulting services, software services and discounts on equipment. The startups were also exposed to life sciences stakeholders from across the country and those from outside the region got to meet Philly's ecosystem. Winning Startup of the Year means a lot, Zellander said, and helps to spread the word about the work she is doing. 'People invest in people they know and they like,' she told 'You just have to have face-to-face interaction, and nothing magical is going to happen for me at this one event. It's about being out there a lot.' Recognition from winning the award will help Zellander with her current goal, raising a $2 million seed round. The seed round will help the company file for an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) from the Food and Drug Administration to generate data to show that the company is ready for a clinical trial, Zellander said. BioLattice is developing a biomaterial to repair and transplant the front layer of the eye called CorneaClear. The company has seen some momentum over the last few years, receiving funding from federal agencies, accelerators and pitch competitions that have supported the development of its prototype. It has some early data from animal tests to inform its pilot studies, but still needs more cash to get there. A slow funding environment isn't scaring BioLattice away Despite Zellander's recent wins, her experience with finding funding and resources for her company has always been a challenge. It's generally harder for life sciences companies to find funding because they're high risk and require long timelines. Lack of funding is exacerbated by funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health. The Philadelphia region saw a dip in venture capital last quarter and Philly companies say they are having trouble securing funding from local investors. Events like BioLabs Investor Day are intended to bring investors and money from outside Philadelphia into the region, Melina Blees, head of BioLabs Philadelphia, told But investors generally are looking for companies with strong teams that are capital efficient, have an exit timeline and proven customers. Plus, federal funding cuts are making it increasingly difficult for startups to get off the ground. However, these circumstances don't particularly scare Zellander, she said. Raising money and finding resources have always been difficult. In the past, she struggled to find consistent funding and balance her time building the startup while working full-time jobs, she said. 'It has just never been easy, and in my experience, it's always hard for just different reasons,' she said. Bringing outsiders to Philly to boost local VC BioLabs hosts events like this not just to engage with local stakeholders, but also to show off the region to investors who may write Philly off, Blees of BioLabs said. 'Our goal is really to bring them here, to show them that there's great science happening,' Blees said. 'Then hopefully that means they come back and they invest.' Biolabs' national presence is helpful for this, she said. The global life sciences coworking company hosts an investor event series in its hubs across the country, which works to build a network that can be tapped into by anyone. BioLabs launched in Philly in 2018 and is now doubling down on its presence here. The company recently announced plans to expand its space at the Curtis building. The BioLabs for Advanced Therapeutics will be a 30,000-square-foot incubator space to be completed in the second half of this year. The expansion includes the opening of the Thermo Fisher Scientific Advanced Therapies Collaboration Center, which is expected to bring in companies from all over to try equipment and work with the life science company's team, Blees said. Convincing investors that startups can be successful anywhere is easier since the pandemic introduced virtual work, she said. In fact, startups can be more successful in an ecosystem where they have connections and resources with a lower cost of living. 'Money can move,' Blees said. 'If a great company is embedded in an ecosystem and has the support and has resources, why would you move them?' Sarah Huffman is a 2022-2024 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.
Biz Bahrain
01-05-2025
- Business
- Biz Bahrain
Unipal Wins Startup of the Year at 2025 Excellence Awards
Unipal, the biggest youth platform in the region, has been honoured with the prestigious Mastercard Startup of the Year 2025 award during the Startups and SMEs Excellence Awards. This recognition reflects Unipal's outstanding contribution to empowering the youth community by providing exclusive offers and discounts that deliver tangible value. The award was presented to Mr. Ali Alalawi, CEO of Unipal, at a distinguished event held at the Gulf Convention Centre, Gulf Hotel Bahrain. The ceremony was organised in collaboration with the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), Mastercard, Bahrain Development Bank, and KPMG Bahrain, and supported by a host of strategic partners committed to nurturing Bahrain's entrepreneurial ecosystem. The ceremony was graced by the presence of distinguished officials, leading entrepreneurs, and influential investors. It recognised startups and SMEs that have excelled in innovation, demonstrated outstanding creativity, and adopted forward-looking practices that promote sustainable growth. 'Receiving the Startup of the Year award is a proud milestone for all of us at Unipal. It stands as a testament to the continued dedication and hard work of our team, whose drive to create meaningful value for youth remains at the heart of our mission. This recognition inspires us to deepen our impact, broaden our service offerings, and further enrich the youth journey.' commented Mr. Ali Alalawi. Unipal has established itself as a leading platform in the region, dedicated to enhancing youth life by providing access to an extensive array of exclusive offers. The platform currently offers over 500 local discounts and more than 150,000 global discounts across various sectors, including food and beverage, retail, education, and entertainment.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Smartify Media Named 2025 Startup of the Year by The Advertising Club of New York
MIAMI, April 23, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Smartify Media ("Smartify") has been named the 2025 Startup of the Year by The Advertising Club of New York in recognition of leadership in the programmatic digital-out-home sector. The esteemed award, established in 1959, celebrates trailblazers across the marketing, media, and advertising industries. The honor will be presented at the Advertising People of the Year Awards on June 4, 2025, at the Tribeca Rooftop in New York City. "We are honored to receive this recognition," said Joe Kunigonis, CEO of Smartify. "This award is a testament to Smartify's focus on innovation and operational excellence; reflecting the increasing significance of the programmatic digital out-of-home channel within the advertising ecosystem and the growth of retail media networks." The honorees: Matt Scheckner, Chairman of Advertising Week ("New Yorker of the Year") David Sable, Vice Chair at Stagwell ( "Industry Legend") Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, CMO of DoorDash ("Marketer of the Year") Alex Cuevas, SVP, Director of Talent at BBDO ("Young Pro") Smartify Media, Co-Founders Joe Kunigonis, Oleg Vyadro and Lenny Zappa ("Start Up of the Year") "The AD CLUB brings the advertising community together through thought leadership, meaningful connections, and recognizing excellence across the industry. Congratulations to Smartify on being named 'Startup of the Year'!" - Gina Grillo, President, The Ad Club of New York. Launched in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, Smartify's initial offering - Small Business+ - assisted local retailers with critical storefront communications and a new ancillary revenue source. Smartify is currently present in 40+ U.S. markets in partnership with retailers and leading consumer marketplaces. Over 3,000 advertisers have activated digital campaigns through Smartify, reflecting global, national and local brands such as Louis Vuitton, Emirates, BMW, Apple, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, ESPN, Disney, Dunkin, P&G, Bank of America, Harvard University and The Yankees. Smartify's Community+ Program powers out-of-home visibility for philanthropic campaigns by The Jimmy Fund/Dana Farber, American Cancer Society, Pan-Mass Challenge and other non-profits. About Smartify Smartify is a premium, third party-audited and verified, urban panel and retail media network that enables global brands, local businesses, and agencies to connect to defined audiences through programmatic or direct campaign activation. Smartify's platform offers a flexible, scalable and accessible way to advertise in America's top markets and consumer marketplaces. View source version on Contacts Debbie Williams, SVP, Marketing, Smartify, debbie@ Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
23-04-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Smartify Media Named 2025 Startup of the Year by The Advertising Club of New York
MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Smartify Media ('Smartify') has been named the 2025 Startup of the Year by The Advertising Club of New York in recognition of leadership in the programmatic digital-out-home sector. The esteemed award, established in 1959, celebrates trailblazers across the marketing, media, and advertising industries. This award is a testament to Smartify's focus on innovation and operational excellence; and reflects the significance of both the programmatic digital out-of-home channel within the advertising ecosystem and the growth of retail media. - Joe Kunigonis, CEO Share The honor will be presented at the Advertising People of the Year Awards on June 4, 2025, at the Tribeca Rooftop in New York City. 'We are honored to receive this recognition,' said Joe Kunigonis, CEO of Smartify. 'This award is a testament to Smartify's focus on innovation and operational excellence; reflecting the increasing significance of the programmatic digital out-of-home channel within the advertising ecosystem and the growth of retail media networks.' The honorees: Matt Scheckner, Chairman of Advertising Week ("New Yorker of the Year') David Sable, Vice Chair at Stagwell ( "Industry Legend") Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, CMO of DoorDash ("Marketer of the Year") Alex Cuevas, SVP, Director of Talent at BBDO ("Young Pro") Smartify Media, Co-Founders Joe Kunigonis, Oleg Vyadro and Lenny Zappa (' Start Up of the Year ') "The AD CLUB brings the advertising community together through thought leadership, meaningful connections, and recognizing excellence across the industry. Congratulations to Smartify on being named 'Startup of the Year'!' - Gina Grillo, President, The Ad Club of New York. Launched in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, Smartify's initial offering - Small Business+ - assisted local retailers with critical storefront communications and a new ancillary revenue source. Smartify is currently present in 40+ U.S. markets in partnership with retailers and leading consumer marketplaces. Over 3,000 advertisers have activated digital campaigns through Smartify, reflecting global, national and local brands such as Louis Vuitton, Emirates, BMW, Apple, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, ESPN, Disney, Dunkin, P&G, Bank of America, Harvard University and The Yankees. Smartify's Community+ Program powers out-of-home visibility for philanthropic campaigns by The Jimmy Fund/Dana Farber, American Cancer Society, Pan-Mass Challenge and other non-profits. Smartify is a premium, third party-audited and verified, urban panel and retail media network that enables global brands, local businesses, and agencies to connect to defined audiences through programmatic or direct campaign activation. Smartify's platform offers a flexible, scalable and accessible way to advertise in America's top markets and consumer marketplaces.
Biz Bahrain
21-04-2025
- Business
- Biz Bahrain
Mumtalakat Sponsors the Second Edition of the 'Startup of the Year' Competition in Collaboration with Tamkeen
Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in partnership with the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) announces its sponsorship of the 'Startup of the Year' competition for the second consecutive year, following the successful launch of the competition's inaugural edition. As part of this collaboration, Mumtalakat will conduct a comprehensive feasibility study of winning companies from last year's StartUp Bahrain Pitch events. Based on this assessment, Mumtalakat will select one or more companies deserving of the esteemed title of 'Startup of the Year' and invest in them via direct capital injections, subject to a predetermined set of pre-approved terms and conditions, in light of this evaluation. Commenting on this occasion, His Excellency Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, CEO of Mumtalakat, said, 'We are pleased to collaborate again with the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) through the Startup Bahrain platform for the opportunity to identify innovative and pioneering startups locally. Following the success of last year's inaugural edition of the competition, in which 'Lumofy' and 'Early Riser' were announced as winners, Mumtalakat will provide the necessary support to help this year's winners achieve growth and success'. 'This aligns with Mumtalakat's ongoing efforts to support the national economy by investing locally in innovative and promising projects that will generate employment opportunities, promote economic diversification, and enhance the role of public and private sector partnerships in the Kingdom,' he added. Tamkeen Chief Executive, Her Excellency Ms. Maha Abdulhameed Mofeez, expressed her enthusiasm to collaborate once again with Mumtalakat within this strategic initiative that aims to enhance entrepreneurship in the Kingdom and create a supportive and nurturing ecosystem for entrepreneurs in Bahrain. She added, 'The Startup Bahrain Pitch initiative was launched to address the challenges faced by startups in obtaining the necessary funding to expand their projects. This initiative has also contributed to equipping many entrepreneurs with the skills required to present their projects to attract potential investors with at the hands of entrepreneurship experts and specialists. We are proud of the innovative Bahraini startups that have achieved their funding goals and expanded their projects through this initiative and look forward to the participation of more entrepreneurs in this year's second edition.' This collaboration underscores Mumtalakat and Tamkeen's commitment to fostering innovation, nurturing the spirit of entrepreneurship, and contributing to achieving economic diversification in the Kingdom by leveraging their respective expertise and resources within the 'Team Bahrain' to create an empowering environment for startups to thrive, grow, and contribute to enhancing national economic growth. More than 100 entrepreneurs have gained valuable experience through the training program, which emphasises investment strategies, business expansion, and project development, with 82 entrepreneurs successfully qualifying for the pitch events since the StartUp Bahrain Pitch initiative's inception. The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) provides a variety of programs designed to support diverse enterprises and strengthen the private sector's role as a key driver of economic growth in the Kingdom. In addition, Tamkeen offers employment and career development initiatives aimed at positioning Bahraini talent as the preferred choice for employment.
