Prague, September 26, 2025 – Riana Therapeutics, a startup developing a new treatment for acute myeloid leukemia, won the startup competition organized by the Prague.bio association. Second place went to HeartBeat.bio with its advanced platform for discovering new drugs for heart disease, particularly heart failure. Third place was awarded to Nanoflexion from the Technical University of Liberec, which has created a special nanofiber patch to prevent life-threatening complications during intestinal surgeries.
The Pitch Session was the highlight of this year’s Prague.bio Conference 2025, which took place on Thursday, September 25, at the National House in Vinohrady, Prague. The conference attracted 400 participants from the ranks of scientists, investors, and industry representatives — the largest turnout in the three-year history of the event. The program featured three panel discussions focused on investments, biotech company management, and the use of artificial intelligence in drug development.
The Pitch Session showcased twelve selected biotech projects. A jury of investors and experts evaluated the teams, recognizing above all their innovative approaches and potential for real-world application.
Record interest in this year’s Pitch Session
“A record 40 projects applied for this year’s Pitch Session, out of which the jury selected the best to present their technologies to the audience. Each year, the quality of projects increases, which is a very good signal for us. Only the very best advanced to the final selection, while more than 20 additional technologies were presented in form of posters. The competition once again highlighted the strong representation of Czech projects, though international teams from Poland, Germany, and Austria were also present,” said Jiří Fusek, Executive Director of Prague.bio.
The presenting teams included all major Czech universities and biotech research centers, among them the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Masaryk University, Charles University, the Technical University of Liberec, and several other Academy institutes.
The first prize of €3,000 went to Austrian startup RIANA Therapeutics. In addition to the financial reward, the project’s authors will also have the opportunity to present to the investment committee of Czech Founders VC, which may grant the startup further funding. RIANA Therapeutics is developing a novel treatment for acute myeloid leukemia. This aggressive blood cancer has poor prognosis among older patients, with less than a 30% survival rate. RIANA Therapeutics’ innovative approach blocks key protein-protein interactions in cancer cells that drive tumor growth and spread. The goal is to deliver a treatment that is both more effective and less toxic than current options.
Second place went to Vienna-based HeartBeat.bio, awarded €2,000, for its advanced platform for developing heart disease drugs, especially for heart failure. The company uses 3D models, called cardioids, which are created from human stem cells. These tissue models function like human hearts, enabling drug response and toxicity testing in a system much closer to human physiology.
Third place was awarded to Nanoflexion from the Technical University of Liberec, with its nanofiber patch designed to prevent life-threatening complications during intestinal surgeries. The patch is biodegradable, body-safe, and easy to apply during operations, representing a breakthrough in post-surgery healing. Nanoflexion received a €1,000 prize.
Other promising projects presented
Beyond the competing startups, other promising projects were also showcased. Among them was the Czech med-tech startup Carebot, which develops advanced AI algorithms for analyzing chest X-rays. The company presented results of its collaboration with pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), conducted in Czech hospitals. The partnership aims to support early detection of lung cancer — a critical factor in improving patients’ chances for successful treatment and long-term survival.
“Early diagnosis is key in the fight against lung cancer. Patients whose tumors are caught in the early stages have a significantly higher five-year survival rate compared to those diagnosed later. By combining our expertise in immuno-oncology with Carebot’s innovative technology, we aim to enable faster detection and better patient outcomes,” said Karin Bacmaňáková, GM of BMS Czech Republic.
Building stronger biotech foundations
Although many Czech projects were presented, young scientists still need to strengthen their business foundations and entrepreneurial mindset. That is the goal of a new project, Lorem Ipsum Academy, launched by Prague.bio in cooperation with IP Lab Ventures and Technological Literacy. The initiative will help scientists develop management skills and motivate them to pursue careers in biotech entrepreneurship.
Top speakers and international insights
The conference also featured world-class speakers. Among the keynote guests was Professor Philipp Kukura, a Czechoslovakia native from Oxford University, founder of Refeyn, and a global authority in mass photometry. In his inspiring talk, he shared stories from his startup journey, encouraging participants to combine courage with humility as in his words: “A scientific breakthrough does not equal a commercial breathrough.”
Hannah Nelson from the University of Colorado Boulder shared the university’s remarkable success in technology transfer. Last year, CU Boulder ranked #1 in the U.S. for the number of spin-offs, with 35 new startups, despite not being located in any of the traditional VC hubs such as San Francisco or Boston.
Czech biotech ecosystem on the rise
The third edition of Prague.bio Conference once again showed that the Czech biotech ecosystem is rapidly growing, attracting increasing investor interest and producing projects with strong international potential. The announcement of this year’s competition winners confirmed that innovations born here have the potential to fundamentally change the future of medicine and patient care.
The growing momentum is also evidenced by the fact that next year Prague will host the prestigious international conference BioEquity the first time ever the event will take place in Central and Eastern Europe.
